About this quote

People we spend time with can change what we notice and how we act. A single new friendship can pull out interests, habits, or ideas you didn't know you had and make them part of your daily life. Watch for small shifts: a new routine, a different opinion, a habit you pick up without thinking. If you want to grow, spend honest time with people who think and live differently, and try one small practice they do for a month.

When to use it

• Work — On my first week with a mentor who diagrams problems differently, I thought of Anaïs Nin because their approach opened new ways I hadn't used before.
• Study — In a study group when a classmate's example made a concept suddenly clear, I remembered that line about friends bringing out parts of you.
• Sport/Health — Training with a running buddy who introduces interval days I never tried alone; their habit changed how I train and I keep thinking of that idea.
• Family/Finance — After my partner's sibling showed us a simple meal prep system that cut our grocery bills, I kept recalling that observation about the people who change your everyday.