An old man came up to me at work today and gave me this life tip. It was really special and I think you should hear it.

I work as a barista at Starbucks and I’ve been doing this for two years. An old man comes in sometimes and orders a coffee. He usually keeps to himself and does his own thing. But today he came up to me while I was cleaning and said “you know who I am right?” I didn’t know him from anywhere other than Starbucks so I told him i didn’t. He said he was the CEO of Starbucks, and he’s been coming to my store for a while now because he liked the energy of it.<br><br>He told me he wanted to give me a piece of advice that he thought I’d understand. He said when he was around my age he worked as a barista for a small coffee shop in the northwest, and he was envious of everyone who got to come and go from there. He said that he felt like he worked so hard to get to that point, but it felt like he missed out on a lot. <br><br>He said he worked his way up the corporate ladder and became the CEO. He was able to make a lot of money and provide for himself and his family. But he said in the process of doing so, he didn’t get to see his children very much. He said that they were important to him but he didn’t get to be there for milestones or even spend as much time with them as he would’ve liked to. He said he missed out on things that he would never get the chance to do again. By the time he was able to spend time with his children, they had grown up and moved away. He said he became CEO of Starbucks and he was able to do even more. But he said that when his wife got sick, he couldn’t be there for her either. <br><br>He said no matter how hard he worked or how much money he made, there are some things he’ll never be able to get back, and that will always hurt. He said in that way, he envies me for being a barista because they get to come and go from here all the time. He said they get carte blanche to be with whoever and whatever they want, for however long they want. He said he’s learned that your worth is not defined by how much money you’ve made or how great your accomplishments are, but by who you spend your time with, how you treat the people around you, and how you carry yourself through life.<br><br>It was really special and I was feeling very touched, and he told me “I know you’re probably still in school, and I know you probably don’t think this is your forever job. But the truth is…this is. This is your forever job. Whether you realize it or not, you are shaping the lives of the people around you. You are shaping the lives of your coworkers, your customers, and even your managers. The impression you make and the way you conduct yourself here will stick with you for the rest of your life. How you treat others here will shape the way you treat others in your future career, your marriage, and your true forever job as a parent. Remember that the things you do here today will impact the world you live in tomorrow.”<br><br>I was really speechless and didn’t know what to say. I just thanked him. But this really made me think about the impressions I make on the people around me, and the things I do that will impact my life in the long run. Make good choices for yourself. Always conduct yourself well. Even if you don’t think it will matter later, it will. It will define your worth. It will define your character. It will define your life.