Before we launch into today’s post, won’t you consider donating the gift of clean water to some lovely kids in Cambodia? It’s tax deductible!

Is there anything as important to the human condition as water?

(well, other than hugs, pizza and love, at least)

Probably not. So today’s post is all about the best long reads/watches on water, to commemorate water Wednesday, which is a real thing!

I.

Diving deep: how the human body reacts to being submerged

“Once his volunteers were underwater, the blood in their bodies began flooding away from their limbs and toward their vital organs. He’d seen the same thing happen in deep-diving seals decades earlier; by shunting blood away from less important areas of the body, the seals were able to keep organs like the brain and heart oxygenated longer, extending the amount of time they could stay submerged. Immersion in water triggered the same...

Happy Tuesday, folks: don’t forget to donate!

Want to change your life?

OK, I know that’s a little dramatic.

But, people always ask me how I stay in touch with the news and read so much - so here are my three favorite tools.

1) Pocket. It’ll change your life - it’s basically a link collecting tool that pulls all those articles you’ll read later. The shocking thing: you actually will, and offline too! Every plane ride, line and restless hour in bed before the alarm clock goes off goes to Pocket for me. Download here.

2) Super curated Twitter. I know that many new users are often overwhelmed by Twitter, but once you get to know who to follow, it’s magic. Personally, I aggressively curate who I follow and make full use of lists. Additionally, I follow someone based on three factors that the user has to pass: 1) Will they share things I find intellectually stimulating? 2) Will they...

I suck at a lot of things.

Math.

Driving.

Controlling my fits of rage.

Relationships.

God, isn’t LC just so sad? The ultimate everywoman. Sigh, you’re still a jerk, Jason.

But just because I totally blow at these things doesn’t mean I completely forgo the joys of cruising down the 101 at an appropriate speed, or entering stressful situations, or even figuring out (in my head) which brand of cheese to buy based on per unit price. Heck, I’m mostly a functioning human being!

And so can you.

So happy Monday, folks, and here’s to believing in yourself.

You can do it.

*If you’re so inclined, won’t you please help spread the word about my campaign? And encourage your employer to match :) * [stayclassy.org/25reasons](stayclassy.org/25reasons)

I’d owe you one…

Is there anything more blissful than Sunday dinner?

I hope you were lucky enough to experience a particularly good one tonight. I definitely did - went to Animal during a short trip to Los Angeles. Beautiful spread included crispy pig ears with a runny egg, soft shell crab smothered in black Sriracha, the best roasted turkey leg I’ve ever eaten in my life and bone marrow with chimichurri.

Better yet, got to share this meal with my family, who I miss dearly.

That’s the best part of Sunday dinner - the people who you choose to dine with Sunday night tend to be the ones you truly care about. With the last hurrah of the weekend, those last droplets of free time are precious.

So choose your dinner mates wisely - breaking bread can be serious business!

…and if you’re so inclined, share this link with your Sunday night mates: [stayclassy.org/25reasons](stayclassy.org/25reasons).

...

Guys, we need to talk about GIRLBOSS. I know, it’s totally predictable that I bought the book, a memoir/advice book for girls by one of my favorite female CEOs.

I’m nothing like Sophia. I went to prestigious prep schools, I spend an average of 15 minutes getting ready and my idea of high fashion is mustering enough energy to wear heels.

But the lady has built a fashion empire from scratch, favorites every tweet in which she’s mentioned and is so gosh darn authentic, it’s hard not to entertain her advice.

It’s an easy read and mimics like the Nasty Gal website: in-your-face, highly visual, designed for the ADD-addled millennial looking for a quick jolt of inspiration, like, five minutes ago.

Rock on, Sophia, and I hope someday I can write a badass pink book from the C-Suite like you did.

*A word of advice: DO NOT search “girl boss” in Google image search with parental controls off...

Thanks for the continued shares reposts, retweets and more, everyone. I’ve only got $425 left to raise - so if you’re one of the lucky ducks that works somewhere that does corporate matching, may you please consider giving a couple bucks for clean water?

I’m currently at my parent’s house, in town for a childhood friend’s wedding. It’s my first wedding as a grownup, where I’ll actually know the bride and groom on a personal level and not just by some loose blood tie.

In preparation for said wedding, I’ve been eating a lot of salad so I can fit nicely into a navy blue dress with a tight waist.

My mother, who still embarrassingly buys all my clothes, presented me today with a flouncy orange dress instead.

“I just thought it was so cute!” she screamed as she shoved it into my arms.

It was. Sharp, geometric patterns. Flattering-looking silhouette. And: pockets.

I immediately ran...

First off, we’ve raised $120 in just one day. That’s amazing - thank you to everyone that’s shared the love and donated either money, love and/or good vibes.

An anonymous donor asked for a haiku. Well, sir/madam, I’ll give you a handful about my trip to the airport.

SFO HAIKUS, DEDICATED TO ANONYMOUS DONOR

Shared ride to airport

two men, one with half a nose

“The desert,” he says.

“40 bucks for this?”

“I guess you pay for the inch,”

as he scans my card.

It’s final boarding,

two rows, empty, right ahead.

i lay down in one.

Skymall, 2014

For more, donate! [stayclassy.org/25reasons](stayclassy.org/25reasons)

And a big shout out to The Brief, who shared some link love today. Subscribe [here](keepingitbrief.org).

For 25 days leading until Aug. 18, my 25th birthday, I’d like you to help raise money for a great cause: clean water projects for NEVER SETTLE.

In return, I’ll post something every day. A fun picture, a piece of prose, answers to all of life’s questions, anything you like. Just donate a dollar, or two, or 200. Get your company to match, if you’re able. And if you’re not - I’d appreciate you sharing.

Give back, be happy and may you thrive and prosper the best way for you.

[stayclassy.org/25reasons](stayclassy.org/25reasons)

2010, Webb Tower

The last time I saw a nun, it was below freezing in Washington, D.C.

She was walking with a young woman through a train station. Her face was kind, her glasses misty with the sudden warmth of entering a crowded train car. She wore bright yellow thermals that poked out underneath her dark habit, held together with hand-sewn patches.

“What’s that lady wearing, Mommy?” I heard a kid say, toeing his sister with his rain boot.

“She’s a nun, honey. She works for the church. It’s called a habit. She covers her hair and legs all the time,” an oddly calm mother replied.

That moment spurred me to think about what the word really means, habit. Normally, you’d think of the word as this staid, square, calcified verb. It’s the kind of word that irons its jeans and has inherited specific characteristics, like its Latin roots: “condition, demeanor.”

But habits - especially good ones, including the...

One of my favorite things about being part of a spirited community (go Trojans!) is the ease and empowerment individuals have to reach out to one another.

Every once in awhile, I’ll get a ping from a spirited, confused, earnest 19-year-old that wants to learn everything there is to successfully landing that coveted first agency job.

They’re always prepared, with a list of questions written in a notebook. What I find is that each individual focuses on minute details that though important, don’t ultimately matter. What good is a one-page resume if, during the interview, the applicant clearly has no idea what their interests are.

Here’s what I always tell them after they’ve sent me a LinkedIn connection request

1) Approach finding that job with a framework, not a rubric of expectations

“You know, for my first PR agency job, I’d like to work in the B2B health marketing space...