When Lazaro Hernandez was a fashion student at Parson's School of Design in New York, he had a chance encounter in an airport with Anna Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue Magazine. In fact, she was getting on his airplane. Lazaro wasn't so sure he had nerve to approach, but one hour into flight, he could stand it no longer.

Lazaro wrote a humble note on an airsick bag, which explained that he was a fashion student who would soon be looking for an internship. He noted that she probably got requests like this all time, but wondered if perhaps someone had given her a chance at beginning of her career. He also wrote that he knew she had power to help him. Then, trembling, he approached.

Lazaro stood before Ms. Wintour's seated figure, and said her name. No answer. He repeated her name several times. No answer. He even crossed uncrossable boundary and touched her arm. Still no reply. Finally, he left his plea under her martini glass and crept back to his seat. Several months later, he received a call from a major designer who'd gotten Lazaro's letter from Ms. Wintour with instructions that it was not to be ignored. A subsequent interview proved that he had talent, and Lazaro was hired for his first internship.

Lazaro not only had great luck to get on an airplane with most powerful woman in fashion industry, he had savvy to make use of opportunity. He was ready when his break came with a portfolio of samples he'd worked hard on, making it best it could be. Then he did most important thing of all: he sent Ms. Wintour a thank you note, which prompted a fax from woman herself saying she was glad it all worked out.

Your mother always told you to slow down and taste your food. That’s great advice, especially when we find ourselves grabbing a quick snack on run or eating a meal while driving. How we eat says as much about us as what we choose to eat.

We can learn a great deal by paying attention to our eating habits. Our appetites change depending on our moods. If we’re depressed, we may eat more than usual or we may lose our appetite completely. When we are consumed by an emotion such as anger or sadness, we may not be aware of our eating habits at all.

Paying attention to way you eat is a great way to develop a more mindful approach to life in general. Since eating is something we do several times a day, it’s a perfect activity to pair with mindfulness. If you can choose to eat a meal alone—at work or at home—you have a perfect opportunity to create greater awareness at same time.

Ready to give it a try?

Sit in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for several minutes. Taking time to present your food in an appealing way may be helpful for this exercise. At very least, unwrap your food and discard any packaging.

If possible, take a look at food before you put it on a plate. Spend a moment focusing on food itself—the colors, textures, and aromas. Consider nutrients in food, and focus on what it will do for your body.

Now, shift your attention to your empty plate. This is vessel that will hold food you choose to put into your body. Notice shape, size and color of plate. Take a moment to consider space that food will fill on this plate.