This week, I am sharing a personal perspective.

Last week our country lost a very special person: former First Lady Barbara Bush, wife of President George H. W. Bush and mother of President George W. Bush. While I had met both presidents, I never had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Bush. However, her words of advice have been interwoven in the way I conduct business every day.

As First Lady, I remember Mrs. Bush being asked what words of advice she would give to others. Her answer resonated with me. She said, “In serving the public I always go beyond what is expected. At the end of the day, even if tired, I ask myself what is the one more thing I can do to make a difference—whether it be a handwritten note, a phone call, or a kind gesture—and then I do it without fail. Doing ‘one more thing’ a day makes a big difference over a lifetime.”

So if you get a call from me at the end of the day, a handwritten note or an email, a text or a follow-up from a last-minute request, please know that it comes directly from the inspiration of Mrs. Bush.

Hopefully, going beyond what is expected will have a great public impact over my lifetime.