beBetter 

Recently, CeCe and our daughter Haley traveled to Seattle with me for the AICPA Women’s Initiative Executive Committee meeting. We went a couple of days early so we could hike and enjoy some of the beautiful surrounding mountains and lakes.

Our first morning, we were headed out to Tiger Mountain Trailhead for a hike. We got a little later start than I had planned (I think we were closer to CeCe’s plan), so Haley began to Google some spots for a quick brunch. We came across a place right on our way called Eggs & Us where we stopped and had an amazing meal with great service. We loved it. But we did not realize how special it was until the next morning.

In a recent collaboration meeting with several leaders from numerous organizations and firms, one of them commented, “I think I may have overshared.”  Actually, her thoughts, insights and feelings were exactly what we needed to hear. She had been very vulnerable with us and her comments were both relevant and insightful. After her comment, the word "overshared" kept ringing in my ears. Why did I love this term so much?

Popcorn is a favorite snack at our house. Pro tip: drop in a few M&Ms right after popping—delicious! CeCe, who hates to cook, has grown to love this snack, too, and one day a few weeks ago, she ambitiously decided to pop herself a nice fluffy bag of popcorn. She stuck the package in the microwave, hit the popcorn button and left the room as she usually does when "cooking."

CeCe and I were recently visiting Oxford, MS, to enjoy some Ole Miss baseball and some family time with my parents, Mom and Pop Joe, as well as three of our grandchildren. For me, it doesn’t get much better than watching the Rebels play combined with family time, so I certainly enjoyed the weekend.

My feet hit the floor in a rush. With the daylight peeking under our bedroom curtains I knew I had overslept. Yikes! It’s 6:30 and I have a video conference call at 7:00 a.m.! Although I might set the alarm, I always wake up before it goes off. I never oversleep, but obviously, I had today and the timing couldn’t have been worse. I do a quick change and turn on CeCe’s Keurig to warm up while I fire up my computer.

Growing up, I was a big fan of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. I loved their comedy and thought the chemistry between them was pretty special. I watched their shows as often as I could.  Now, I realize I probably just dated myself and some of you are thinking, “Who?”

This past summer, CeCe and I took a trip to Beaver Creek Resort in Colorado with my brother, Mike, and his wife, Joy. As part of the trip, we planned a fly fishing excursion. CeCe loves to fly fish. When we arrived, the weather abruptly changed for part of the week so we adjusted our fishing days. We also discovered that it was low water due to drought and we could only fish half a day due to the stress on the fish. Later, we experienced that when the water is low, lots and lots of slippery moss forms on the rocks.  So when you combine moving water with slippery rocks, you get a tough time fishing. 

Bang, clang and a loud hum...the garbage truck is here! Panic set in as I realized that I had not put out our overflowing garbage cans. I jumped up from my office in the front of the house, ran to the back and opened the carport doors. I could hear the garbage truck was close, so I grabbed both cans and began quickly racing down the driveway with our garbage. There went the truck, right past our house.

How important is it for us to relax? How often do we really prioritize time that allows us to fully relax? I know that being able to relax is key to our health, happiness and prosperity because it provides a level of contentment and peace that we do not find in our busy schedules. 

In golf, your ability to play the “short game” is the quickest way to lower your score. You cannot shoot low scores in golf if you can’t chip and putt. Obviously, the pros spend hours refining this aspect of the game. And guess what skills go the quickest if you don’t play regularly? For me at least, it’s chipping and putting. This has never been more evident to me than last month ─ my once a year golf outing at Sage Valley. This year, I shot the worst score of my golfing career (108). That fantastic little score included triple bogeys on four holes. It was ugly, really ugly.

“Slow down, Joey! I have already asked you to slow down. Please slow down.” I am constantly hearing CeCe from behind me as we are walking to an Ole Miss football game or through the grove on a beautiful Saturday. Each time, I wait for her to catch up, adjust my pace and then walk off and leave her behind, again. I think she has to be doing this on purpose just to be mean. Why would I come to such a conclusion? Facts!

Mom baked me a large three-layer German Chocolate cake every year for my birthday from when I was a toddler until I was out of college. I’ve tried a lot of German Chocolate cakes, but never had one come close to touching Mom’s. The extra icing dripping between the layers of moist chocolate cake makes my taste buds water just thinking about it. 

I’m amazed by how easily I can become consumed with things that aren’t the main focus. I might have a presentation to prepare for, yet I will check Twitter or LinkedIn instead. What matters most — connecting on social media or focusing on giving my best in the presentation? Another example is when my grandchild wants to play at the playground 30 minutes longer than I had planned. What really matters most — my plan or extra time with this precious child?