beBetter 

As we come upon one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving, it always helps me reflect on how much I have to be thankful for.

As we watched the first two episodes of the new season of Yellowstone, you could hear a pin drop. Season three ended on a cliffhanger with multiple lives hanging in the balance and finally, it was time to get some answers. I’m not going to ruin it for those of you who haven’t caught up yet. But if you haven’t seen this series, my advice is to start at the beginning and turn off social media. 

CeCe and I have signed up with a group of friends for an outdoor excursion that involves riding in all-terrain army vehicles, hiking and some mountain top sightseeing. Unfortunately, it has been raining cats and dogs for three days. We meet for lunch together before heading to the excursion and our conversations turn to the rain.

It’s Tuesday morning and I have just completed a blazing 3.5-mile jog. (I have to tell myself these exaggerations so I will go again.) Completing my stretching on our carport, I open our patio door and step inside. Before I can close the door, CeCe greets me with some bad news.

Last Friday, I joined Jennifer Wilson and Amy Vetter on their weekly Leadership Lunch Chat LIVE to explore generous leadership and the element of gratitude. What I didn’t expect was to leave our discussion both humbled by their generous feedback and also convicted to be more intentional with my generosity. 

The 12 mph wind with a morning temperature of 34 degrees makes for a chilly deer stand. Nestling down in my big jacket, I pull up my face mask to help break some of the wind. The sun has just tipped over the trees and I’m consumed with how beautiful nature is.

CeCe has asked me to run a quick errand for our Aunt Kate, who lives in an independent living facility close to our home. Aunt Kate is in her early 80s and CeCe is her primary caregiver. Today, I’m on the way to pick up a contact to replace the one that she lost.  

Our world is spinning faster than the teacup ride at the amusement park and most of us are feeling pretty dizzy. That was always the one ride that always made me woozy. And 2020 sure feels like the new teacup ride. COVID-19 continues to disrupt our lives and will certainly affect how some of us gather, or if we will gather at all, for Thanksgiving. Mix in some divisive politics, contested elections and social unrest, and we have a year that has been filled with disruption.

CeCe and I are settling in on the jet boat with our guide Kerry as we embark on a bucket list wilderness fishing excursion. We are on Lake Harrison in Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada, and Kerry is sharing that we have a 44-mile boat ride to reach the river we will navigate to fish in some pristine areas seldom frequented by others. Thank goodness, the winds are only 1 to 2 miles per hour and the lake is as smooth as it can be. 

I'm flying home (boarding the plane last as usual) and since I have changed flights to grab an earlier flight home, I am in the very back of the plane. As I arrive at my seat, an older gentleman is trying to put a bag up in the overhead bin. I set my backpack down and reach up to help him. He quickly lets go as I take the weight off of him and sits down in the next row. I tuck his bag in and then realize I am sitting in the aisle seat right next to him.

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. 

We are celebrating my father’s (Pop Joe) 80^th birthday this month. As we were planning the celebration, my brother, Mike, sister, Mitzi, and I were laughing about old times and stories when we were growing up in Batesville, MS. While reminiscing, we started remembering some of our favorite sayings that Pop Joe frequently shared with us as kids. There were a few that really resonated and I want to share each one of these in a four-part series to see how they might still apply today. 

Some people hate to get on a treadmill because you walk or run and never arrive anywhere. Sometimes, we get on a similar treadmill in life where we chase success (as we individually define it) in order to be happy. The problem with chasing success is that the bar is constantly raised as you arrive. And the effect is that we are never happy.