I Hope This Week’s Playoff Games Are Better Than Last Week’s

Written By: Dr. Rich Houston, Director of the Culverhouse School of Accountancy

I’m trying to do too many things at the same time (who defines “too many”?) and I’m working hard to not let it show (then why tell you about it?). I also succeeded in not letting the series of small rattle-worthy things that kept popping up while I wrote this deter me. The younger me would have given up and used the busy and the rattles as an excuse but now me don’t play that way. By the way, the question mark in the first sentence should be outside the quotation mark—I verified it using two sources, which I guess is kind of like auditing.

• It seems as if we’ve been in class for quite a while, but it’s only been a week and a half. My students’ Blackboard activity tells me that the vast majority of them are off to strong starts and those who’ve struggled in the past have resolved to do better and are making plans to succeed. In addition, people are asking great questions. Never underestimate how good your questions are. Keep taking steps in the right direction and build on them.
• A simple recipe for making the world better. Ingredients: Please, thank you, and a smile. Directions: Fold ingredients together with a spatula and sprinkle generously on all you encounter.
• As Jimmy Dugan said: “It's supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everyone would do it.” Be the one who does “it.” And yes, I did verify with two sources that the period is properly nestled within the quotation mark.
• The cartoon drives the text (which has the same cadence as “The farmer takes a wife”):

As a wise person once said: “People have a passion for short cuts.” Do things the right way by sticking to a well-prescribed route, asking for directions should you get off track. While others are taking ill-advised short cuts that may seem to pay off in the moment (which can be frustrating to see), you ultimately will be better off.

• We hear a lot of things and never question them. For example, we’ve heard the lyric “Hi-ho, the derry-o” as long as we can remember. It dawned on me that I had no idea what that meant so I looked it up: The word “derry” is the anglicization of the Old Irish Gaelic word Daire (in Modern Irish Gaelic Doire) which means oak grove and/or an area densely wooded with oak trees. Now I know.

Perhaps you wondered who Jimmy Dugan is. Did you look it up?

• Please don’t mistake “my bad” for a heartfelt apology—whether you’re the one making it or receiving it.

• If you were your best self today does that mean it's all downhill from here or that you should continue to strive to improve what constitutes your best self. I think the latter.
• Sometimes you feel as if you're only as good as the last positive thing you did or the last nice thing someone said about you. It’s a shame that one negative comment or outcome can overshadow positive comments, a series of victories, or clear signs of progress. Do your best to see if there’s anything to learn from the negative and, importantly, from the positive, and move on accordingly. In terms of the negative, sometimes it’s spiteful or an outlier, but often we need to suck it up and see the truth in it…even if it’s just a shred. Some related quotes:

Kevin Stefanski on falling short: “Do not get used to it.” In other words, sulk for a little while, assess the damage and the underlying cause, get yourself together, and move on.

One from Hard Knocks about what to do after getting knocked down: “Own it, work with others, be ready for the next opportunity.”

Michael Imperioli on the impact of small victories: “Once you do something well the confidence makes you trust yourself.”

• If you’re fortunate there are several golden ages in life. People and places come and go, and while on the journey you hit sweet spots, whether it be with family, friends, school, your health, your job, or even how you feel about yourself. These periods may be long-term or fleeting, but the important thing is to recognize, value, and cherish them.

I have been blessed to have a few, and likely some that I failed to recognize as too often I take things for granted. Two involved groups of five guys (which, surprisingly, did not involve fries in bags, although occasionally there were peanut shells on the floor). In one, we got together most every year for over 30 years; in the other, we played handball most every day for over 20 years. Both groups are no longer intact for various reasons, and I’m so glad we all recognized what we had when he had it. Don’t fall prey to the underlying message in John Lennon’s song “What You Got,”

You don't know what you got until you lose it

Oh, baby, baby, baby, give me one more chance.

…because often you don’t get one.