Every now and again life throws you some lemons. Mine, right now are in a fruit bowl on my counter at home ever ready to be squeezed into the morning vinegar-water-cinnamon-lemon elixir I have been taking for seven mornings straight as part of a two week summer clean eating regimen. I’ve never done anything like this before and frankly, did an eye-roll in my head anytime anyone mentioned that they had. Oh, and I thought it would be a piece of cake…er, slice of lemon. Wrong. Apparently the whole psychological component to this food thing has some truth to it. Day three there I was a hot mess of fatigue, aches, zero energy and despair, “detoxing” from all the apparent sugar in my system. You might want to rethink inviting me into a life boat. My fortitude was lost and all I could focus on was everything that I didn’t or couldn’t have.
So as I often do, I found myself relating this experience to the rest of my life, especially to F.H. Perry Builder. As a company of hard working, bar raising individuals, we are really quite good at focusing on what we don’t have. This isn’t terrible. I mean it pushes us to be our best, focuses attention on our vulnerabilities, and generally maintains our hard-core work ethic. But sometimes I think we forget to focus on what we DO have. Like we do have a vibrancy about us. A harmony of spirit and a “functional” team. We are both young and old at the same time—the legacy of a longstanding firm with the vitality and creativity of its newer owners and staff. We already have a cadre of trades—the best tradesmen in the City really and not just for their craft but for their eye and their sense of humor and their good living. We’ve been through the Inspectional Services rodeo any number of times and so have the spurs and the stirrups and horse-whispering capabilities to get through even the crustiest of desk clerks. And we have a website and marketing materials and friends and supporters who share our name and invest in our work. And most importantly, we have a team of challenge-ready, generous, sharp, conscientious, good, good-souled people who understand that the humanness of the job is every bit as important as the framing structure. Wow. That’s a lot of DO.
Here’s how I tie this together. A full week into my clean eating, I am a bundle of clean energy. I’m learning that the daily 3:00 Dunkin’ run that I thought was a little pick-me-up treat was only crashing my system more. I’m learning that my craving for that familiarity is just that—a way to focus on what “feels necessary” in the moment. Like it feels necessary to extra worry about sales or dial in on a floundering return. As if renewed intensity and a little extra bit of pressure will somehow buoy us up and get our heads on straight when actually all it does is further the drain. I think I will, rather, focus on the elixir of solid clients, great trades, beautiful design all managed by the best in the business. What we have and what we are. What sustains us and energizes us. What keeps us ahead.
Those lemons are changing my entire outlook.
May you feel nourished!
In case you are looking for a little summer clean eating program yourself, click here.
Nourish and Enjoy.
Natasha is an amazing coach!
Tell her I sent you.
I’ll catch you again in the fall.
My best always,
Allison
