Peeling Back the Layers
I thought of the analogy of peeling back layers of wall paper in an old house and getting to the core of what the house originally looked like. What was the thought or vision of the architect when the house was built? The reason I thought of this was because I was thinking of purpose. Now, if you are remodeling a house and there is layer upon layer of wallpaper it may be just easier to slap paint over the wall and call it good. To do it correctly though, it is important to clean the surface to the base level to discover truly what you are dealing with.
If you ever hear a kid sing the national anthem, you’ll probably hear “dawnzer lee light” because that is how they learned the song - hearing it sung over and over, and so that is what they sing. If you sit the kid down and explain the story of how Francis Scott Key wrote the song following a battle, and it was not until dawn the next morning did he see that the American stars and stripes flag was still flying triumphantly over the fort - hence “dawn’s early light” - does the kid understand and sing the correct lyrics. The kid understands and the song has meaning – he or she is now singing with purpose.
When we peel back the layers, and understand our behavior, or the song’s lyrics, or why we say “hi” in the hallways, or why do the things we do … we become fully invested: mind, body and soul. We act and behave with purpose.
On Tuesday, we had our monthly board meetings, and we always try and outline our recent wins. We talked about our latest 5 star ratings, and how great a year we had with our goals, and how our stats show that people are coming from all over for care, and … bottom line, we are rocking it. A concern I have though is that we are “dawnzer lee light”ing it. We are doing it this way because this is how we learned it – sometimes we don’t understand that if we add the love and concern behind the “hi, how’s it going” in the hallways, or “how can help you, I have the time” we can do so much better and we (individually) will be better for it. The kid who learned what the Star Spangled Banner means, now sings it with busting pride and enthusiasm.
I urge you to peel back the layers and become fully vested.
-Steve Simonin, President & CEO
