A Letter from Chris Suarez
YOU ARE NOT AVERAGE
I've spent the past couple of weeks working from New York. I had some meetings in late January and so decided to have the family come out and spend some time in the city while I was here. Most know that I was born here and spent the first couple decades of my life living in and around New York. The city has always fascinated me and I’ve never left the city tired - but rather energized and ready to tackle any project ahead.
When I moved to the West Coast post 9-11 it wasn’t because I was “over” New York, felt the need to get away from the pace of the city, or like so many, just wanted to get out post terrorist attack.
I left purely because I wanted to experience a different phase of life in a different part of the country. There are moments in each of our lives, and many of them, that we have the ability to take a calculated risk. That risk, when weighed against our future, can give us some fleeting certainty that we may regret leaving that decision left unmade. And so I gave up the skyscrapers, the traffic, the runs across the bridges, and the nightly sounds of horns and sirens for tall pines, starry skies, trail runs in the woods, and the sounds of coyotes. I mean this quite literally having eventually settled on calling 40 acres in the woods my home.
I knew that at some point I would always return to New York, at least part time or a bit more consistently. My energy for and belief that New York is the greatest city in the world has never changed.
Truth be told, I was incredibly busy the past couple weeks. Most of my time was spent at my dining room table behind zooms and calls, interspersed with some in-face meetings with incredible business owners and investors. I wasn't here for sightseeing or knocking out a list of restaurants I wanted to eat at. But each morning I woke up and each evening I went to bed looking out at one of the most incredible feats of human ingenuity, resilience, determination, and engineering. The collection of human minds and doggedness that has built and created New York through history never ceases to amaze me.
And here is why. Because it is a constant reminder that we as humans are not average. We were not created to be average, do average things, think average thoughts, or live average lives.
Just looking at the skyline is a reminder of this fact. Now, there is a somewhat dark history of skyscrapers and buildings stretching to new heights that is steeped in ego, prominence seeking, and at times unhealthy competition. That’s a story for another day.
But New York, and most cities for that matter, can provide renewed focus on avoiding the average. The past couple weeks have given me three distinct reminders on just how extraordinary humans really are.
From my window I am struck by the modern feat of glass and steel of the newly erected One World Trade Center rising 1,776 feet in the air. And yet, just a couple blocks away I see the landmark Woolworth Building - erected in 1910 in just over two years and standing at just under 800 feet as one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the city. I can see the Empire State Building, The Chrysler Building, 30 Hudson Yards, and Central Park Tower. Sitting just below me is the iconic New York City Hall which began construction in 1803. The blend of old and new, iconic and modern architecture, stone, steel, glass, and copper is wildly above average. We are all building something - granted perhaps not buildings. But are we building something amazing or have we settled for average?
Last week I took the girls to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Here again I was confronted with just how amazing humans are. From Degas to Pollock, from Van Gogh to Picasso, from Monet to Rothko, the works of art are mind blowing. You can see so much pain and joy and expression in the work from both classic and contemporary artists. These artists at times were not even acknowledged or recognized or rewarded while alive and yet they kept perfecting their craft and producing their art. How is it that hundreds of years later - and in some cases thousands - we are fascinated by what these humans created? We can stare at singular works of art for countless minutes in awe. They were true masters. We are all artists creating something. Are we creating something amazing, or have we settled for average?
On Friday night I took the girls to see a Broadway play. I try to go every time I am in New York. Because I love to sit and watch people sing and dance. Maybe not. But coming to Broadway is once again an incredible reminder of just how amazing humans are. From designing and building sets in small spaces that transport you to different countries and time, to choreographing movement and light and color, to the amazing sounds that come out of the performers bodies. Humans are definitely not average. We should all be singing and dancing our way through life. Are we singing and dancing on Broadway, or have we settled for average?
New York City has always been a place I go to remind myself of just what human beings are capable of and of just what ability we were all created with. It drives me to ensure I am pushing myself to show up in “un-average” ways for my family, for my friends, for my partners, and for those that I have the opportunity to interact with each day.
It’s easy and safe to blend into average. Seeking out cityscape or art or music or anything that places the extraordinary in your line of sight is a healthy reminder that you are not average.
Chris