My youngest daughter just turned seven, and our home has been filled with all things capybara (notepads, pens, keychains, and stickers – oh my!). If you’re not familiar, the capybara is an adorable creature native to South America that I had never heard of until April. Now I can’t escape them (and I don’t want to)! Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world, but they’re best known for their personality. They’re famously calm, friendly, and completely unbothered.
Here in the Park City HOA management world, summer is absolutely bonkers. Landscaping projects, construction, owner requests, board meetings, budget prep, and the occasional surprise that shows up on a Friday afternoon all pile on at once. In the middle of that season, it’s hard to be “chill.” So I’ve come to admire the capybara’s approach to life. A few lessons I’m trying to borrow:
- 🧘♀️ Stay calm when things pile up. The capybara doesn’t panic when a bird lands on its head. When the to-do list lands on mine, I’m trying to take a breath and handle one thing at a time. Don’t let the little things ruffle you.
- 🦫 Be friendly, even when it’s busy. The busiest weeks are exactly when a little patience and kindness matter most.
- 🫧 Take time to soak. Capybaras spend a good part of their day in the water. I’m not saying we’ll be closing the office for a hot tub break, but finding small moments to reset makes a big difference.
As summer winds down and fall settles in, here’s to a little more capybara in all of us. After all, most of what feels urgent in July looks a lot smaller by October.
