My son Jonathan is my little guru, asking zen-koan-type questions all the time. One morning when he was just eight years old, he posed the following riddle. “Mom, you know how people get mad if you call them a pig?” I agreed it would make people upset and that it was not nice. “Well, what happens when you call a pig a pig?”

Of course when you call a pig a pig, there’s no emotional reaction. You are just speaking the truth.

If you can recognize and accept the simple truth of a thing, it dissolves defensiveness. There’s nothing to get upset about.

It helps to look objectively at your wellness business and call a pig a pig. For example, during the summer, attendance in my evening yoga classes goes down. That’s calling a pig a pig. I can see that trend year after year in my business (this trend may be different for you, especially if you live in a vacation spot).

What I decided to do with this truth is to drop one of my evening classes and try a new thing: morning yoga outside in my yard. I’m not sure how it will go, so I’m offering some free classes to test drive the idea.

What is the trend for your summer work? Can you use increased tourism to build new seasonal business? Does attendance diminish, offering you more time for continuing education or family? Is there a way you can leverage the longer days and nice weather–like doing yoga on the beach, or even your backyard?

Look at the truth of your summer season, call a pig a pig, and plan accordingly!