“When we realize we are the Ocean, we are no longer afraid of the Waves.” ~ Unknown
I learned to swim when I was 30. I could doggy paddle and float on my back just fine as a kid, though no one else in my family swims so I never learned. Finally, I realized I really wanted to learn to scuba dive so I signed myself up for adult swimming lessons at UVA, where I was in graduate school at the time. I did well in that set of lessons, though I must confess that I am still nervous in the water. Despite that I am a Pisces, water is an uncomfortable medium for me.
I saw the quote above on my yoga teacher, Lauren’s, email signature yesterday. Perhaps this realization is what I’ve been missing. I see myself as separate from the water, despite the fact that our bodies are comprised mostly of water. I have been thinking of water as something I need to fight through, not something I need to be in communion with.
And isn’t that the way of our existence in the world, too. In our jobs, our relationships, our hardships, even in our most triumphant moments. Much of our human experience is a battle. We fight over, under, around, and through. But what if we could recognize that we are actually part of the great flow of energy? Could we utilize the energy around us not as something to cut through, but rather as something that is a part of us? That is us. We could take all of the effort we spend to fight our way through and put it toward lifting ourselves up while taking others with us.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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“When we realize we are the Ocean, we are no longer afraid of the Waves.” ~ Unknown
Christa Avampato 
What a wonderful way to say good night to the world and welcome much needed sleep! I shall come back to this often. You have given me a treasured gift and a much needed kick in the seat of the pants!
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For you and me both! I am just about to head off to bedtime myself. Sweet dreams my blogging friend! 🙂
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