On Friday I was talking to Brian about what type of company I wanted to build with my yoga certification. I was trying to deduce from my other interests and goals how my yoga certification fit in to the master plan called my life. First I was going to complete my certification in May, take the summer off, explore a few ideas that had been kicking around in my head during the fall as I drafted up several different business plans and evaluated their financials, and on and on it went. Brian listened patiently, as usual, and that slight smile behind his eyes let me know that he was about to suggest something I already knew but hadn’t yet recognized. “You don’t need to work so hard, Christa,” he said. “Why don’t you just let the prana (the higher intelligence) guide how it wants you to use the yoga training?”
“Okay,” I said with a sigh, and got up to leave.
“Oh, and Christa,” Brian said. “You’ll be glad you took the summer off because come the fall you’re going to be very busy.” On top of his many other gifts, Brian has very keen intuition.
I thought about Brian’s comment all weekend. I like to feel that I’m actively crafting my future, that my efforts are what’s opening up doors for me. When I think back on my life, on the times when my life really took a decisive direction, I couldn’t have predicted the cause of that change. I met someone randomly. I mentioned off-hand about an interest I was pursuing that caused someone to connect me to someone who could help. I was just in the right place at the right time. What helped me was that I was always prepared to be lucky; in other words, prana took the reigns.
For many months now I’ve been thinking about how to gel my interest in yoga, product development, social media, writing, and education. Today an email arrived in my in-box that brought all of these things together for me and I have a meeting set for next Tuesday to explore the opportunity. I had reached out to someone on the recommendation of a good friend back in January. He was very kind and said he’d pass along my interest in the event that an opportunity arises down the line. I chalked it up to good experience and that old idea of “well if it’s meant to be…”
And prana, with a little room, surfaced today with a possible opportunity that would meld all of my interests in a better way than I ever imagined. All thanks to my friend who recommended me to a friend who recommended me to a friend months ago. No surprise, it would keep me very busy this fall. It remains to be seen if the opportunity with come to fruition. For now, I’m just going to let prana do what it does best – flow.
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.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
On Friday I was talking to Brian about what type of company I wanted to build with my yoga certification. I was trying to deduce from my other interests and goals how my yoga certification fit in to the master plan called my life. First I was going to complete my certification in May, take the summer off, explore a few ideas that had been kicking around in my head during the fall as I drafted up several different business plans and evaluated their financials, and on and on it went. Brian listened patiently, as usual, and that slight smile behind his eyes let me know that he was about to suggest something I already knew but hadn’t yet recognized. “You don’t need to work so hard, Christa,” he said. “Why don’t you just let the prana (the higher intelligence) guide how it wants you to use the yoga training?” 
Christa Avampato 
After reading this, Christa, I feel very calm – as if an answer just came to me, also.
And it is wonderful how opportunities are flowing for you. What a great word — flow.
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