“There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue those.” ~ Michael Nolan
Opportunities run rampant, so much so that sometimes we miss them. They appear like streaks of light across our line of vision. They wake us up for a moment, and then when we’ve realized they passed, we sink back down and wait. But sometimes, an idea, a dream catches more than our eye. It grabs ahold of our hearts and just won’t let go. As Brian says, “True passion would rather chew its own arm off to free itself rather than die on the vine.” A bit grotesque, but you see what he means. You may even feel it, too.
I have notebooks and blog posts and diaries full of dreams, little sparks and glimmers that caught my eyes from a very young age. They are packed away in boxes in my closest (and thankfully, though not surprisingly, survived my apartment fire last year.) I remember their magic and beauty when I re-open them and read some of their words. I realize how many of my dreams changed and died and were replaced by other dreams. The real ones, the true ones, did not need to be written down. They took up residence in my heart, and they are the ones I still carry and will continue to carry:
1.) To travel
2.) To help
3.) To write
4.) To love
Simple dreams – 8 words in all that express my life as I want it to be lived, today, tomorrow, and always. They comprise the lenses through which I view all the opportunities that cross my path. If it serves one (or more!), I take it up. And if it doesn’t, I let it pass on by without regret. After all, a dream that only catches my eye is better served by being passed on to another person who holds it in her heart.
The image above was created by Eric Perrone.
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
“There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue those.” ~ Michael Nolan
Christa Avampato 
Please tweet this so I can RT :). “True passion would rather chew its own arm off to free itself rather than die on the vine.”
LikeLike
Hi Trish! Just put it onto Twitter 🙂 Thanks for the RT!
LikeLike
Thanks Christa. I’ve never seen a better way of putting this. Been there. Didn’t need the arm as much as the life 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Trish! Me neither – it’s bits of wisdom like this that make me see how much value having a life coach provides to my life. It’s that perspective that is so necessary and so rare!
LikeLike