“People always called it luck when you’ve acted more sensibly than they have.” ~ Anne Tyler, American author
Every time I bring up the subject of luck with Brian I get his stern look. He doesn’t believe in luck. He says that I’ve been preparing all my life for the good fortune that’s now coming to fruition, and that much of it has been here all along. I just haven’t ever slowed down enough to see it until now.
I experienced the Anne Tyler sentiment earlier today. I told someone about a recent opportunity that sort of fell out of the sky and into my lap. I’m trying to work out the logistics of whether or not I can take it, and those logistics are proving to be a little hairy, which I was explaining to this person. She responded, “I don’t understand how you get all these lucky breaks.”
I told her that I spend a lot of time getting clear on what I want to do. It doesn’t mean I always operate with absolute clarity, or that I’m not open and flexible to change, but I always try to keep moving in the direction that’s right for me. And I network all the time, mostly because I love interesting people and learning and I live in New York City where we’re all packed into this tiny little island like sardines. You can’t help but find opportunity here – there’s nowhere for it to hide!
I’ve also taken up the practice of shouting dreams at the top of my lungs. If I really want to do something, I start telling people about it, and sure enough, that network that I spend so much energy and time cultivating and helping helps me right back. I then explained this idea to this person and she replied, “Well, I want to do all these things you do, but I never have any luck with actually getting the chance to do them.”
Here’s the 3rd piece of the puzzle: no one is going to make opportunities expressly for you. You have to build the opportunity. And that has nothing to do with luck. That means rolling up your sleeves, figuring out what you need to know to make something happen, and then going for it with gusto. We can make excuses for the opportunities we have (or don’t have) all we want. In the end, the life we live is the life we imagine and build.
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
“People always called it luck when you’ve acted more sensibly than they have.” ~ Anne Tyler, American author
Christa Avampato 
at the end I don’t know if you believe in luck or not. I think it exists and it’s defined as being in the right place on the right time to recieve that spark that turns a simple moment into a stellar opportunity. And you might be just inches or seconds away to miss it….
LikeLike
Hi Javi! I believe in some level of luck, though the luck doesn’t do us much good if we aren’t prepared for it. In the end, I think the life we get comes down to hard work.
LikeLike
This makes me think of the often quoted, though always relevant pithy remark by our beloved Mr. Jefferson, “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.”
LikeLike
I love TJ for his pithiness! So true.
LikeLike