“Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret.” ~ Matthew Arnold via Quotes4Writers
On Tuesday, I’m speaking and giving a short presentation at Jericho Project, a nonprofit whose mission is to “catalyze change that enables homeless individuals to discover their strengths and lead remarkable lives.” They are having a health fair for male vets and asked if I could explain how yoga and meditation could be a benefit to them.
I was procrastinating on preparing this presentation – this is a new population for me and I want so much to help them understand how valuable this practice can be for them. I had several false starts and then found this quote from Quotes4Writers as I was toddling through Twitter. I was letting my desired outcome for the presentation get in the way of the process of preparing it. As I written about before, we are entitled to our actions and efforts, not the results. What I needed to do was just take Matthew Arnold’s advice: decided what I wanted to say and then say it as clearly, and succinctly, as possible. It made the whole journey of preparing this presentation easier.
The finished product: Jericho Project Presentation
I’ll let you know how Tuesday goes!
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
“Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret.” ~ Matthew Arnold via Quotes4Writers
Christa Avampato 
Christa – How wonderful that you were invited to do this! Maybe after you present you can post a pdf of the slides on the CompassYoga site, perhaps with a creativecommons license: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons. The CompassYoga site looks very nice, saw it the other day when I was reading the post on yoga at cancer centers.
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Thanks, MJ! I’m really excited about it. Planning to write a post about it when I finish and you’re absolutely right that it would be a great thing to cross-post on the Compass Yoga site. Thanks for looking at the site. I’ll be making some additions and adjustments once I get my nonprofit status 🙂
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Christa, thanks for sharing your presentation, I like it—pithy and to the point (with a great design sense!). Best of luck with your presentation on Tuesday. Important work!
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Thank you, Sol! Everything went really well. I had such a great time and it was further confirmation that I’m on the right path!
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Christa,
People who are homeless need your help. So do other people who are fighting against the odds and find themselves in an uphill battle.
Teaching such people yoga and meditation can go a long way–of that I am sure.
Your sage counsel will enable them to cope with life and its challenges. I think it is great that you are reaching out to such people. They, in turn, are also reaching out to you. I applaud your efforts. Thank You.
Cheers.
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Thanks, Archan. It went so well and it felt great to be living the career I really want. This is what I’m meant to do!
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