“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as in being able to remake ourselves.”~ Mahatma Gandhi
Yesterday someone asked me what situation in the world bothers me the most. My answer rose up immediately – I hate to see people give up on their dreams before they even try to make them come true. It’s an answer with a very personal angle. Prior to my decision to take a leap and work for myself, I epitomized exactly the situation that bothers me the most. If I wanted to see a change in the world, I needed to be that change, too. I had to set the wheels in motion to leap, for myself and for others.
We are our greatest creation. The lives we build are works of art that should be constructed thoughtfully, passionately, and purposefully. We are not depots that accept any and every train that pulls into the station. Our days and the people, places, and events that fill them are choices. Our choices.
Right now I am deeply engaged in the process of transformation. While I’ve been thinking of this time as something special and finite, Gandhi’s quote reminds me that every day we are remaking who we are – physically, mentally, and emotionally. I know that we each have the power to transform the world, but that process begins internally, not externally. We need to embrace personal change before we can generate societal change.
So have a look around. What is it about the world that really bugs you? Now take a look at your own life and see if in some small way the thing in the world that you detest actually resides within you. Root it out. Once you commit to personal change, change will begin to happen all around you. When you take up the act of personal transformation, everyone who comes into contact with you will begin to transform, too. That’s how we start a revolution, a revolution of consciousness. Light it up!
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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Christa Avampato 