Over the past few weeks, a lot of people have asked me why I left my stable corporate job in favor of a freelance life. “You must be terrified,” some say. “You must be worried about how you’re going to survive,” others say. And still others tell me I have a lot of guts, balls, and courage to make that kind of leap.
I don’t think of it that way at all. I went my own way for a lot of other reasons, and one of them is because I wanted to say “Yes”, or rather “Hell yes”, to requests that come my way to do things in life that light me up.
Yesterday I spent most of the day with my friend, Alex, who is one of my very best friends from business school. She’s in town for a conference and because my time is now my own I could meet her on a Monday afternoon without worrying about a jumbled work schedule that would cut our time short. I pushed a few things aside to later this week and did a more work than usual on Sunday evening so I could be available at the time when Alex was free.
On Wednesday afternoon I’m going to the beautiful studio Bija Yoga because the Ananda Ashram invited me to attend an intimate afternoon tea exploring yoga-based meditation with David Michael Hollander and to interview him afterwards. Two weeks ago, I would have had to send my regrets and decline this invitation. Now, I can accept it with gratitude.
The fear monster has yet to find me as I make my way in this new way to work. I’m sure it’s out there, but I firmly believe that as long as I follow my true calling, as long as I keep pursuing work I love and saying yes to opportunities that bring me joy, I will be fine. I will actually be far more than fine. I will begin to deeply understand what it means to truly live, to be present in each moment. And that is its own gift, its own reward.
Christa Avampato 