“You cannot dream yourself into a character: you must hammer and forge yourself into one.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
Have you ever shied away from doing something because you thought it was too difficult or because someone else told you that what you wanted to do was too hard? This pesky thought creeps into any and every crevice of doubt – about our careers, relationships, passion projects, and any time we are considering a change of any kind. It is the enemy of good decision-making and the only appropriate response to this thought is a loud, strong “Get out and stay out!”
It’s all tough. Everything you want to do in life has challenges. If you are waiting for the seas to part and the obstacles to disintegrate you are wasting your time and undermining your own strength. The path of least resistance that we hear so much about never said anything about a complete lack of resistance.
For a long time I lived with this conflict: I face a lot of challenges in my life and then in yoga class I hear that we shouldn’t struggle because life is supposed to be easy. Then a clear nuisance revealed itself to me. Life is challenging. We are almost always in the midst of difficulty. However, even a troubled road can be traveled with ease.
We can soften around obstacles so that we can navigate our way around them. We can move our attention inward when we need to replenish ourselves after a long day of work. Life may be filled with struggle but that doesn’t mean we have to be strugglers and take on all of the stress and anxiety that comes with that. To travel a hard road, we need strength, courage, stamina, and resilience – all the things that yoga and meditation provide.
So you go right on choosing your deepest, most passionate dreams, regardless of how hard it will be to bring them to life. Be confident in the fact that everything worth doing requires an effort of some kind. The trick is to also find the ease that lets you enjoy the journey and keeps you motivated to stay the course. Need some help with that? Contact me – my pep talks will make that pesky voice of self-doubt head for the hills.
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
2 thoughts on “Leap: Everything is Difficult”
Oh Christa – how I love our synchronicity and the wisdom in this post. I love even a troubled road can be traveled with ease. YES! Yesterday’s practice with David Vendetti was incredibly challenging and for the first time in a class, I wanted to leave and then I realized this is exactly what I needed so I stayed and allowed myself to be in the present moment while observing what was happening. Coming out on the other side brings me to this incredible place of aliveness and freedom and tapas! But first I had to fully experience the challenge and hard work. Thank you for the gift of you in my life. #blessedtobefellowtravelers {I wrote about the experiences in today and tomorrow’s blog .:) )
Oh Mary, I love that we travel in the same karmic circles! 🙂 So happy for you and proud of you that you hung in there for the class and also honored where we are in your practice. Not an easy thing to do, bu so worth it! Is there a way to subscribe to your blog via email. I subscribe through RSS but I’d love to get everyone of your posts in my inbox too!
Christa Avampato 
Oh Christa – how I love our synchronicity and the wisdom in this post. I love even a troubled road can be traveled with ease. YES! Yesterday’s practice with David Vendetti was incredibly challenging and for the first time in a class, I wanted to leave and then I realized this is exactly what I needed so I stayed and allowed myself to be in the present moment while observing what was happening. Coming out on the other side brings me to this incredible place of aliveness and freedom and tapas! But first I had to fully experience the challenge and hard work. Thank you for the gift of you in my life. #blessedtobefellowtravelers {I wrote about the experiences in today and tomorrow’s blog .:) )
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Oh Mary, I love that we travel in the same karmic circles! 🙂 So happy for you and proud of you that you hung in there for the class and also honored where we are in your practice. Not an easy thing to do, bu so worth it! Is there a way to subscribe to your blog via email. I subscribe through RSS but I’d love to get everyone of your posts in my inbox too!
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