Tonight, I’m going to ring in 2015 with Billy Joel, one of my favorite artists. He’s giving a concert in Orlando, and I’ll be spending it listening to him with my sister and brother-in-law, two people who made one of my wildest dreams possible and offered me the opportunity to write full-time.
My cup of life is overflowing with gratitude for the miracles I never saw coming. Billy Joel gets that. His story was improbable—from an oyster fisherman to world-renowned rock star—all because he took huge chances and leaps of faith. When he was down and out, he kept right on playing.
Like me, Billy Joel carries a New York State of Mind everywhere he goes. And though I live in Florida at the moment, the very best aspects of New York City are never far from my mind and heart. They never will be. We believe all things are possible with love and luck and creativity. Sing me a song, Piano Man. I’m in the mood for a (celebratory) melody. Carry me along the River of Dreams in the middle of the night. I’m ready for the journey. Happy New Year!
If anyone had told me last year at this time that this is what my life would be like right now, I would have laughed out loud. This life that I’m living now wasn’t conceivable to my December 2013 self. A lot can happen in a year. A lot did happen this year.
We’re two days away from bidding adieu to 2014 and saying bonjour to 2015, and I’ll be brutally honest: I have no idea what my life will look like a year from now. Not. A. Clue. Given my passion for planning, you’d think I’d be a nervous wreck over the ambiguity. And I am, usually around 3:00am. But once I get up and move around and drink in the morning light, I really feel just fine. Even peaceful about it all.
2015’s going to be fine, better than fine. I know 2015 is going to hold change and transformation for me on an unprecedented level. I’m okay with the roller coaster. I’ve spent my whole life preparing for this moment. We all have. Let’s make this one a year for the record books, the year when we’ll look back and say, “Damn, that was one heck of a wild and wonderful ride. I’m so glad I was there.”
A couple of weeks ago I read E.O. Wilson’s take on the basis of all transformative events in our lives. As I thought about his ideas, I realized all of my writing and the stories I love start in one of the three ways he outlined:
You (or your characters) take a journey to an unexplored land
This might be to a foreign country (or another planet if you love sci-fi like me!) or it could be around the corner to a new cafe. Daily adventures are important. They give us the opportunity to expand our minds and heart by interacting with newness. I whole-heartedly encourage taking them as often as possible. I plan to take quite a few myself.
You (or your characters) search for the grail
We’re all in search of the secret – how to be happy, how to find and keep love, how to be more creative, why it all matters. There’s no shortage of quests we can take to find the meaning in everything and everything. Go in search of something that matters to you and let your characters do the same.
You (or your characters) engage in a battle of good against evil
And it’s all the better if we have a hard time figuring out which side is which, and if the battle is as much about brains and courage as it is about brawn. Things are never as good as they seem nor as bad as they seem. The same is true for people. We all have light and dark within us. It gets really interesting when the light and dark meet, and when we’ve got some difficult decisions to make. The very best of life, and writing, is often found if we are willing to go into the shadows, our own shadows.
The most compelling reads and lives practice more than one (or all!) of these beginnings on a regular basis. In 2015, go have adventures and discover newness, seek out something that really matters to you, explore your own shadows, and get down all the juicy details. I can’t wait to hear about what you (and your characters) find.
“Be crumbled so wild flowers will come up where you are.” ~ Rumi
I know a lot of people who’ve had a tough year. Maybe you’re one of them. You feel a little broken by life, by the holidays, or maybe you feel a little broken and you’re not even sure why. Maybe someone you love is facing this reality right now. I came across this quote by Rumi yesterday in my reading and I think it’s an important one to keep close. Know this: perfection is a myth. Truthfully, we’ve all got small cracks, chips, and breaks somewhere in our lives. They aren’t always visible, but they’re there and there’s some comfort in knowing that we’re all on this imperfect journey together. So don’t be embarrassed or afraid or feel despair for the parts of you or the people you love that are a little crumbled. The flowers are on their way.
Self-talk is an everyday part of being a writer. You can be your own biggest cheerleader or your own worst enemy. Luckily for every negative self-talk question I can think of, there’s a more positive way to get at the same information. I used to ask myself, “What am I going to write about today?” In fiction, this is a heavily loaded question. Now I ask myself, “Who’s with me today?” It adds an ethereal quality to the work and squarely places me in the role of being an observer of my own imagination. Then I take up my perch and get down everything I hear and see. This simple change of perspective reduces the pressure and ups the fun of the task. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
A few days ago, I wrote a post about all the things I did in 2014 that I’m proud of. There are many more things that didn’t go as planned that deserve high-fives, too. What didn’t go so right for you in 2014? Here’s my list:
– My housing situation was a mess thanks to the outrageous New York City real estate market. My apartment building went condo and there was no option for me to stay. I wasn’t willing to spend a lot of money on a lease that would lock me into a mediocre place, and all I could find in the rental market in my price range was mediocre at best. (Broker fees, the cost of moving, and the extensive money I would have had to put down just to get in the door would have cost me at least ~$10,000.) So, I left the best apartment I’ve ever had to move to a temporary sublet to then make the decision to leave New York altogether. Not having a home of my own for most of the year was very scary, but it’s turned out to be a blessing. I love being (very) near my family for the first time in a long time. And thought I didn’t know it at the tie, the Universe knew I was ready for a new adventure in a new place. Still, I do look forward to having a home that I own. No more renting for me.
– I faced rejection every single day. I constantly pitched my writing and voice over work so for every win, there were literally dozens of losses that added up to hundreds of rejections in 2014. That’s the name of the game as a writer, and though each rejection stings, I’ve learned to move on quickly. Each one makes me stronger and brings me closer to that big hit that I know will eventually come my way.
– I dealt with a number of challenging consulting clients. I did far too much work for not nearly enough money. I decided it was time to close down the independent consulting side of my business and focus on my writing. I knew that day would come, but I thought it would be years down the line. The Universe had other plans.
– After four years, Compass Yoga closed its doors. That was a very painful decision, but I know it was the right one for me from both a personal and professional perspective.
– On the dating front, I had a few promising starts but I am ending the year single. I’m also wiser and more confident as a result. I’m hoping dating in Florida trumps dating in New York. We shall see. I trust the timing of my life. When the right guy shows up, I’ll know. And I’m always willing to be set up because hey, you never know!
Through all of these experiences, I grew into a stronger, braver, and more resilient person. That’s what matters most. 2014 was still the best year I’ve ever had despite these missteps, and many more. Welcome, 2015. I’m ready.
This is one of my favorite Christmas poems. It’s such a beautiful reminder of what this season is all about—unity, love, and kindness. Happy Christmas.
Alfie, the Christmas Tree
Did you ever hear the story of the Christmas Tree
who just didn’t want to change the show
He liked living in the woods and playing with squirrels, he liked icicles and snow.
He liked wolves and eagles and grizzly bears
and critters and creatures that crawled.
Why bugs were some of his very best friends, spiders and ants and all.
Now that’s not to say that he ever looked down on the vision of twinkling lights,
or on mirrored bubbles and peppermint canes and a thousand other delights.
And he often had dreams of tiny reindeer
and a jolly old man and a sleigh full of toys and presents and wonderful things,
and the story of Christmas Day.
Oh, Alfie believed in Christmas all right, he was full of Christmas cheer.
All of each and every day and all throughout the year.
To him it was more than a special time much more than a special day,
It was more than a beautiful story. it was a special kind of way.
You see, some folks have never heard a jingle bell ring,
And they’ve never heard of Santa Claus.
They’ve never heard the story of the Son of God. And that made Alfie pause.
Did that mean that they’d never know of peace on earth
or the brotherhood of man?
Or know how to love, or know how to give? If they can’t, no one can.
You see, life is a very special kind of thing, not just for a chosen few.
But for each and every living breathing thing. Not just me and you.
So in your Christmas prayers this year, Alfie asked me if I’d ask you
to say a prayer for the wind, and the water, and the wood,
and those who live there, too.
Leon McBryde after giving the other Santas a class on techniques and props for home visits, Oct. 18, 2014. Photo by Ian C. Bates for Al Jazeera America.
In honor of the holiday, here are some fun pieces of Christmas trivia. Enjoy!
-When Dr. Seuss wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas, it took him 3 months to figure out the ending. Finally, he got a flash of an image that depicted the Grinch sitting at the Who dinner table carving the roast beast and he wrote backward from there.
– Some people advised Charles Schulz to remove the scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas where Linus tells the story of Christ’s birth because they thought it was too religious for a children’s movie. Schulz insisted on leaving it in.
– Some legends trace the making of the first candy canes to India while others trace them to Germany.
– Santa Claus was a saint who lived in what is now Turkey in the 300s.
– The Statue of Liberty was a Christmas present from France to the U.S.
– While some people think Xmas is sacrilegious, it’s not at all. It comes from Greece and the Greek symbol “X” means Christ.
– 1:3 people in the world celebrate Christmas.
– The retailer Montgomery Ward brought Rudolph to the public eye. It was written by Robert L. May, a copywriter for the company. The retail chain distributed 2.4 million copies of it in booklet form during the 1939 holiday season. Rudolph’s original name was Rollo. The executives at the company didn’t like the name, and May’s daughter gave him the idea of the name Rudolph.
– Charles Dickens wrote the novella A Christmas Carol in six weeks.
– If you’re an aspiring Santa, there’s a school for that. Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School is in Midland, Michigan.
In the hustle and bustle that’s December, take some time to give yourself a high-five for 2014. Even if it was a tough year, acknowledge that your strength helped you through it. What are you most proud of doing in 2014?
Here are my personal high-fives with infinite thanks to so many of you who made them possible and cheered me on in the process:
– I directed and produced my first original play that I’ve written, Sing After Storms
– I wrote the first draft of my first novel, Where the Light Enters
– I moved out of New York and started a new adventure in a new city
– I transitioned my business away from consulting to write full-time
– I saw Compass Yoga through to its completion and with the help of so many volunteers helped hundreds of people discover the joys of the practice
– I started working as a voice over artist
– I expanded the channels for my writing with great brands that I’m proud to be associated with
– I spent a lot of time with friends, old and new, and my family despite a hectic schedule
I’m making some big plans for 2015 and I know it’s going to be a wild ride. I’m not afraid. I’m excited for it, and I’m grateful to be on this journey with so many other good people. High-fives all around!
Destiny is a decision—yours. As we approach the end of the year, spend some time thinking about what went right, what went not-so-right, and decide what you want 2015 to look like. Unexpected things will happen in the new year, of course, but we have much more control than we give ourselves credit for. You have everything you need to shape it and direct in a way that brings you all the happiness you deserve. Choose to give yourself exactly the year you’re hoping to have.
Christa Avampato 