Month: March 2015

action, adventure, change, risk

This just in: Surviving in the In-between

Christa Avampato
Honor the space between no longer and not yet.
Honor the space between no longer and not yet.

Like me, you might be in the midst of a transition. A change in job, city, relationship, or a new realization about the world and your place in it and the people around you. We know we’re going to stop doing something and start doing something else. Right now we’re in that in-between space. And that can be unsettling. It certainly is for me.

Honor that space, that pause. It’s okay to reset and reconsider and reconfigure. It’s okay to try something on for a while and see how it feels. You can also toss it away if it doesn’t work. It’s also okay to decide to not try anything on at all. You can just be. In the In-between, you can see your past and your future and decide if or how the two could and should relate to one another. This is your show and you can play if you want to, or not.

This is a special place and a special time to not compare options to one another, but to what you really want. I know how hard it is to enjoy this time. In many ways I just want to move on and get it over with. What helps me is to remember that this isn’t permanent, that nothing is permanent. This is a rare and precious occasion, and I want to make sure to treat it as such. It’s challenging and I’m doing the best I can. I’m trying.

action, choices, decision-making, future

This just in: Can you do fewer, better things?

Christa Avampato
Shiny lights
Shiny lights

Now that I’m a few days past the 39 year mark, I’m reflecting on what this next phase of life and career look like. What I’m certain of is that it will include fewer, better things. In the past I’ve spread myself very thin over a number of projects and ideas. Now I’m trying to more heavily invest in a small number of things that will make a significant impact.

This sounds easy, though I’m finding it’s difficult to do. I have a lot of interests and hobbies. I’m intensely and endlessly curious. And I do know this: I want what I do to be meaningful. I want it to matter that I took it on and put my best into it, and that means focus.

There are a million shiny lights. The question is which shiny lights are meant for me? That’s what my 39th year is all about. After all, our lives are a reflection of our choices.

action, adventure, creativity

This just in: What’s in a name? This is what’s in mine.

Christa Avampato

christa_1A friend of mine posted this link a few days ago. You plug in your name and it tells you the hidden meaning behind it. This was mine. Ha! No wonder I need to meditate daily.

 

animals, dogs, love

This just in: What it means to love an animal

Christa Avampato
Phin and his pal, Otis
Phin and his pal, Otis

“Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ~Anatole France

There is something so easy and natural about loving an animal. The first time I met Phin, I knew in an instant that he was the dog for me. People told me this would happen, but I didn’t believe them. I thought my ever-questioning mind would fully get in the way. It didn’t. I saw Phineas wiggle his little self into the waiting room and with that he wiggled his way right into my heart. I scooped him up without hesitation, and the rest is history. Loving an animal so much has been one of the greatest gift in my life, and I imagine it will be a gift that never ends.

friendship, inspiration

This just in: The one word I want on my epitaph

Christa Avampato
Still I rise
Still I rise

“Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise.” ~Maya Angelou

Last night I had a long talk with my friend, Sara, who is one of the most inspiring, passionate people I know. She walks the path with me in good times and bad. I’ve had a particularly difficult couple of months, and Sara suggested that I put the movie The Unsinkable Molly Brown in my queue. “Unsinkable” is a word that gives me a lot of comfort. It’s something I aspire to be. When I look back on a long life, many years from now, I hope that’s how I see myself. As someone who continued to rise no matter what life served up. I’m going to adopt “unsinkable” as my mantra for year 39. Thanks, Sara.

courage, determination, risk

This just in: Take the long shot

Christa Avampato
Take the long shot
Take the long shot

A few times in our lives, we get the chance to take the long shot, the shot that seems improbable and the one we really want. Often we think about the choice between the short shot, the one that’s fairly easy for us to make and readily available, and the long shot. My advice? Take the long shot. The short shots will be there every day. They’ll even be there if we miss the long shot by a mile. There will be plenty of time for those short shots. When a long shot becomes an option, reach for it. Even if it’s a stretch, especially if it’s a stretch. Don’t think you can do it? Great! Go for it and find out. With the long shots, you’re going to learn. You’ll find out what you’re really made of and how far you can go. And those are very good things to know.

friendship

This just in: These are the kinds of people you need in your life

Christa Avampato
The people who light our way
The people who light our way

Life is about finding people who help us light the way forward when we can’t see the path ourselves. Many people will be with you in the good times, cheering you on and celebrating in your wins. And that’s terrific. Others will be with you only when times are tough, and that’s valuable, too. I’ve found that the people who mean the most to me, the people I’m most grateful for, are those who are there through all of it, people who will walk with me when times are good, bad, and confusing. What matters most to them is that I just be me.

happiness, harmony

This just in: 3 things you need to be happy

Christa Avampato
Happy
Happy

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

This quote helped me understand why it’s so important to love our work. If we’re going to be happy then our minds, our hearts, and our actions have to link together. We spend so many of our waking hours working. We deserve to have those hours be put toward something that matters to us and to the world. So let’s live, work, and be happy.

choices, decision-making

This just in: It’s easy to make the right decisions

Christa Avampato
Blue Bloods
Blue Bloods ~Frank Reagan,

“It’s a funny thing about decisions. You don’t seem to need to talk yourself into the right ones.” ~Frank Reagan, Blue Bloods

I need to have this quote printed and hung on my wall in a prominent place. I’ve noticed in the past year that my decisions that have turned out to be the best are the ones I made quickly and from the gut. The ones that have not worked so well are the ones I needed to extensively explain and rationalize to myself and then to others. When my mind swirled with too many perspectives, when I lost sleep and found myself physically exhausted by thinking, those were the decisions that never worked out as much as I tried to convince myself that they would.

There’s so much power and insight in that lesson, and in my case it took a long time to realize. Going forward, I’m sure my analytical mind will continue to have its say. Now I’m going to make sure that my gut and my heart have just as much chance to weigh in when a choice needs to be made. In the place where 2 out of the 3 align, I’m going for it. I have a feeling this is going to lead to many faster and better decisions.

business, entrepreneurship, legal, technology

This just in: I’m in love with LegalZoom.com

Christa Avampato
I highly recommend LegalZoom.com
I highly recommend LegalZoom.com

I had the best customer experience that I would like to shout from the rooftops. After completing my taxes for 2014, I’ve decided to continue freelancing as a writer and consultant as an individual while conducting a full-time job search in D.C. There’s no tax advantage to keeping my company as a legal entity, Chasing Down the Muse Inc., for my freelance work so I decided to dissolve it. The dissolution process is long and arduous to do on my own so I just Googled “can anyone help me legally dissolve a business?” LegalZoom.com was the top result so I called them.

Steven, one of their fantastic customer service agents, walked me through the steps that took all of 3 minutes. When their process is complete, I’ll get a receipt. That’s it. There’s nothing else I need to do. The customer service agent was wonderful, helpful, and kind, and LegalZoom saved me days of frustration and work. And they are also incredibly affordable. My whole dissolution process is less than $200 and that includes the $60 fee to the State of New York as well as the shipping of the forms to all of the state agencies that need them. I’m thrilled!

If ever I decide to set up another company or need any legal work put together, LegalZoom.com will be my first stop!