About a dozen years ago, I interviewed for a job that was boring but paid well. I interviewed and really thought I made a great impression. Then the hiring manager told me, right in the interview, that she wasn’t going to hire me. I was devastated, until she explained why she wasn’t going to hire me. She said, “Christa, you’re a bright, shiny candle. Taking this job would be like taking a candle and putting it under the table. And that’s not where candles belong. Go somewhere where your light is needed and appreciated. Go do something really good with your life.” I’ve never forgotten that advice, and every day I try to live up to it. Sometimes I fail, but the daily pursuit to do something good with my life has always been worth it. I tried to find that hiring manager’s contact information so I could thank her, but it’s been lost in the shuffle over all these years since my interview. So this post is my attempt to thank her, and to encourage us all to find the place where our light is needed and appreciated in the coming year. Go where you can glow.
Curating a Creative Life as a Storyteller, Scientist, and Business Leader
Christa Avampato 