A friend told me the time for his dream had passed. He’d missed his opportunity to do what he really wanted to do with his life. He asked me if I had any advice. I told him the story of a meditation I did to help myself heal when I was going through cancer treatment. I imagined myself as a Rose of Jericho, the resurrection plant.
When there’s a drought, this plant dries up and curls into a ball, shedding 95% of its water. It looks dead and lifeless, but it’s just sleeping, coating its cells with sugars and salts to preserve and protect them. It can stay like that for up to 5 years. If the drought goes on longer than that, it detaches from its roots and tumbles elsewhere with the help of the wind. Once it gets even a minuscule amount of water, the sugars and salts dissolve, and the plant springs back to life without a hint of the difficulty it endured.
Like my friend, you may have dreams you haven’t pursued. Or maybe you tried to pursue them, and they didn’t work out as you’d hoped. Sit down, close your eyes, and imagine yourself as the Rose of Jericho. (You might be rolling your eyes at this. I get it. It sounds hokey. But listen, this meditation is one of the things that got me through cancer so maybe it will help you get through the difficulties you’re facing, too.)
Imagine yourself in a deep slumber, curled up in a ball, wishing things were different, and enduring whatever hardship has found you. Now detach from your roots and let the wind carry you. Imagine you find and settle into a place of abundance, joy, and opportunity. What does that place look, sound, smell, taste, and feel like? (Take your time here. Really get into the multi-sensory experience. Give yourself permission to imagine.) Now imagine a mist of water falling. Take in that sweetness and nourishment. Let it fill you up. Uncurl. Flourish.
In this new year, you may face difficulties. You may think time and the world have passed by you and your dreams. You may think it’s too late or too hard to do or change anything. Let nature be your guide and lead you to higher ground.
This meditation and example of the Rose of Jericho can be the first small step toward something better for yourself. Rest and retreat. If you can, go in search of a better place for you and your dreams, even if it’s just in your mind for the moment. Protect and preserve yourself now so you can recognize and meet opportunity when a more beneficial hour, and maybe a second chance, arrives.
If you give this meditation a try, please let me know how it goes. I’m rooting for you!
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.
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Christa Avampato 