I tell wonder-filled stories about hope and healing
Author: Christa Avampato
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.
For one minute today, stand and mentally take note of every beautiful thing you see. I do this every morning on my walk with Phin. It’s especially important that I do this when I’m feeling stressed, discouraged, or frustrated. Beauty, in all its forms, heals and it prompts us to create more of it for our ourselves and others. The more time we take to notice it, the more we realize just how much beauty this world holds. Once we see beauty in the world, we find it in our own hearts. And once we feel beauty, we radiate it back to everyone we encounter, everywhere we go.
Over the Christmas holidays, I strained my hip. Now I’m on the mend thanks to my yoga practice, yoga teachers, and rest. I am rarely sick or injured so when it happens I first feel disappointed and then incredibly grateful. Disappointed that despite my desire to be super-human, I am indeed human and susceptible to injury. Grateful because an injury or illness fills me with so much empathy and compassion for those who manage physical pain on a daily basis. Injuries can get us down, and they can also be tremendous opportunities for growth, a source or strength, and proof of resilience. After all, if we were always well we would never experience the magic of healing.
“Within and without, the voice holds the key.” ~ Kara Johnstad
All projects need doing and listening. We observe the outside world and our own inner world. We hear and see what happens around us and then tune in to what is happening in our own hearts, bodies, minds, and spirits. To do our best work, we must have this balance. The place where the inner world and outer world meet is our greatest source of inspiration, where we realize that what we have to give is exactly what the world needs.
My friend, Jess, posted this article on Facebook and it bolstered my spirits. Here is the link to the full article and below are the 19 hard things you need to do to be successful. So much truth in these words!
You have to make the call you’re afraid to make.
You have to get up earlier than you want to get up.
You have to give more than you get in return right away.
You have to care more about others than they care about you.
You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.
You have to feel unsure and insecure when playing it safe seems smarter.
You have to lead when no one else is following you yet.
You have to invest in yourself even though no one else is.
You have to look like a fool while you’re looking for answers you don’t have.
You have to grind out the details when it’s easier to shrug them off.
You have to deliver results when making excuses is an option.
You have to search for your own explanations even when you’re told to accept the “facts.”
You have to make mistakes and look like an idiot.
You have to try and fail and try again.
You have to run faster even though you’re out of breath.
You have to be kind to people who have been cruel to you.
You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that are unparalleled.
You have to be accountable for your actions even when things go wrong.
You have to keep moving towards where you want to be no matter what’s in front of you.
“Keep your eyes open and your feet moving forward. You’ll find what you need.” Amaze yourself with just how much you can do, how much you do have, and everything that you can create. No more resources, courses, meetings, or plans that may or may not happen. No more wondering, whining, or wasting time. Now is your time. Just do it. Follow your instincts and make it happen. Whatever it is you want to have in your life. And not for the recognition, notoriety, or rewards that may or may not head your way as a result. Just because you want to and just because you can. I know you can and deep down you do, too. Toss aside any naysayers, your nagging inside voice included, and move ahead. One graceful, beautiful step at a time. You’ll be shocked by what happens next.
When the fire dies down, we don’t seal off the fireplace. We add a log. When the tires on our cars lose their tread, we don’t trade in the car. We get new tires. The same is true for our lives. We don’t toss away things that have a bit of wear and tear. We fix, clean, polish, replenish, repair, and renew them. Do the same with creative projects, work, relationships, a home, and anything else that matters. These things and these people have done a great service to us over time: they’ve made our lives richer and more meaningful. Let’s keep them going. Everything can be made new again.
Whenever something doesn’t work out in my favor, I don’t think of it as an opportunity lost but as a bullet dodged. This philosophy has never failed me, and over time it’s always proved to be true. I repeat this statement to myself: “The world has something better in mind for you. Be patient. Live. Have faith. Keep going.”
When we want to take a chance, when we want to do something new, we have to clear the way so the new can enter. This is exciting and it’s scary because we may have some time when this empty space just wants to house something. It may remain empty for a good long while before we actually figure out what belongs in that space. This is also a dangerous time. We may get so frustrated with that empty space that we feel tempted to fill it with something, anything. Don’t do it. Only fill it with something and / or someone you truly want.
Waiting is a tough business because we don’t know how long the waiting will last and we don’t know exactly what our options will eventually be. I don’t have those answers, but I do know this: we get what we settle for. So if we settle for something less than we want then that’s exactly what we’ll get – something that leaves us feeling empty even though we are full. Something that depletes us rather than building us up. Something that casts a shadow over our light rather than helping it to burn brighter. If that’s the choice, then I’m waiting. I’ll clear the way and hold that empty space for as long as it takes.
“Luck is being ready for the chance.” Every success I know of took both work and luck. What varies is the proportions of each. And don’t worry about trying to figure out how to calibrate them into the master combination. We can’t engineer it. We only control half of the ingredients. We can work hard. Luck is left to, well, luck. We can prepare to be lucky. I would argue that we must be prepared to recognize and then take full advantage of luck. But we don’t control the timing or the amount of luck we get. We also don’t get to choose the wrapper that our luck dons. It often doesn’t advertise itself. It shows up in the form of someone or something we weren’t looking for. That’s how luck rolls – to its own drummer and in its choice of costume.
So what can we do?
1.) I work harder than I need to. Often times my lucky breaks don’t require even half the work I put into them. I’m an over-preparer and I’ve made my peace with that because over-preparation gives me both confidence and wiggle room. And if by chance I fall short a bit short on the luck component, I can make up for it with extra work.
2.) I turn over every rock. I get a new client. I get a new writing gig. I meet a new person interested in my work. I keep going. I don’t stop when I get a modicum of success. I appreciate it and make the most of it, and I keep digging for more. Luck runs and out and we can replenish our supply if we keep going.
3.) I see everything as an opportunity. Everything. A trip to the grocery store. A walk with Phin. An article I read. Someone who shares something I do online. Every little thing has some element of magic. I never lose sight of that. And I try to be that source for someone else. I like to connect people. I like to tell them what I’m doing in the hopes that it helps them do something, too. Opportunity isn’t a linear path. It’s a circle and it goes round and round as long as we choose to keep it going.
Keep showing up. Keep working hard. Keep reaching. Don’t worry about searching for luck. It will find you when it’s good and ready.
“There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.” Anyone can leap and make a change. What no one tells us is that deciding to leap and then actually doing it is only the beginning. The real work that gets us to where we want to be comes after the leap and it requires a lot of energy, time, and effort. We have to become builders. Sometimes we regret our leap because we weren’t prepared for all of the work ahead and because we didn’t know how much work we had to do before the leap. This is why I’m working on my book, Your Second Step: What to Do After You Leap. I made lots of mistakes and I did a lot of things right. I want to share all of that experience with anyone in the midst of the same kind of pursuit.
And here’s another tidbit that I hope makes you feel better if you’re feeling a bit stuck: you don’t jump from a full room into another full room when you strike out on your own, no matter how much pre-work you’ve done. You jump from a full room into empty space. For some of us that empty space, the blank page, is exhilarating. For some, it’s a terrifying nightmare. For me, it’s a bit of both. Building is difficult work. It’s also difficult to design what you plan to build. I hope my work can help people through this process. I hate seeing people give up on their dreams, especially when they have worked very hard to make them happen. I hope I can offer them enough encouragement to keep going.
Christa Avampato 