Category: adventure

adventure, journey, yoga

Step 340: Fear and Taking Action

Christa Avampato

“Action expresses priorities.” ~ Gandhi

I spent a good part of the weekend looking into spaces to rent for my regular yoga classes starting in March. It’s my biggest priority in getting these classes set up – without the right space, there’s no class. I found some that were perfect and too expensive, and others that were priced right but didn’t feel like the right space. A few times this weekend, I got scared. I could feel that tiny painful twinge in my stomach. I hesitated. “Am I really going to do this?” I asked myself.

And then I got an amazing email from a yoga studio in a good location that’s interested in helping me grow the business rather than just renting me space. They found a lot of common ground with me by reviewing my website. I’m hoping to see the space this week. The reviews on-line are glowing. The space is reportedly beautiful and tranquil, and the community is happy and welcoming. By all accounts, it sounds like a hand and glove fit for me. The only thing to do now is to see it with my own eyes and see if I personally feel good in the space.

The act of searching high and low for just the right location feels like a spiritual journey as well as a practical one. It’s a quest to find just the right combination of elements that will foster creativity, awareness, and above all, peace. This is a special part of my life. My students are special and dear to me. I want what’s best for them, and that means finding a space where they practice that helps them feel healthy and whole. If I just focus on that intent, my fear melts and I can take action with great confidence. I’ll keep looking and the right space will come along.

The image above is not my own. It can be found here.

adventure, choices, decision-making, dreams

Step 319: 2011 Planning

Christa Avampato

“Life’s like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending.” ~ Jim Henson, American puppeteer

Many companies and organizations are currently reviewing their plans for 2011. They’re asking themselves about low hanging fruit and bit bets, where to place their energy, time, and money. Just as organizations go through this structured planning process, it’s helpful for us to personally review our own plan for 2011. On December 31st, 2011, what do we want to reflect on? What do we want to learn? Where do we want to be and what will we have accomplished? Tell me your ending and let’s figure out how to get there.

Here’s a quick exercise I did recently that really helped me fill in some of the blanks. I’ll keep working on it through December. I hope it helps you, too, as you start to create your dream ending for 2011:

1.) What are your big areas of focus? These can be project-based or topical (personal finance, career, relationships). Mine are all project-based because I work better when my energy is focused by project.

Mine:
a.) Compass Yoga classes
b.) Yoga and personal finance book
c.) This blog (of course) / my writing in general
d.) Innovation Station

2.) What are specific goals under each project or topic that you want to work on? Give each one its own line and feel free to list as many as you’d like. We’ll get to editing later.

Mine:
a.) Compass Yoga classes
– regular weekly yoga class
– give a workshop of some kind
– secure one additional regular teaching gig

b.) Yoga and personal finance book
– get all of the content written and organized
– work with a designer (hopefully my brother-in-law) on an illustration style and cover design
– decide if I want to self-publish or shop it around
– if I want to shop it around, ask for some advice from writer friends on the best way to do that (I know nothing about the traditional
publishing world)
– give a workshop based on the book

c.) This blog (of course) / my writing in general
– choose a blogging topic for the coming year. 2009 was about hope, 2010 has been about living an extraordinary life. What should
2011 be about?
– secure another regular writing gig, similar to my time with Examiner.com
– syndicate the content into a series of smaller e-books by topic
– continue marketing my e-book Hope in Progress

d.) Innovation Station
– compile all of the materials needed for a pilot
– secure a pilot in a public school

3.) Now we have to prioritize! First the big areas you want to focus on, and then the goals underneath each one. If you’re like me, you have a huge list that might just make you a little sleepy just looking at it. I’m not asking you to edit or cross out any of your dreams. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a way to clone yourself and get it all done, or many some of your to-do’s will take a lot less time and effort than you think they will.

This prioritization will take some time because you have to spend some time thinking about your values. Take the time you need for this portion. This is a year of your life we’re talking about here, so give it the attention it deserves! I’m still in the prioritization phase myself. I’ll get back to you in a later post on how my planning is going.

4.) Once the prioritization phase is done, pour yourself a cocktail of choice and celebrate! You did a good piece of work setting up this plan.

5.) Now, after a celebration, get going. Post your goals on your fridge, on your front door, in your car, at your desk. Anywhere that you will see every day. And remember to celebrate every win, big and small.

Let me know if this process is helpful and what you’re planning for a happy and bright 2011. I’d love to give you a helping hand for an amazing year ahead!

adventure, happiness, luck

Step 317: Waking Up Ecstatic

Christa Avampato

“Joy is not in things; it is in us.” ~ Richard Wagner

I take Phineas outside for his walk early in the morning. Thankfully with the end of Daylight Savings Time, the sun is now up before we are. This week we stepped out of our building to meeting a friendly, gorgeous yellow lab. He that characteristic big head that he just nuzzled right into my side and Phinny just loved him. When Phineas really likes someone he doesn’t just wag his tail; he wags the whole back-end of his body.

The lab’s owner, and I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t ask her name, said “wow, he is just ecstatic!”

“He wakes up that way every morning,” I said.

“Isn’t it inspiring (and exhausting),” she laughed.

I laughed, too. Up to that point, I hadn’t thought of how inspiring it is to be around a constantly ecstatic little being like Phin, but every morning since we met our friend, the lab, it’s the first thing that pops into my head. Phinny wakes up every morning, happy to get another day and he goes for it with everything he’s got in his little 15 pound body. He doesn’t hold back his energy or enthusiasm, he says hello to everyone, and he always approaches even our most routine routes as if they’re brand new experiences. It’s truly awesome, and yes, inspiring. We should all feel so lucky to get another day.

adventure, career, change, choices, decision-making, risk

Step 315: Risks Are Less Scary Than They First Appear

Christa Avampato

I’m a fan of the daily newsletter from Psychology Today. Every day they send over 4 stories that are loosely connected, and try to make their readers better people. A few weeks ago they sent over a set of article about fear and how the mind interprets different fears. My big take-away: we have a warped view of risk, real and perceived.

I think about risk a lot for several specific reasons:

1.) At the moment I work in financial services – an industry built around the ability to manage risk
2.) I’m working on starting a small business – a challenging proposition even when the economy is at its best
3.) I live in New York City, a city built and run by people who take their dreams, and all the risk that those dreams carry, very seriously

One of Psychology Today’s articles talks about the 10 ways we screw up our perception of a risk. The good news: we’re actually much more capable than we give ourselves credit for. I understand that the economy’s in the hole because we got way too confident, that for years we were living way out of the ballpark of our means. I’m not suggesting we get back to that place of too-risky living.

What I am suggesting is that we’ve gone too far in the other direction. We tell ourselves that we can’t take any risk now. Better to stay in the job, relationship, city where we are. New is scary. New is uncertain. New is overrated. I hate that we’ve painted ourselves into a corner. It’s true that we need to make smart choices, but it’s also true that we need to live, really live. We’re creatures of dreams and aspirations and joy. We won’t thrive if we don’t strive.

I’m not telling you to run out into the world, full tilt, throwing any and every caution to the wind. (Well, actually, I think it’s good to do that once in a while.) What I am asking you to do is keep in mind that we only get one crack at this go-around in the world and that this world needs you to live the best life you can imagine. We need you at your very best. It’s my firm belief that we’re at our best when we’re happiest, and we’re happiest when we’re out there in the world living the way we want.

So take a little tip-toe outside of that box you put yourself in. Try something new and different that does nothing but lift your spirits. If we all take some small steps, together we can leap.

adventure, free, happiness

Step 295: Life’s No Fun Unless You Dance

Christa Avampato

“My violin teacher, the amazing Kato Havas, has a workshop visual that has always stuck with me. She leans on a table, holds it with both hands, and says ‘I am safe – I will not fall – BUT IT’S HARD TO DANCE!’ ” ~ Trish Scott

Through this blog Trish Scott has become a friend and mentor. I reviewed her book about animal communication last week after she gave me some brilliant advice about training Phin, my adorable dachshund who I adopted a month ago from the Humane Society. This week Trish left the comment above on my post about letting go of the need for certainty. I love the comment so much that I had to feature it in a post of its own.

It’s understandable, common, and perfectly normal to seek safety and security. And once we get to a place of comfort, particularly after we’ve been uncomfortable for some time, it can be tough to leave. Adventure makes us feel alive; it can also wear us out. We need to rest and recoup, and then we need to be prepared to dance again. Dancing, in one form another, is what we’re built to do.

Trish’s comment paying tribute to her violin teacher reminds me of the famous quote by John Shedd – “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” Our lives are meant for living, and in the process there will be disappoints and hurt feelings and frustrations. We won’t always get where we want to go when we want to be there. We’ll struggle and strive and work like crazy to achieve and grow and prosper. And once we’ve “made it”, there will be a great temptation to stay right where we are. After all, isn’t this place of security what we’ve been working so hard for?

In the very wise words of Haitian culture, “behind the mountains are more mountains.” There is always more to see and do and learn. That’s one of the things that makes our world such an incredible place. Hang on to the table and regain your balance. Rest a bit, and then get going again. You owe it to yourself, and to the world, to scale that next mountain that’s calling your name. Don’t worry about taking up the challenge – in the distance there’s another mountain, followed by another table and another time for rest. It’s a cycle like any other, so go ahead and dance.

adventure, choices, determination, government, journey, politics, risk

Step 256: What We Can Learn from Rahm Emanuel

Christa Avampato

“If you run before the wind, you can’t take off. You’ve got to turn into it. Face it. The thing you push against is the thing that lifts you up.” ~ Delta commercial

Rahm Emanuel has a reputation for being a tough administrator who gets the job done. He runs a tight ship as an ambitious First Mate. I’m sure somewhere in the history books, long after the Obama administration has left the White House, there will be some chapter somewhere that recalls Emanuel’s role as the White House Chief of Staff. More than likely, the average American will not remember him nor his critical role in making the Obama administration run. Even now, do we know how much policy he has influenced with a heavy hand? At best, we know that he is a trusted adviser to our President, though we don’t know his advice.

Last week Mayor Daley announced that he will not seek re-election, and rumors begin to circulate that Emanuel may exit the White House to return to his beloved city of Chicago to become the star of his own life and career, as opposed to someone’s manager who looks on from the shadows of the wings. I thought about that image when I met with Brian last week. Brian has been a supportive and unrelenting advocate for me and my career. He thinks I have spent enough time in a supporting role and that it’s time for me to step out on my own in some way. He voices that message on a regular basis.

I tell him I need some more time to save money, to grow my experience base. Brian’s all for pragmatism, though he’s more in favor of setting the stage for how we’d like our creativity to organize itself. In other words, if we tell our creativity we’re just not ready and we need a plan B then our creativity will believe us and get going on a brilliant plan B. Our creativity, in large part, does what we tell it to do.

The trouble is that I’m an excellent supporting character. I’m really good at juggling priorities and managing around challenging personalities. I’ve made a successful career out of improving situations that very much-needed improving, and until I decide to work from a clean slate, I will continue to be part of the clean-up crew. We get the circumstances we ask for, or at least the ones that we’re willing to tolerate.

We all deserve the opportunity to be the stars of our own lives, to test our own ideas, and to make our own independent contributions to the world. As much as Rahm Emanuel may respect his boss and believe in the Obama agenda, he doesn’t call the shots. At the end of the day, they’re called for him to execute against. That’s the gig that comes with being a Chief of Staff and not the Chief. Of course he’s considering the possibility of becoming the mayor of his hometown. And with that inspiration, we should all think about what stage it is that we’d like to star on – we all deserve a little piece of the spotlight in our own lives. Turn into the wind, and see what lifts you up. For Emanuel, it’s the city of Chicago. What is it for you?

adventure, productivity, transportation, travel

Step 209: 10 Things You Can Do to Make Air Travel More Enjoyable

Christa Avampato

I planned to write about 10 things that Delta could do improve their customer service. Then I realized that post would be useless. After my recent experience with Delta, I’m pretty sure they don’t care about customer service. On my most recent Delta trip, my plane was struck my lightning, badly damaging the wing. My hat goes off to the pilot and co-pilot who landed us safely without causing passenger panic. I can’t imagine how terrifying that must have been for him. Delta’s customer service should take their cue from their pilots’ performance.

After an overnight in Syracuse where we were grounded and an Amtrak ride home (re-booking on a Delta flight seemed highly improbable given all of the weather delays), I decided to write this post on things that ordinary folks could do to improve the process of air travel, remaining productive even in the face of delays and cancellations. I hope you find these tips useful and will add to them in the comments section.

1.) Bring more to do that you think you can finish. Extra books, magazines, projects. The worst feeling while traveling, particularly if you run into delays, is useless Thankfully the Detroit airport (where I had a layover) had a Borders where I could buy Let the Great World Spin (future post forthcoming). Next time I’ll make sure to pack more reading materials.

2.) Don’t check luggage. Almost every airline is now charging for every checked bag, over weight fees are outrageous, and the wait at baggage claim seems to get longer with every flight. And there is always the stress of possibly losing your bag. I bought a small rolling bag that meets all of the FDA standards. If it can’t fit in there, I just buy what I need at my destination.

3.) Recognize that a lot of delays are for your own good. Cancelling and delaying flights is a much bigger hassle for the airline employees than it is for any of us. It’s a last resort due most of the time to bad weather, damage to a plane, etc. Just take a look at any gate agent’s face when dealing with delayed or cancelled flight customers. They’re in pain, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It might be the worst job in America. I would much prefer that the airline cancel or delay my flight than take a risk with my life at 30,000 feet.

4.) Steer clear of grumpy passengers. Whenever there is a delay or a cancellation, there is always a group of passengers furious beyond reason. They almost caused a riot at the airport in Syracuse. Cursing, screaming, throwing things. It was awful to witness. Stay away from those people. If you are one of those people, please stay home and watch TV – the Travel Channel will bring the sites and sounds of exotic far-reaching places right to your living room.

5.) Carry-on your essentials. If you refuse to heed the advice in step #2 and insist on paying exorbitant prices to check your luggage, then your carry-on must have certain essentials: a toothbrush, toothpaste, handi-wipes, anti-bacterial gel for your hands, moisturizer, eye drops, chapstick, and a complete change of clothes that are more respectable than your PJs. I also pack socks, a pair of jeans, and a lightweight jacket of some kind because although airlines skimp on just about everything, they crank the AC to the max until I’m so cold that my bones actually hurt.

6.) Get a smartphone with email and apps. I have a Droid with Verizon service and it has always come through for me on long trips. It’s a huge convenience to know what’s going on with your travel plans right on your phone rather than having to stand in line or wait on hold to ask your questions to a live representative. I think that airlines notify customers by email before they even tell their own gate agents what’s going on. It also gives you a way to catch up on old emails, check Facebook, Twitter, and any other of the gazillion apps that are out there. And you just might learn something new while waiting around for your flight to board.

7.) Podcasts are your travel friend. I’m a fiend for them and almost every podcast is free to download and play. Thank you, Apple. Go to iTunes and search away for podcasts on every subject imaginable, and some that you never knew existed.

8.) Grab the good snacks before you go. The only thing worse than a terrible tasting snack is a terrible tasting snack that’s expensive. Airports have cornered the market on terrible tasting expensive snacks. Pack your own – even if you buy the granddaddy deluxe snacks a la Whole Foods, they’re still less expensive than the ones at the airport, taste better, and are better for you. Good food does wonders for your mood when your flight is delayed or cancelled.

9.) Be friendly but break from the pack. Those grumpy people I mentioned in tip #4 are all the worse because they travel in packs like thugs. You will make a lot more headway by being nice to the people on the frontlines of the airline managing delays and cancellations. Smile, remain calm, and be persistent and reasonable. Don’t try to help those grumpy passengers along the way. Trust me, they aren’t going to try to help you and honestly will tank your own efforts to get where you’re trying to go. Just take care of yourself and whomever you’re traveling with. Leave other passengers to their own devices and attitudes.

10.) Take Amtrak or a luxury bus. You think I’m being cute with this last one but I’m totally serious. I love the train – it’s a more civilized way to travel. When I go to visit friends in DC or Boston or Providence, I take the train. It never crosses my mind to hop on one of those air shuttles. By the time I get to the airport, strip down to go through security, board, take the flight, de-board, and get to my final destination, I could have taken the train or a luxury bus for the same price or less than the flight, and traveled more comfortably and been more productive along the way. I’ve never used the luxury bus lines but my friends love them because they are equipped with wi-fi, are super-comfy, and cheap. Just don’t get caught in rush hour traffic coming into Manhattan. That’s a nightmare in any kind of vehicle.

What did I miss? What tips have saved your sanity on flights?

adventure, education, entrepreneurship

Step 161: Lateral Action

Christa Avampato

I went to college right out of high school at a prestigious university, finished in 4 years, completing classes in very practical subjects (economics and history, minor in psychology). I got an MBA in general management at another very prestigious university, worked my a** off, and then got a well-paying job right after graduation. By all accounts I architected my career to foster financial independence and my creative spirit, even if some of my decisions in real-time made some people scratch their heads. In the end, I did make the best choices. I was right to make the moves I made. Go me.

And then about a year and a half ago, the bottom fell out of the economy and I started to question what I was doing with my time post-MBA. All the old paradigms about education, career, and making a living crumbled. Then 9 months ago, my apartment building caught fire, I almost lost my life, I did lose almost all of my precious belongings I had worked so hard for, and I began to question everything. This staged questioning lead me to a door I never thought I’d choose again: entrepreneurship. Working for myself. And not just as a freelancer, but building my own company from the ground up – Compass Yoga.

I talked to entrepreneurs, interviewed them, wrote about them, read books, magazines, and blogs, and attended conferences. I built up enough knowledge that I knew I wanted to do this, that I’d be really disappointed with my life if I didn’t at least give it a whirl. And the further I’ve delved into the process, the more I realized that it would be very easy for me to make a bunch of really lousy mistakes because I don’t know what I don’t know. This is all new and I need some guidance, or at least some people around me who are in the same start-up boat.

Kismet set in and a post from Problogger showed up in my inbox on Tuesday about a guy named Brian Clark who pens Copyblogger. I hopped over to Copyblogger and liked what I saw. He was honest, straight-forward, and a very talented writer. He also seemed very genuine in his desire to help brand new or would-be entrepreneurs (i.e., me). He just co-launched an initiative called Lateral Action that will offer a 6-week online entrepreneurship course that offers “everything we would have wanted to know 10 years ago starting out.” His co-founders are a cartoonist and a poet. My kind of folks. Hmmm….I kept reading, skeptically.

Sounded like too much of a line, too much a cliché. And then he said something that opened my mind a bit more. “What is that type of information worth? Well, I personally made squat for about three years getting started. Making even a fraction of my current income back then would be worth a fairly substantial investment given that kind of return. Let me be clear. We’re not looking for just anyone with a credit card. Rather, we’re interested in working with motivated people who will take action with these methods.”

Okay, now I’m really listening. What sold me was that I sent an email to one of the co-founders and he responded within a few minutes. I told him about Compass Yoga and a bit about my professional background as a product developer. He told me why the class would be completely worthwhile for me and that one of his inspirations (and friend) is Jonathan Fields, the person who founded Sonic Yoga (where I just completed my yoga teacher training.)

All these pieces bundled together – the fact that I need some more guidance in starting MY business (not just any business), Brian’s authentic voice, Mark’s responsiveness, and the Jonathan Fields connection – made me realize that I stumbled upon something that is far more valuable than the small class fee. I just downloaded the first few modules, and I’m going to comb through them this weekend. I’ll let you know how it goes. This just may change my tune about online education.

Have you ever had an experience that caused you to change a long-held belief? If so, I’d love to hear about it!

I don’t know who created the cartoon above, though if I had to place a bet, I’d say it was Tony Clark, the cartoonist who is a co-founder of Lateral Action. The cartoon is from their site and I think it’s hilarious (and true-to-life).

adventure, change, choices, decision-making

Step 155: Crossing the Chasm

Christa Avampato

“The word … is REFRAMING. Taking a task … and turning it into something-that-makes-a-difference.” ~ Tom Peters

Today, crossing the chasm means more to me than the gap between early adopters and mass appeal as explained by Geoffrey Moore in his excellent business book by the same title. I have two very competent halves: my logical, fiscally responsible side who has done an excellent job of helping me strive, survive, and thrive, and the daydream believer side who must make a difference in the world by doing spiritually meaningful work. Between them exists a very wide gap and I spend a good deal of my energy making the leap on a daily (and sometimes more than daily) basis. To use Tom Peter’s sentiment, I want a better frame.

Where else could I put this energy so that it better serves the bridging of this divide? How can I live my work and work the way I live? Fully. Passionately. Deeply giddy about dreaming and even more giddy about rolling up my sleeves and physically birthing those dreams into the world.

I refuse to believe that these are the idle words that an idyllic life represents and that few can actually achieve. I know that the two can reconcile. And actually, they must reconcile. The chasm has grown too wide for me, and rather than putting my energy into jumping further every day, today I started to build the bridge. Here we go…

The photo above can be found here.

adventure, courage, yoga

Step 133: Souls Like Kites

Christa Avampato

“A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind.” ~ John Neal, American author and critic

I thought about this quote on my yoga mat today as I kept practicing my arm balances. I’m not good at this group of postures – the entire weight of the body is balanced on the hands in different positions. It requires a lot of core strength and coordination – two things that I don’t quite have in abundance. So I keep practicing. Doing the prep postures, trying them on my back, giving it a go, falling over. Actually, today in handstand I did a forward roll, exactly what I was afraid of doing. And you know what? I was fine.

Arm balances are for me what wind is to a kite. They are a good challenge for me, especially as I work on building more courage and confidence. I try to get my very soul up against them and rise. Most of the time I lose, but I keep at. Everyday I get a few moments of that floating, fluttering feeling that arm balances provide. I feel the full strength of my upper body. Eventually my body will figure it out. Eventually it will learn how to fly. It’s what we were made to do.

The photo above was taken by David Martinez for Yoga Journal.