Category: courage

courage

Leap: The Teachings of Compassion and Courage

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“Without courage, compassion falters. Without compassion, courage has no direction.” ~ Eric Greitens

Compassion requires that we step out of our lives and take the viewpoint of another. We need to remove our filters, our blinders, and try those of another on for size.

That viewpoint has been years in the making. For sure there were times of discomfort and times of joy. There were great disappointments and equal triumphs. Each experience had some impact on the way this person sees the world. Somewhere along the line they went through something that changed them.

This is not easy work. To have great compassion requires great courage. It’s frightening to put away our own convictions, our own truths. With true compassion, we will be asked to question our own beliefs, especially those that form the bedrock of our lives. If we have the courage to pursue compassion, we will find ourselves in the midst of a profoundly considered life.

choices, courage, creativity, strengths

Leap: Be One of the Best People

Christa Avampato

“The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice.” ~ Ernest Hemingway, American author

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the colorful characters that comprise my life, thinking of friendships and relationships old and new, past and present. When I consider the ones who truly inspire me, whose mere presence lifts me up to new heights, their qualities match those from the Hemingway quote above.

They are the ones who have a real sense of design, and not necessarily design of products, services, events, and the like, but a sense of design for life.

They are the ones who courageously step out of the fray to do something good and important, not just for themselves, but for the world as a whole.

They are people who tell the truth with grace and dignity, even when it’s hard to hear, who stand for something and stand up for others who need support. They are also people who recognize that if you lift others as you rise, rather than put others down, that everyone rises together faster and with greater ease.

They are people who give up a bit today – whether that bit is money or a fancy title or praise or that pesky bit of ego – for the sake of building something greater than themselves. They understand that to win in the long-run often requires some kind of loss in the short-term.

These are the people I admire, the people who inspire me to keep being the best version of me every day. They are people who recognize that we may not always succeed, but that we always have the option to try and try again. They are my heroes.

courage, failure, fear, future, strengths

Leap: Rise Up

Christa Avampato

Oriah Mountain Dreamer is one of my favorite poets. I used to keep a poem of hers by my desk that asks the poignant question, “Do you like the company you keep in the empty moments?” She insightfully kind, a rare combination.

We have an incredible ability to endure, to persevere, to heal, and then to learn from that healing. No matter how the world bears down on us, no matter what obstacles encumber our path, we have everything we need at our core to rise to the occasion.

We are so much braver and so much stronger than we have ever give ourselves credit for being. And that strength and bravery is available to us at every moment. All we have to do is believe that it is there and it will appear.

change, courage, creative process, meditation, time, yoga

Leap: Only Actions Create The Future

Christa Avampato

“Actions are the seed of fate. Deeds grow into destiny.” ~ Harry S Truman

There’s a pesky saying that travels around the yoga world from time to time. There’s a call to stop doing. The seed of this sentiment comes from a good place. There’s a lot of value in stillness, in quietude. When we get quiet, our mind’s eye sees more clearly. When the chatter subsides, we’re able to solve challenges with more confidence and insight. In peace, we gain direction.

This place of stillness can feel so good that we are reluctant to come back down. Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could just stay in that meditative state for a good long while? Yes, and no. The power of yoga and its many benefits make little difference on that 12 square feet of sticky surface. Their value comes to bear when we leave our mats, when we go out there into that great big world and actually do something with our clear minds and renewed sense of purpose. It’s good to stop doing for a bit, but eventually doing is what life is about. To have an impact, we have to take action with a clear sense of focus and direction.

Think of all of the historical figures whom you admire. My list is topped by people like Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. It’s filled with people who are writers, artists, musicians, innovators, inventors, and scientists. I admire them because of what they did. Their actions inspire me every day to show up in this world in the best way that I can so that I have a hand in crafting a world I want to live in.

I’m all for rest and relaxation, but I’m also all for making that rest and relaxation purposeful. Purpose is found in the actions we take with our hearts, minds, and spirits united. We can’t think, nor meditate or yoga, our way into a better and brighter future. Ultimately, we have to do something with the peace that comes from what we practice on our mats.

courage, dreams, love

Leap: Small Consistent Acts of Courage and Love Make for a Better World

Christa Avampato

“In life, it is never the big battle, the big moment, the big speech, the big election. That does not change things. What changes things is every day, getting up and rendering small acts of service and love beyond that what’s expected of you or required of you.” ~ Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark and 2012 Stanford graduation speaker

You have the desire to do something big with your life. You have massive dreams and hopes for yourself and those you love. You want to rise to your potential, leave your own indelible mark on the world, and make a lasting contribution to humanity. I get it; I want to do the same.

Here’s the trick: your mark isn’t made by one single act. It’s not even made with 1,000 acts. It’s made every single day. The key to making your mark and accomplishing those big dreams has everything to do with consistency. Every time you go somewhere and do something with your whole heart, you transmit that love to everyone around you. Every time you demonstrate dedication and commitment to something that matters to you, we feel it and are inspired by it.

There are millions of ways to make a difference. There is no shortage of challenges and difficulties in the world that are crying out for smart solutions. And the sooner you identify your way to make a difference and give yourself over to it, the sooner this world will be a bit more like the world you want it to be. Your moment to begin is now. We’re all counting on you and rooting for you.

courage, dreams

Leap: All You Need Is 20 Seconds of Insane Courage

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“All it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage and great things will happen.” ~ Benjamin Mee

In the 7 weeks since I left my corporate job to step out on my own, many people have asked me what was the scariest piece of the multi-year process leading up to that moment. I distinctly remember messaging one of my co-worker friends and telling her that I was on my way to my VP’s office to give my notice. And then the blood started pumping. I had the letter in hand and told someone I was turning it in. Could I really do this? After all this planning, all this anticipation, all this waiting, could I pull the trigger when it mattered most?

I could and I did, with a steady voice, a full heart, and steeped in the knowledge that though this was scary, it was the right thing to do. It was the next step that would make all of the following steps possible. And the world needs those steps. All of them. It needs me, and all of us, at our best, and this was the way to be at my best.

In the 20 seconds it took to walk into my VP’s office and hand him my letter of resignation, my whole life changed. My whole view of the world changed. I was free to pursue work that fascinates me, lights me up, wakes me early in the morning, and then reluctantly releases its hold so I can go to sleep at night. It’s powerful and invigorating to design my own career and connect with people whom I admire. I’m learning something new every moment of every day.

I wish the same for all of you. I want you to know this peace and happiness and inspiration. Let me know how I can help because the world needs you at your best, too.

art, change, comedy, community, courage, television

Leap: A Lesson from Comedic Actor Sherman Hemsley, Star of All in the Family and The Jeffersons

Christa Avampato
Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford as George and Louise Jefferson

It wasn’t until much later that I realized how revolutionary his character of George Jefferson was at the time. While he was making all of us laugh, he tore down social barriers and prejudices that existed for centuries in this country. A black entrepreneur who wasn’t intimidated by anyone, least of all his prejudiced white neighbor? That was a revelation, particularly to have it showcased on network television. His co-star, Isabel Sanford, was the first (and so far, the only) Black actress to win a Lead Actress Emmy Award (for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1981.) Clearly, we still have a long way to go.

A South Philly native, Sherman Hemsley passed away from natural causes on Tuesday. His bravery and strength, his ability to creatively challenge the conventions of his time through his own performances, has cemented his contribution in the performing arts. As my sister, Weez, so beautifully said, “He finally got that deluxe apartment in the sky.” R.I.P. to another Trailblazer who is gone too soon.

adventure, choices, courage, strengths

Leap: You Are Your Best Navigator

Christa Avampato

It’s about choices. It’s all about choices.

Every morning you wake up, you have the opportunity to stand in the midst of life, take it all in, and then decide what to make of it. You figure out where you are, where you’d like go, and the path you’ll take to get there. There’s no map. It’s just you, your desire to make a unique contribution to humanity, and your gut. Those are the tools of this grand navigation. They’re all we have and they are enough.

courage, future

Leap: Take Action

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“We become what we repeatedly do.” ~ Sean Covey

Mission statements are great but nothing beats action.

We can spend all day pitching our skills, ideas, and intentions. We can talk about what we believe, but we will be remembered for what we did. If we want to be remembered as courageous, then we must be courageous. And if we want to be remembered as kind, then we must be kind.

Patterns are neither good nor bad. They just are and they set the stage for every impression we make on another person. We must decide who we want to be and back up those decisions with actions. Our reputation is not something that’s given; it’s earned.

career, choices, courage, creativity

Leap: Breaking New Ground

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” ~ Albert Einstein

I’ve spent the past two weeks pitching workshops and ideation facilitation services that utilize my background as a product developer and yoga teacher. Before I gave my first pitch, I wondered if this idea made sense to anyone other than me. Maybe this was just too far out there. Maybe I should be a bit more mainstream and be on the outer edge of the crowd rather than off on a whole new path on my own.

That train of thought lasted all of about 60 seconds.

I’ve never been part of the crowd and I never wanted to be. I’ve always pushed boundaries, my own and those of others. I left my last corporate job because the company wanted to do what it’s always done dressed up in a slightly different costume. I realized I needed something different, something more in line with my own philosophy: if we want change, we have to change, and change is the only thing that keeps life exciting. It’s also the only thing we can be certain of.

I packed my bags, headed out toward unbroken ground, and I’ve never looked back. I needed to get to places no one has been before, and so far that’s exactly where I’ve been spending my time. It’s pretty glorious out here under the open sky. There’s more air, more light, and more life.

And as for the pitches that I was afraid were too far out there? They aren’t. They’re going really well. People do get it and want it, so much so that they wonder why it’s never been done before. And that’s just about the greatest piece of encouragement I could ask for at the close of my 3rd week of my freelance life.