Category: thankful

change, grateful, gratitude, home, moving, thankful

Inspired: Eventually the Sun Returns

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest
From Pinterest

Exactly as Phin and I crossed Central Park to begin moving into our new apartment, the sun began to part the clouds after days of torrential rain and months of intense uncertainty. My first thoughts was, “You’ve gotta be kidding me, Mother Nature.” She wasn’t kidding; she can be so cliché and I’ve never loved a cliché more than I did at that moment. The lesson wasn’t lost on me: eventually the light always returns and we have the right to bask in it.

This apartment search has been a tough journey, and a good one. I feel stronger, braver, and more open to change as a result of it. I learned what was important, and what wasn’t. Best of all, I realized just how many incredible people I have in my life. Thank you all for sharing in this journey and being a part of the solution. You’re welcome to visit any time and help me explore my new neighborhood. Actually, I insist. Tomorrow my blog returns to its regularly scheduled programming of inspiration and encouragement. Today I’m spending the day saying thank you, for everything.

grateful, gratitude, holiday, thankful, thanksgiving

Beautiful: Lights, Camera, Thanksgiving

Christa Avampato

“Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.” ~ W.J. Cameron.

There is so much to do on Thanksgiving. So much to consider, celebrate, and embrace. We’re cooking, setting the table, welcoming guests, traveling, and giving thanks. I’m thankful for all of you because we cheer each other on, encourage one another, and keep the light going in every circumstance. Every day I feel more fortunate than I did the day before and that’s because of you. Wherever you are, whatever you do, whomever you’re with today, I hope you find love and gratitude and joy in every single moment. Happy Thanksgiving.

action, clarity, thankful, time, wishes

Beautiful: Stop Wishing. Start Doing.

Christa Avampato

“Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert, American author

When I wished on a star or the candles on my birthday cake, I used to wish for something I really wanted as if it might just fall down out of the sky and into my life. I used to make lists of things that I wanted to do, or have, or see, or be, hoping that verbalizing them would somehow actualize them. And then one day I realized that none of those wishes ever came true just because I wished for them. Some of them happened because I worked really hard and I almost always had help from other people who shared the same dream and were willing to work just as hard to see it happen. Some of them never happened at all, no matter how hard I worked, and for that I’m very grateful because I’ve ended up in such a good place.

So I stopped wishing for things out there and started wishing for things that would really make a difference: Now I wish for personal strength and courage, for an ever-deeper sense of compassion and understanding for the situations of others, for the opportunities to be useful and helpful to others, and for the ability to be at peace even in times of terrible turbulence. And a funny thing has started to happen: the more I want these things, the more capable I grow to cultivate them. And the more I cultivate them, the more good they do, in my own life and in the lives of others.

As it turns out, I don’t need to wish for any of these things at all. Wanting them for all the right reasons and tirelessly working for them are the surest ways to bring them into being.

grateful, gratitude, kindness, thankful

Beautiful: The Best Way to Say Thank You is to Share What You Have

Christa Avampato

fabc9fa30d6a4ae0026940317887819d“How do you say “thank you” for sunshine or health…for clear days or gentle rains…for happiness, joy or love? You say it by sharing what you have. You say it by making the world a better place in which to live.” ~ Thomas D. Willhite

Sure you could say thank you a thousand times over. I recommend it. People need to know that they are appreciated. They need to hear thank you much more often than they do. If someone does something nice for you and you don’t acknowledge that kindness with a “thank you”, then you’re essentially flipping them off, but worse – you’re flipping them off with a passive aggressive air of nonchalance. It’s as if you would flip them off, if only it were worth the time. Ick. Say thank you – loud, proud, and often.

“Thank you” is a lovely sentiment. Simple, direct, and classy. And there’s something even better. Say thank you and then turn around and pay it forward. Sure you could turn around in the line in Starbucks and pay for your neighbors expensive caffeinated beverage. You could also extend your kindness to everyone you meet. For a day, just make it a point to smile, say thank you, look everyone in the eye, and mean it. It’s that simple. And it’s so powerful.

At the end of most of my yoga classes, I let students know that it’s my honor to be there with them, that the light that is in me honors the light that is in each one of them. And that isn’t just some gratuitous sentiment. I mean it. I feel it. I want each one of them to know that. They matter and I’m glad that I had the chance to spend some time with them. I hope the classes are helpful to them. They certainly are for me.

Life is all about exchange. Everyone shows up with what they have. It’s a mental pot luck and everyone’s invited. Share what you have and rest assured that it is enough.

gratitude, thankful

Leap: Holiday Flight Delays Lead to Enlightenment and Gratitude

Christa Avampato

194006696417450729_dbovQ3tr_cI was in the airport security line yesterday for my return flight home that was delayed by 3 hours. The line was moving at a snail’s pace when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Is it okay for everyone to go through those fancy 360 degree body scanners?” a woman asked me.

“I know that if you have a pacemaker or oxygen tank, you should avoid the machine.”

“I have end stage liver disease. Is it safe for me? I hate to ask because I don’t like anyone to know I’m sick.” Without hesitation, I tossed up a silent prayer for this woman while feeling like a jerk for worrying about my travel delays.

She went on to tell me that she was flying to New England to go to Yale University Hospital. She needed to have her levels checked to see how high up on the liver donation list she could be. She has a grandson who is 10. Her name is Camille.

And here’s the real kicker: she looked as healthy as can be. I wouldn’t have guessed she even had a case of the sniffles much less end stage liver disease.

“I will make sure to say a prayer for you. It’s a wonderful hospital,” I assured her. “You will get incredible care there.”

“Thank you so much. You have a happy new year,” she said with a smile and we parted ways.

Nothing like a dose of someone else’s reality to push my worries to the periphery and make me abundantly grateful for all the blessings in my life. On the flight home I said a few prayers for Camille, and a few thank you’s to the Universe for once again letting me know that I am one lucky duck. Far luckier than most, and I won’t forget it nor take it for granted.

courage, creativity, customer service, determination, generosity, gratitude, thankful, time

Leap: You Don’t Need More

Christa Avampato

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My friend, Adela, posted this on her Pinterest board and it raises a question that I’ve run through my mind so many times this holiday season. It’s fine to wish or hope for something though every person I know who is happy has two qualities in abundance: gratitude and determination. They don’t pray for things to get better; they work hard and make them so. They recognize the value of who and what they have in their lives and they share with others.

Here’s what I’ve learned – everything, absolutely everything, can be figure out. We can find a way into a new job or field. We can solve challenges, locally and globally, by extending our hands and acting together. We can find love by opening our hearts. We can improve our world, for ourselves and others, by shutting down our devices, leaving our homes, and rolling up our sleeves. And none of this requires that we have more stuff. It requires that we have more heart, more concern, more courage, more confidence. It requires us to understand that we have everything we need to do everything we want to do. The question is what will we do with it.

This Christmas, I hope we all get just one thing in our stockings – the strength to decide that the helping hands we want are the ones we already have.

grateful, gratitude, thankful

Leap: A Shout Out for Gratitude

Christa Avampato
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From Pinterest

“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” ~ Gladys Bronwyn Stern, British writer

Say thank you. To the people who inspired you, whether you know them personally or not. To the people who made a difference in your life. Who encouraged you at every turn to be more than you ever thought you could be. Who helped you reach further, run faster, rise higher, and breathe deeper. To the people who set the example by which you live. To the people who showed up not only to celebrate your victories, but also to comfort you in your hour of defeat. The people who helped you dust yourself off after a hard day so that you could try again tomorrow with a full heart.

There is something so sacred, so liberating, about expressing gratitude. Thank you is free, and it multiplies. You say thank you to someone and it inspires them to pay it forward. You can never say thank you too much. You can never be too grateful. So go ahead and overdo it. Way overdo it. Throw it around far and wide as if it has no end because it doesn’t. It is one of the few resources in this world that is truly infinite. It’s one of the gifts you can give anyone and they will love it more than anything else they’ve ever received. They will remember it during their darkest times and their greatest triumphs. It’s that rare possession that we can take with us wherever we go.

Say it out loud. Say it online for the whole world to see. Write a letter. Send an email. Text. The method doesn’t matter so long as the message is sent loud, clear, and often.

grateful, gratitude, holiday, thankful, thanksgiving

Leap: A Continuous Circle of Thanks

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

Many people are heading off to the stores today to grab Black Friday deals. Holstee has a different idea. “Founded in 2009, Holstee exists to encourage a more mindful lifestyle through the goods they design and the messages they share with the world.” They’re asking people to re-frame the Friday after Thanksgiving into “Block Friday”, as in block Friday off for something special, something mindful, that doesn’t involve shopping.

On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up and made a pact to be grateful all day – my hot shower, breakfast, the sunshine that kept a smile on my face as Phin and I took a 2 hour walk in Riverside Park, friends whom I spent Thanksgiving with and all of the others that I connected with throughout the day to share my gratitude for having them in my life, the amazing meal prepared by my friends Crystal and Tim, and for all of the fun activities I have planned with friends in the weeks ahead as we all get into the full swing of the holidays.

I love this season because it asks us to spend time to say thank you, to be grateful, and to accept the gratitude of others. It really is such a beautiful thing to have a holiday built for the sake of togetherness and goodness and nothing else. We are so lucky, so blessed. It’s lovely to have a national holiday that asks us to remember that.

I like this morning pact I’ve made so much that starting “Block Friday” I’ve vowed throughout this holiday season to take a moment before I open my eyes to give thanks, to walk through my days saying thank you – silently and out loud – as often as possible. Giving thanks doesn’t cost a dime but what it brings back to you in priceless.

grateful, gratitude, holiday, thankful, thanksgiving

Leap: The Only Prayer We Need

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘ thank you,’ that would suffice.” ~ Meister Eckhart

Are there any two words more beautiful, powerful, and necessary than “thank you”? When simply strung together they convey gratitude, love, compassion, understanding, relief, comfort, and faith. There is always a reason for them, even if that reason is not abundantly obvious on the surface of our living. There is always someone, somewhere who is thinking of us, wishing us well, proud of our past, joyful for our present, and hopeful about our future. That one person, wherever they are, is reason enough to celebrate this day and every day. And in turn we always have the opportunity to be that person for someone else.

No matter how you are spending this day, whether it involves many moments of reflection or just one, I hope a feeling of thanks floods you completely – mind, body, and spirit. Today my Thanksgiving is filled with thanks because it is filled with all of you.

Africa, philanthropy, social change, social entrepreneurship, social media, technology, thankful

Leap: Day #3 of Mashable’s Social Good Summit Wraps Up With Inspiring Calls to Action

Christa Avampato

This year’s Social Good Summit was full of examples of people fusing their passion for a cause with their expertise in technology. Thankfully all of the sessions are available online if you need a healthy dose energy and motivation. Here are my favorite highlights from yesterday’s events:

Making It Real
Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and co-author with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, of the book Half the Sky, delivered one of the most-anticipated and talked-about conversations about their partnership with Games for Change. Kristof and WuDunn have dedicated their lives and careers to covering social cause issues in the most ravaged parts of the world. To raise societal consciousness, they have co-developed a set of Facebook games to help others understand the impossible choices and desperate circumstances of marginalized populations. Their book has also been expanded into a mini-series that will air on October 1st and 2nd on PBS. Details here: http://www.halftheskymovement.org/

Empowerment Through Low-Tech Solutions
Anthony Lake and Clay Shirky made the case for low-tech two-way communication over high-tech one-way communication. They highlighted u-report, an initiative in Uganda, that is empowering local communities to take responsibility for their health by disseminating information and results of programs through mobile SMS service. To date, u-report has 147,000+ users that are spreading information and local data about health topics such as vaccinations, sex education, and breast-feeding. This program fits the principle that, “Ideas must be aggregated for impact,” said Shirky. “Go where the people are. Tech in the field needs to be low-tech to be widely accessible.” Follow the conversation on this topic on Twitter, hashtag #Promise4Children, and come together for child survival by visiting APromiseRenewed.org.

It Took a Village to Get the Lady to the Harbor
The crowdfunding discussions rehashed a lot of the facts and figures on their impressive impact that have been surfaced over the last few years. There’s no doubt that tech has vastly improved the efficiency and speed of crowdfunding. In all of our tech crazed eyes, we forget that crowdfunding is an ancient concept. For centuries, people have been banding together to do good work in their communities. My favorite example comes from New York Harbor. When France gave the Statue of Liberty to America, they forgot to create a pedestal. The people of New York, rallied together by Pulitzer, the publisher who ran a small print publication that would become the New York Times, pooled their funding to construct the pedestal. Over 100,000 people gave an average of $0.89 each to make it happen. Thanks to Danae Ringelmann, Co-Founder, Indiegogo, for reminding us of this historic act of generosity that demonstrates the power of community.

Of Food and Music
Angelique Kidjo is a world-renowned singer and songwriter. Originally from Benin, she is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, and never one to back down in the face of adversity, she spends a lot of her time advocating for women and girls around the globe. Anthony Lake shared the stage with her and explained that simple basic nutrition information is a tool that is incredibly effective and drastically underutilized in development work. He went on to detail the condition of Stunting that affects 160 million children worldwide. If children do not receive proper nutrition (not quantity but quality and variety of food) by age 2, they will suffer from permanent cognitive impairments. Getting help to these children in the earliest days of their lives is critical to building a peaceful, productive world.

In honor of the work of UNICEF, Angelique sang a gorgeous impromptu spiritual for all of us. I have no idea what she was saying, but I felt her emotion in every syllable and she brought tears to my eyes. For the first time in 3 days, the auditorium went completely silent except for her voice.

Everyone’s an Idea Person
So, you’re an idea person who wants to stretch the boundaries of human impact? The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has thrown down the gauntlet. Get your idea down, send it in, and they’ll evaluate it for funding – $100K for a pilot with the potential of $1M to gain leverage and grow it. Visit grandchallenges.org for more information.

Audacious Ideas Get Support
The Global Fund and Wikipedia called on all of us to get creative with our mission statements. If Wikipedia had called people together to write a series of articles on any given topic, the reaction would have been mild at best. Instead, Founder Jimmy Wales put together a far grander vision – “to create a free encyclopedia for every person in every language.” It’s an enormous, unfathomable goal, and impossibility excites people to get involved. Who doesn’t love to be the underdog and triumph?

Transfer this kind of thinking to the issue of HIV / AIDS and you understand why The Global Fund has the audacity to dream of a world free of HIV in our lifetime. As they pointed out, we have eradicated diseases before. Small Pox is an excellent example. So why couldn’t we do the same thing with HIV / AIDS?

Reuniting Families Torn Apart
The Danish NGO Refugees United has partnered with Ericsson to reunite refugees separated by war. They have developed an online and mobile platform that creates profiles of refugees and then runs these profiles through a series of algorithms to match people to family members. They’ve engaged with 200,000 people to-date, mostly in Sub-saharan Africa. In 3 years, they want to grow the platform to 1 million people. Find out how to be a part of the solution at RefugeesUnited.org.

Now What?
Conferences like the Social Good Summit fire people up in the moment, but what happens when they get back to their everyday lives. How do we keep this goodness going? Here’s my advice: go through the agenda from this year’s Social Good Summit, identify the cause you care about, and then connect with the people from the Summit who are involved with that cause.

Email them, follow their blogs and social media channels, send a card, or heck, send a carrier pigeon. Do what you can to reach out and build a bridge to someone who cares about the issues you care about. Build something together for the good of the world. In the words of Timothy Leary, “Find the others.”