learning, mentor, teaching, writing

Step 289: 5 Ways to Effectively Use Our Windows of Wisdom

Christa Avampato

?What If! Innovation is one of my favorite innovation firms. They have a resource they use to get at key insights called “WOWs”, short for “Windows of Wisdom”. Everyone has them. Pieces of experience, knowledge, and expertise that give us special insights into how things work, or how they should work. They help us build empathy and compassion for specific circumstances. Being a parent, having a pet, living in a certain city, how we commute to work, what we do all day to earn a living, what we read, watch on TV, and hobbies we take up in our free time. It all matters – who we are is largely determined by how and with whom we spend our time.

Never underestimate WOWs, yours or anyone else’s. Insight is an elusive, odd beast that shows up in the strangest ways at the strangest times. Our WOWs are handy little assets to always keep in our back pockets. They help us recognize opportunities, and can be used for the greater good. Be generous with them – share what you know.

Here are 5 ways to put your WOWs to work:

1.) Crowding sourcing databases. A quick Google search will provide a myriad of agencies that now list crowd sourcing as an expertise and they need communities of people to be their experts. Their business depends on it. So get out there, join some of them, get compensated (in a variety of ways), and put your experience to work.

2.) Mentor or teach. Young people need our stories and example, now more than ever. Mentoring and teaching is the ultimate gift we can give because it involves generously sharing our own history. Check out sites like Takepart.com or Volunteermatch.org to find mentoring opportunities near you.

3.) Write. Writing in any form is helpful to connect us to others, to inspire, and to learn. Blog, comment on blogs, write a column or an op-ed, get involved in online communities of people with common interests. Put your thoughts out there generously and you’ll be surprised by the goodness you get in return.

4.) Create partnerships. Think of networking as finding like-minded partners. Write letters to people you admire – that’s how I wrote my column for Examiner that ultimately became my e-book, Hope in Progress. Online communities and Twitter are other great places to find potential partners who are as passionate as you are about your interests.

5.) Start a side business. Your key insights can be leveraged creatively to generate extra income. My interest in yoga led me to pursue my 200-hour RYT training and my creation of Compass Yoga. My interest in the art of writing led to my freelance writing work. Your hobbies can help you do well and do good at the same time when you share them with the world.

How have you put your experience to work for you?

creativity, garden, nature

Step 288: Be a Greenhouse for New Ideas

Christa Avampato

There is a strong parallel between gardening and creativity. Gardening has elements of design – color, placement, texture, size. There’s also a common element of surprise in gardening and creativity. We may plant the seeds of a specific plant, but we aren’t sure exactly how it will look until it blooms. The same goes for creativity – the solution or product or service we ultimately create may be very different from our first idea. There’s an even deeper parallel between gardening and creativity, one that we can and should intentionally, powerfully pursue.

A few months ago, I wrote a post about new ideas needing friends. Part of being a friend to new ideas is providing a safe place for them to be in their infancy, providing nourishment and space to grow. To be a friend to new ideas, we must act as greenhouses for them.

New ideas can cause disruption and inconvenience. They ask us to change and grow and alter our existing perceptions of ourselves, of others, and of the world around us. They can make us uncomfortable. They can scare us. Rather than shying away, we should pursue the ones that scare us the most. Ask why they stir our emotions in a specific way. That’s where the learning is. Ultimately, we may decide to put those ideas aside, and even if we do, they will have been great teachers for us by strengthening our convictions provided we give them a chance to show us what they’ve got.

art, change, choices, faith, fear, politics, relationships, religion, theatre

Step 287: Review of the Off-Broadway Show, Freud’s Last Session

Christa Avampato

In 1998, I saw the play Picasso at the Lapin Agile in San Francisco. I remember being completely riveted watching the fictional meeting of two of the most inspiring characters of all time, Einstein and Picasso. This construct for a play appealed to me so much that I still routinely think about that show 12 years later. It was at times touching and sad, joyful and hopeful. Full of lively, passionate debate and intense discussion about timeless social issues, I always felt it would be hard for a play to match Steve Martin’s brilliance.

Lucky for us Mark St. Germain has succeeded in building a script that’s even more powerful and thought-provoking than Martin’s – Freud’s Last Session, now playing off-Broadway at The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater at the West Side YMCA. Freud’s Last Session showcases the possibly factual meeting between a young C.S. Lewis, a devout Christian and the gifted author who would go on to write The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters, and Sigmund Freud, a life-long atheist, consummate intellectual, and founding figure of psychoanalysis, who is at the very end of his life and career, dying of oral cancer. Set in London on September 3, 1939, the invasion of Poland by the Nazis serves as the political backdrop of their meeting.

The piece made me laugh out loud one moment, and tug at my deepest convictions the next. The dialogue is so sharp and the acting by Martin Rayner (Freud) and Mark H. Dold (Lewis) so penetrating that the 75-minute show flew by, too quickly in my opinion. I wanted more of the debate and the history. I found myself rooting for their relationship, and wanting it to go on, in spite of knowing that 20 days later Freud would engage his long-time friend and physician to end his battle with cancer.

The show touches upon an incredibly diverse set of themes: religion first and foremost, war, death, sexuality, fear, faith, love, memory, humor, and change. While this list of topics seems overwhelming, they are in the very capable hands and words of St. Germain, who expertly weaves them together in such a seamless way that I found myself completely wrapped up in the story as if it were my own. The language he uses is so vivid and the mannerisms of the actors are so authentic that I truly felt I was peering into a window on history. This play is the most rare form of theatrical work – a perfect script. Every single word precisely and beautifully chosen. The set and lighting designs are so realistic that I felt transported across space and time to Freud’s London study to witness this single, emotional meeting.

This show has a special, very personal meaning for me because my father was a Freudian psychologist. He passed away when I was a teenager, long before I ever had the opportunity to have a conversation with him as Lewis may have had with Freud. I didn’t get the opportunity to understand his contradictions and complexities, though that may have been for the best. At the end of his life, he was in a great deal of pain physically and emotionally, as Freud was. Through the dialogue of Freud’s Last Session, I was able to put together some more pieces about my father’s personality, as if I had actually been placed there in that seat for a very specific reason – to help me get a little bit closer to understanding my childhood. My thanks to Mark St. Germain for this amazing gift; he has inspired me to dig deeper and learn more about Freud and Lewis. I’m confident that there are more answers there, waiting for me to discover them. And that is perhaps the greatest lesson of the show – that self-discovery is a journey that never ends and yet must be pursued. As he so adeptly has Lewis say, “The real struggle is to keep trying.”

Freud’s Last Session runs through November 28th at The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater. Don’t miss it.

Image above depicts Mark H. Dold and Martin Rayner as Lewis and Freud, respectively.

education, learning, student, teaching, yoga

Step 286: Teaching to Improve Ourselves and Our Students

Christa Avampato

“Teaching is the greatest act of optimism.” ~ Colleen Wilcox

I thought about this quote on Monday night as I wrapped up my second yoga class at Columbia Law School. I was more familiar with the space this time, brought some new music, and recognized some repeat students. Teaching requires improvisation. We explain something a specific way, see if the meaning is registering with the students, and if not, we try something else. No time for judgment. We’ve got to get better with each moment. Teachers constantly seek to improve themselves and their students. It is an act of constant faith in our ability, in the journey, and in one another.

With each yoga class I teach, I find myself walking in and thinking “I want this to be the best class I’ve ever given.” Usually it falls short of my expectations, no matter how much effort I put into it. I always end up jotting down a page of notes that detail things I could have done better. I take that page and plow into the next class, confident that there will always be another page of improvements from that next class. The cycle of continuous improvement never ends in teaching. It is the gift that truly keeps on giving so long as we keep showing up.

animals, dogs, nature

Step 285: Talk to the Animals with Trish Scott’s Help

Christa Avampato

When I first adopted Phineas, he had some separation anxiety. He cried when I left for work, and those little cries broke my heart. One of the first calls I made was to Trish Scott, a brilliant animal behaviorist, loyal reader of this blog, and talented writer. Trish responded immediately with top-notch advice. I also read a copy of her e-book, An Introduction to Animal & Nature Communication. Phineas is now well-adjusted to his new surroundings and barely blinks when I leave for work in the morning.

One of Trish’s key pieces of advice that really helped me and Phin, and appealed to my yoga philosophies, is that dogs can feel our energy whether we’re in the same room or many miles apart. When I’m at work and Phinny is home, we’re still linked. Intuitively I have known about this link between animals and humans for many years. When I was in college, I had several dreams about saying good-bye to my black lab, Cosby. Sure enough, my mom called a few days later to say that he had passed. He and I said good-bye in our own way, separated by hundreds of miles. Cosby’s spirit found his way to me to let me know it was time for him to go. I had a chance to hug him one more time and thank him for being so faithful for so many years.

Trish suggested that while I’m at work I imagine giving Phin a hug, patting him on the head, and telling him I’ll be home soon. I do this several times a day, and remarkably I can feel that it helps Phineas. Trish also gave me a few other tips like getting a kong toy for him and carving out a little space in my apartment for him to have as his own. Combined, all of these tips made a huge difference, though I truly believe recognizing and honoring our energy connection helped the most. As soon as I started practicing our long distance communication, I noticed a difference in his demeanor. He calmed down, relaxed, and trusted me more. Trish gave me such a precious gift – she gave me my pup in his very best form.

If you’ve ever wanted to have a closer relationship with animals, or you’re curious about the lessons they have to teach us (and yes, animals are some of our very best teachers!), I highly recommend Trish’s book. The happiness and peace you’ll find by taking her advice to heart will richly improve your life. It’s certainly improved mine by leaps and bounds.

business, entrepreneurship, talents

Step 284: 5 Ways for Entrepreneurs to Bring Together a Rockstar Team

Christa Avampato

“I used to say when I was starting my first company, I was much more of a recruiter than a CEO or founder.” ~ Vinod Khosla

Venture Hacks recently published an interview with Vinod Khosla. Khosla co-founded Sun Microsystems, and then went on to serve as the company’s CEO and Chairman. After leaving Sun, he became a general partner of the venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers in 1986 and remained there through the early 2000s. In 2004, Khosla founded Khosla Ventures to invest in start-up tech firms, particularly in the cleantech sector. When he talks, entrepreneurs listen, and with good reason: his entrepreneurial success is the stuff of Hollywood dreams.

In the interview, Khosla gives several pieces of advice for anyone starting a business, two of which I found incredibly interesting: stay true to your vision and get a good team. Entrepreneurs are by nature self-starters, non-conformists, people who enjoy going their own way. Taking the advice “find a good team” can be a challenge for independent entrepreneurs. I’ve been chewing on this conundrum all weekend, thinking about ways that entrepreneurs can and should go about finding a good team. There are countless ways to go about this tough, critical task. Here are the 5 that have worked best for me:

1.) Shout your clear, concise vision from the hilltops. If you’re clear on what you want and can articulate it succinctly and with passion, it will make it easier for your pack to find you.

2.) Don’t settle. It’s tempting to take someone who kind of fits what you’re looking for when a pile of work is looming on your desk. One of my favorite quotes from Brian is “you get what you settle for.” Good enough does not equal good, and you’ll regret the choice in the not-so-distant future.

3.) It’s okay to contract. Finding a good team takes time, though that pile of work next to you isn’t slowing down its growth any time soon. These days, contracting is a perfect way to get daily work done while searching for that perfect team. Contracting also gives you a way to test out new team members before bringing them on full-time, and it gives them a chance to check you out, too.

4.) Add only as needed. There’s a great temptation to build a team before you build a business. Get the work first, and then add staff as needed. There’s no law against taking it slow and managing your company’s growth.

5.) Multi-talented multi-taskers wanted. Usually, I’m a fan of focus over multi-tasking, however if you can find someone who has skill sets in multiple areas where you need to recruit, you can roll several positions into one superstar team member and offer extra compensation to that superstar.

What tips have helped you build stellar teams?

creativity, determination, inspiration, writing, yoga

Step 283: Meeting Inspiration

Christa Avampato

“When inspiration does not come to go me, I go halfway to meet it.” ~ Sigmund Freud

Twyla Tharp quotes Freud in her book The Creative Habit. I read this book about two years ago and worked through the exercises faithfully. I flipped through it again last weekend, reading about my creative journey through the eyes of my 32-year old self.

Two years ago, I wanted to find more outlets for my writing. That’s happened to an even greater extent than I imagined, though not by accident, or hoping for that good fortune to find me. I had to go out there, dig it up, and then persist, persist, persist. I had to risk rejection and all that comes with it in the hopes that there would be some breaks here and there.

I followed a lot of leads to a very dead end, and considered just throwing in the towel. “Maybe the world doesn’t need my voice,” I thought more times than I’ll ever admit. And then here and there I got a bit of encouragement, which helped me to keep trudging out there again for more inspiration and more leads. Creativity, writing, hope, inspiration – they are all more easily cultivated with practice.

This has been true of my yoga teaching as well. I tried lots of avenues to get regular gigs, but the work didn’t come pouring in as I had hoped. This was going to harder than I thought. Stubbornness can pay off. It keeps us reaching up, even when the world seems to be pushing us down. On occasion, good luck shows up on our doorstep, but more often it’s up to us to get out there and discover it. Recognizing luck in all its disguises requires preparedness. Eventually a few things broke and now I teach at NY Methodist Hospital and Columbia Law School, with a possible third regular gig on the way. (More info to come if that pans out.)

I used to think of inspiration as a thunderbolt that reaches me at my dining table in front of this laptop. Sometimes that does happen, but more often it’s sparked by something I’ve witnessed or done outside these safe haven walls of my home. Being out in the world more by walking Phineas, my pup, has helped me see the gifts that lie just around the corner, literally. So now when I find that inspiration just isn’t flowing, I don’t get frustrated. I just pick myself up out my my chair, and go get it.

creativity, dreams, imagination, inspiration, music

Step 282: Imagine John Lennon at 70

Christa Avampato

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” ~ John Lennon

Phineas and I took our morning walk to Strawberry Fields on West 72nd Street in Central Park. Under a great span of American Elms, you’ll find a small space akin to a cathedral for anyone and everyone who loves music, loves the Beatles, and loves John Lennon, who today would turn 70. His legacy is elegantly preserved there in a gorgeous reproduction of a Pompeii mosaic, a gift from Naples Italy, with one simple, powerful word “Imagine”. Just steps away at The Dakota, the singer lost his life almost 20 years ago and we lost a great spirit of peace and creativity.

I stood there this morning, just as the sun started to peak up and over New York City. Already, the memorial was scattered with flowers, offerings, candles, letters, and pictures. He was right – he wasn’t the only dreamer. He inspired a whole world full of dreamers, creators, and people who want to live peacefully. He might not be here anymore, but what he stood for and what he believed are still very much alive in the hearts and minds of so many, especially here in New York City, and most especially in this neighbor that he made his home for 17 years.

Decades from now, there will still be hundreds of thousands of people who will visit this very same spot and imagine, in honor of John Lennon. He lived a creative, passionate life, and the best way for us to pay tribute to his memory is to do the same. I think we should have a national day of creativity in honor of John Lennon, an annual marker that reminds us that our imagination is our greatest, most powerful asset. We could all do with a little more dreaming.

animals, dogs, health, nature, teaching

Step 281: The World is Awake at 6:00am

Christa Avampato

I woke up early this morning to walk Phineas. We strolled along the river inside Riverside Park, smelling the Fall flower arrangements, admiring the sailboats, and listening for the acorns falling from the great oak trees scattered all over the park. It was warm with a little breeze, and around 6:00am the sun was just stretching up over the horizon. A perfect morning, albeit a little early.

I’ve always loved the morning, though liked to view it from the comfort and warmth of my own bed with a delicious cup of coffee. I try to walk Phin for an hour every morning so I’m waking up earlier these days. At first I thought it would be such a chore and now almost 3 weeks in to owning a pup, I see our early morning walks as a real gift. I have time to think, and be, and just relax. There are a lot of people awake at 6:00am walking around New York City; I’m a little late to the party.

I was yawning wide this morning when up over a small hill I saw an older man slowly coming toward me via a walker, oxygen tank in tow. He was up at 6:00am, getting his exercise despite the extraordinary effort it obviously took him, and here I am thinking about my bed. I know I’m not a lazy person (my greatest fear in the world is to wake up one day and realize I’ve become lazy), but in that moment I felt a little embarrassed. At 34 and in perfect health, I’m thinking about sleep and this older man was content, probably even very happy, to be making progress one short step at a time.

I get why we walk into Borders or Barnes & Noble to find countless books filled with the lessons that animals teach us. I know Phinny arrived in my life as a teacher because in this moment, there is a lesson I need that he can provide. To date, the greatest lesson he’s given me is getting me up out of bed early to exercise, enjoy the morning sun, and continuously be reminded that I am one lucky lady to be blessed with this life.

learning, teaching, yoga

Step 280: Don’t Judge a Yogi By Her Appearance

Christa Avampato

I went to a yoga class last week and immediately felt I had made a mistake. A seemingly out of shape instructor walked into the studio with a high-pitched voice. I started plotting my exit strategy.

And then I remembered a comment my yoga teacher, Jeffrey, said during my teacher training at Sonic Yoga. “Every yoga class is a gift, no matter who the instructor is.” So I stayed, and karma taught me that appearances can be deceiving. For the next hour I was challenged and pushed to my limit more than I’ve been in any yoga class in a long time. She had me trying some feats that I have never attempted before. And after my hard work, my body floated into pincha mayurasana for the first time ever. I was astonished. How did this happen?

There’s a time and a place for confidence and ego, and there’s a much more frequent time and place for humility and the squashing of the ego. While we think our ego lifts us up, I learned very quickly in that yoga class that the ego actually weighs us down and prevents us from achieving the heights we’re capable of. I vowed to stop judging anyone, particularly yogis. Thanks, Jeffrey.