It’s been said that there are an infinite number of parallel universes where every scenario of your life is currently in existence. That’s a pretty trippy thing to consider but today I’m going to let my mind expand and imagine that’s true. Makes things a little easier, doesn’t it?
Tag: future
In the pause: How to make today count
“Each morning, we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” ~Buddha
I’ve been a little wrapped up in the activity of the weekend, some of it good and some of it not-so-good. I had a bit of day, as they say, whoever they are and they would be right. The thing is, we’ve got to do our best to let it go. I am the queen of hanging on so I understand that this is a tall order. Let it go. Exhale it. Stop worrying, thinking, churning, and obsessing over what doesn’t serve you. I get it. Yes, we’ve got to let it go, and it’s very difficult to do that.
So what if we did this, instead? What if we just promised ourselves to learn from it? What if we paid forward the experience to our future selves? What if we could accept the idea that “tomorrow I’ll do better” is enough? I think it’s worth a shot.
In the pause: Learning to love my missteps
“You made a misstep, but you were walking in the right direction.” ~Frank Reagan, Blue Bloods
Sometimes the best intentions and efforts don’t get us exactly what we want or exactly where we’d like to go. Life isn’t always a linear path. (My life is never a linear path!) I used to bemoan my missteps and chastise myself for making them. On occasion, I still do. Maybe you do, too. This quote above gave me a different way of thinking about my missteps.
I’ve always put my best foot forward in everything I’ve done and because of that, I’ve started to look at my efforts over time rather than only as individual events. Over time, the missteps in the right direction added up to something larger than the sum of its parts. They added up to a life and career that has been anything but dull and something far more exciting than I ever imagined they would be. So what’s next? Who knows? But I know it’s going to be in the direction of building a better world.
In the pause: Bloom with grace
“Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace.” ~French proverb
We don’t always end up in the place we want to be. No matter where we find ourselves, even if it’s less than ideal, there’s something to learn. If you’re in a place like that right now, look around. What can you do with what you’ve got right now? Can you gain a new skill, meet a new person, or help someone? Where you are now isn’t an accident. There’s a reason for it. Learn the lesson, and then gracefully move on to pay it forward.
In the pause: The point of life and work
“Isn’t that the point? To apply what we know and what we’ve done in new ways?”
This is what I said to a friend of mine over the weekend. She’s interviewing for a new job that leverages a lot of her skills and interests. It’s a brand new industry for her, and she was feeling nervous for the interview as a result. Look, friends, if we aren’t taking risks, trying new things, and learning, then what is the point? Adaptation is the cornerstone of life, literally and figuratively. The world is changing so fast—in 5-10 years we’ll likely be working in industries and roles that don’t even exist yet. The best we can do is work hard, learn, and be good to other people as we go. Truly. Don’t be afraid of applying your talents in new ways; just do it. It’s what we’re all going to have to do.
In the pause: Enjoy the act of writing as much as the written piece
“I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.” ~Anna Quindlen
This quote popped into my inbox at just the right time. I am almost done editing the galley of my novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters. While I gave myself a short timeline to turn this around to my editor, I’m also making a concerted effort to enjoy this edit, the last edit I will ever do on this book for this print run. If there is joy in the doing, it shows in the done. And I want that joy to come shining through to everyone who reads these words.
In the pause: All the goodness ahead of us
“What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet.” ~Anne Frank
No matter what’s happening in our lives right now, I take a lot of comfort in knowing that there is so much to look forward to. Our best days are still ahead of us. Our best project is our next one. We have yet to know our full potential. There is so much to reach for, so much still left to explore. Keep going.
In the pause: Being relentlessly positive
I’ve decided to be relentlessly positive—about my career, about love, about my writing, and about life in general. In the past few weeks, I have seen the power of thinking good thoughts and rolling up my sleeves to make good things happen. With all that’s happening in the world, it’s easy to get bogged down, to fill myself up with anxiety and uncertainty. When the hint of this begins to happen, I tamp down those thoughts. I don’t allow them into my day. I remind myself of how far I’ve come and how far I still have to go. I remember that I literally don’t have time for negativity. The energy is better put toward building a better world, and that’s what I intend to do.
In the pause: Join Day of Dinners on June 25th to support equality and dialogue
I’m so excited to spread the word about Day of Dinners on Sunday, June 25th.
“On June 25th, thousands of people all over the U.S. will open their hearts and homes to start a new conversation about the country we want and the future we’re working for. The Women’s March network is unique because you are committed to digging deeper, having daring discussions and listening to each other in new ways. Day of Dinners is a chance for thousands of us – families, neighbors and strangers – to come together, share good food, and get real about building deeper, stronger communities. We want you to take part!
On June 25th, let’s remind ourselves that gathering around a table over food is an act of community.”
I hope you’ll visit the website and sign up to attend one of these dinners as we open hearts and minds to a brighter future.
In the pause: The narratives we tell ourselves
“You have gorgeous skin.”
That’s what a woman at a networking event said to me last night. I would have dismissed the comment except for the fact that she followed up that statement with her business card. She’s the Secretary General for the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists. She knows skin.
I’ve always been very self-conscious about my skin. When I was in my early 20s, I developed horrible acne due to extreme chronic stress and it left some scarring on one side of my face. I still think of myself that way even though that time is nearly 20 years in my review mirror. I am constantly examining my face for flaws out of habit.
This woman’s comment reminded me that we often tell ourselves outdated narratives about who we are based upon our past experiences and circumstances that no longer apply. I carry around a number of these stigmas, none of which are true anymore but they’ve created such a deep groove in my brain that it’s hard to let go of them. Like a car that’s stuck in the mud, I keep spinning those same wheels to no avail when what I really to do is get out of the damn car and leave the mud behind once and for all.
Recently, I’ve been telling myself new narratives about strength, resilience, and courage to replace the ones about weakness, inadequacy, and fear. It’s going to take some time to erase the old patterns but with a little TLC and a hefty dose of patience I think I can turn it around. If you’re battling these same types of demons now, let’s build each other up. Face it—this world needs all of us at our best and the only way we’re going to get there is by raising up one another. With me?
Christa Avampato 