Tag: future

creativity

In the pause: Surviving the in-between

Christa Avampato

“The waiting. The meantime. The in-between. It all serves a purpose, even the delays and detours.” ~Anonymous

My friend, Katya, posted this the other day and I think it’s a really powerful and comforting reminder for all of us. We are all in a process of becoming, and becoming something requires a bit of waiting. Progress in anything is achieved one day, one step at a time. And in each of those moments we are learning exactly what we need to learn. Everything that we’re going through now is preparing us for what’s ahead. Every experience we’ve ever had has prepared us to meet this moment in front of us.

Right now, I’m in the midst of a lot of change. It’s all very exciting, and it’s also a lot. And in these next few weeks, I’m in a bit of a holding pattern. Normally, I would be anxious in a time like this and instead I’m enjoying it. Learning every day. Setting up the tasks I need to do now to hit the ground running in short order. There’s a lot of planning.

Though the energy required to plan is different from the energy needed to act, it also holds its own happiness and joy to be looking ahead with happy and eager anticipation of what’s around the bend. Then will be here soon enough so let’s enjoy the journey to get there.

creativity

In the pause: An immigrant’s fortune was made in yogurt

Christa Avampato

This month’s Fast Company features Hamdi Ulukaya, the Founder of Chobani, in its cover story. A Kurdish immigrant who moved here to go to college after facing persecution in his home country and without speaking a word of English, Hamdi is an inspiring figure in business and in life. If you want to feel hopeful about America and the good that capitalism can do, I highly recommend reading the article. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down and all I want to do is eat Chobani yogurt and learn more about this fascinating man. With a lot of hard work and the right intentions, it’s amazing what the human imagination can accomplish.

creativity

In the pause: Embrace endings

Christa Avampato

“I don’t pay attention to the world ending. It’s ended for me many times and began again in the morning.” ~Anonymous

I’ve learned to embrace endings, not because they are fun or comforting but because they make space for something new. I’ve learned that nothing lasts forever, that life in all its forms is full of cycles and changes. Changes and challenges, no matter how much they are welcomed, are difficult because for some amount of time there is a void. I used to be very quick to fill up that void as fast as possible. Now at the ripe old age of 41, I purposely slow it down. I spend a good amount of time reflecting, processing, and deciding how best to move forward after any major change. I’ve learned how to ask for and receive help with grace and gratitude. And then I pay forward that help, as many times as I possibly can.

One of the great benefits of growing older is that it’s easier to pinpoint what really matters and why. When something ends now, I’m grateful for the lessons it teaches me and the strength it gives me. In time, new possibilities and opportunities always present themselves and often in the most unlikely ways. The world begins again, and we’re off on new adventures that pave the path ahead. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

creativity

In pause: You have more power than you think you do

Christa Avampato

“Enlightenment is that moment when a wave realizes it is the ocean.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

We have more options than we think we do. I had two great back-to-back conversations yesterday that helped me realize just how many possibilities are open to me and how to bring them to fruition. It was one of the most empowering and hopeful afternoons I’ve had in a long time. Those conversations didn’t change any of my circumstances; they just helped me see things in a different way. They changed my mind and my perspective; in other words, they changed everything.

creativity

In the pause: Developing your gifts is mandatory

Christa Avampato

“People don’t develop their gifts because they want to, but because they have to.”

That’s how a conversation with Brian started recently. We were talking about the idea of using painful and upsetting experiences to become better people. I told him that I wished it didn’t take a burning platform to evolve and he explained that so often that burning platform is the spark we need to take action and grow. In other words, “if you’re going through hell, keep going.” (Hat tip to Winston Churchill.) So if you’re going through something that’s difficult right now, there is an enormous and shiny silver lining: once you’re through it (and I promise you if we just keep going, we do get through all of our difficult times), you will emerge as someone who is braver, stronger, and better than you were before. Your gifts will get you there. It may not be fun, but it will be worth it because once you have your gifts, you have them forever.

creativity

In the pause: Be who you are

Christa Avampato

“The price we pay for being who we are is worth it.” ~Eartha Kitt

What does it take to be who we are? Integrity, courage, and confidence come to mind. There’s a dash of faith tucked in there with a hefty dose of honesty. The price we pay for all of this can be steep. Not everyone will like who we are. Not everyone will appreciate what we have to offer. Not everyone will accept us. But consider this: what’s the price we pay for pretending to be someone we aren’t? We live a life that’s less than what’s meant for us, and we deserve better than that. It’s not always easy to be exactly who we are, but it sure beats being someone else.

creativity

In the pause: Be here now

Christa Avampato

I knew the Year of the Rooster would be a wild one. But I didn’t have any idea what wild meant until these past few weeks. So much is shifting and changing. Every day I’m on a roller coaster doing my best to hang on and stay flexible. Just when I feel like I’m at my breaking point, I take a deep breath, call a friend, and find my center again. And so it goes. And so we go. One day, one moment, one heartbeat at a time. More than ever, I’m learning to be present and fierce. I’m learning what a gift it is to love and be loved and to smile. I’m learning that profound change can find any of us at any time. Be here now. That’s the only work we need to do.

creativity

In the pause: Don’t stumble over something behind you

Christa Avampato

“Don’t stumble over something behind you.” ~Seneca

Whenever I’m faced with something disappointing, I feel is deeply and and immediately. I strip out that phase of denial and move right into grief. While grief is a painful, my willingness to feel every ounce of it jumpstarts the healing process. Grief is a lens I use to refocus my energy and get clear about what I need and want. It’s not fun, but it’s necessary. The great benefit of this brutal process is that once it’s done, it’s done. I don’t look back; I let it go and move forward. I have many times in my life that I’m glad I’ll never repeat, and I’m also grateful for all of the learnings that those times held. They have given me empathy, strength, and courage, three of the things I value most.

 

creativity

In the pause: Invest in love

Christa Avampato

“Keep loving people. It’s the antidote to all that afflicts us.” ~ John Pavlovitz

I am holding this thought in my mind more and more as time goes on. With all that is swirling in my own world and the world at-large, I am focused now more than ever on love. It’s the energy that heals and comforts. It’s the force that binds us together, and being together is our greatest asset toward progress in all realms. Hang in there, friends, and hang in there together.

creativity

In the pause: Things have to fall apart to come together

Christa Avampato

Whenever something doesn’t work out the way we planned, we can feel cheated, disappointed, and sad. But what if we could look at our new situation from a different angle? What if things not going how we planned is the best thing that ever happened to us? What if that opens the way for things to go better than we ever imagined possible? Let’s try to manifest that and see what happens. Sometimes things have to fall apart to come together.