Tag: time

creativity

This just in: It’s time to grow

Christa Avampato
Grow
Grow

A few years ago, one of my yoga teacher training classmates choked up during her final presentation and wasn’t able to complete it the way she wanted to complete it. She got very upset (as anyone would!) and said she felt like a failure. Then our teacher, Jeffrey, said words I will never forget: this isn’t failure; this is growth. You might feel like things are falling down around you, and maybe they are. That’s certainly how I’ve felt this week. Jeffrey’s words rang in my ears yesterday, clear as a bell, like a gift from the Universe because that’s what they are and because they are exactly what I needed to hear.

creativity

This just in: What to do after you lead the horse to water

Christa Avampato

A horse at waterYou can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. What you can do is let it stand there and see its reflection. The person you are trying to help has to want to be helped, has to meet you halfway. And some people can’t, or won’t, accept your help. You can’t change that.

Yesterday wasn’t a great day in my world, but something great came from it. It gave me an opportunity to express certain things that have been on my mind. I said them respectfully and firmly. Most of my concerns fell on deaf ears, and that’s okay. I said them. I can sleep at night, and now I can move on knowing that I did what I could do to keep a ship from sinking.

As sad as I am about the situation, I trust the timing of my life. I imagine that a few months from now I’ll look back on today from a different vantage point and realize that this is what had to happened. I let my disappointment go, and turned my energy toward finding what’s next. I trust that I’ll find exactly what I need to find.

creativity

This just in: What Andy Rooney learned and shared with us

Christa Avampato
Andy Rooney
Andy Rooney

I was and still am a big fan of Andy Rooney’s essays. The quintessential curmudgeon, he was honest, funny, and poignant all in the same breath. Here is an essay of his that’s always been one of my favorites.

I’ve Learned

  • I’ve learned … That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
  • I’ve learned … That when you’re in love, it shows.
  • I’ve learned … That just one person saying to me, “You’ve made my day!” makes my day.
  • I’ve learned … That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
  • I’ve learned … That being kind is more important than being right.
  • I’ve learned … That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
  • I’ve learned … That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in some other way.
  • I’ve learned … That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
  • I’ve learned … That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
  • I’ve learned … That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
  • I’ve learned … That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
  • I’ve learned … That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.
  • I’ve learned … That money doesn’t buy class.
  • I’ve learned … That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
  • I’ve learned … That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
  • I’ve learned … That the Lord didn’t do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?
  • I’ve learned … That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
  • I’ve learned … That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
  • I’ve learned … That love, not time, heals all wounds.
  • I’ve learned … That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
  • I’ve learned … That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
  • I’ve learned … That there’s nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.
  • I’ve learned … That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
  • I’ve learned … That life is tough, but I’m tougher.
  • I’ve learned … That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
  • I’ve learned … That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
  • I’ve learned … That I wish I could have told my dad that I love him one more time before he passed away.
  • I’ve learned … That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
  • I’ve learned … That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
  • I’ve learned … That I can’t choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.
  • I’ve learned … That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you’re hooked for life.
  • I’ve learned … That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.
  • I’ve learned … That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances: when it is requested and when it is a life-threatening situation.
  • I’ve learned … That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
creativity

This just in: What’s in a picture? A lesson on what matters through photography editing.

Christa Avampato
One of my favorite photos of the Christmas market in Budapest
One of my favorite photos of the Christmas market in Budapest

I’m in the process of editing all of my photos from my trip to Sarajevo and Budapest. As I sort through them, the editing process reminds me of what matters. What’s the focal point? What’s truly necessary to have in the frame? What am I saying or showing with each image? It’s similar to the editing of life: what do we keep, what do we cut away, and what does it all mean to us? Editing anything is time-consuming, and it’s absolutely worth the effort because what we’re left with is something of real value.

creativity

This just in: Now it’s time to let go and dream

Christa Avampato
Let-Go
Let-Go

It’s been several years since I’ve given myself the luxury of a true break. While I’m traveling, I won’t have access to much technology beyond my camera. Most of my daily writing will be with good ol’ pen and paper. I plan to listen more than I talk and to explore more than I seek. There is a time for expanding our views and a time for focus. For me, this coming week is a time for expansion, for thinking about possibilities without any regard for barriers, hurdles, and limitations. This is a time for letting go and dreaming.

creativity

This just in: Now’s the time to be a dream chaser

Christa Avampato
Dream chasers wear sneakers
Dream chasers wear sneakers

We all have a choice to make every morning—stay in bed and hope for a brighter tomorrow or make the most of the day we’re given. Sometimes it’s a harder choice than we’d like it to be, but I’ll tell you this: never once have I gotten up to chase a dream and regretted it at the end of the day, regardless of the outcome. Get out there and give it everything you’ve got. Time’s the one resource you can never recover.

creativity

This just in: Every minute of your time matters

Christa Avampato
Your time is precious
Your time is precious

I believe in the power of hard work, persistence, and determination. I think 99.9% of life’s circumstances can be fixed. I’m not saying it’s easy; I’m saying it’s possible. And you’ve got a choice to make: is what (or who) needs fixing worth your time to do the fixing? We’ve got a finite amount of time and energy, and that time and energy has to be put to good use. We have to find a way to be efficient and make as big a difference as we can. Some people and some circumstances just aren’t worth it.

I know it’s not always easy to let it go. I’ll even go so far as to say it’s never easy to let it go. But sometimes the best thing you can do, for yourself and for others, is to just walk away. Put your energy into what (and who) matters most. You have the right to make that choice. We all do. And don’t wait until you’re a certain age. You don’t know how much time or good health you have. Each moment you have is just as precious as any other moment, and they should all be treated like the gifts that they are.

creativity

This just in: The trouble is, you think you have time

Christa Avampato
Blank canvas
Blank canvas

“The trouble is, you think you have time.” ~Buddha

Immediately after I finish one of my paper collages, I replace it with a blank one on my easel. That may sound a bit over zealous. Shouldn’t I at least give myself some time to just revel in being done with a project before pushing on?

Ed, my teacher, mentor, and friend, posted this quote from the Buddha a few days ago and it really struck me. I’m very conscious of the passage of time. Some might say too conscious of it. I’ve known, loved, and lost too many people too soon, and the same is true for many of my friends. We think we have time, but really, time has us.

I’ve learned the hard way that it’s much better to look at a blank canvas that symbolizes our next great potential project than to spend our time looking back at our accomplishments. I’ll save the reflection for when I’m very old and gray and less able to do. Now is a time for moving forward and crafting what comes next.

creativity

This just in: How to be strong amidst the mess of life

Christa Avampato
Be strong
Be strong

“I would rather be a hot mess of bold action, a make-it-happen-learn-on-the-fly kind of person, than a perfectly organized coward.” ~ Brendon Burchard

This quote resonates with me in such a powerful way. We might think we have all our ducks in a row, that we’ve accounted for every possibility, and yet we find that life has a funny way of throwing us the curve ball we never saw coming. Contingency plans won’t save us. Our abilities to adapt, evolve, grow, and learn are our saving graces. They are the things that will help us not only survive, but thrive, in a world that will always change. I don’t rely on my organizational skills to get by; instead, I believe that I can and will handle whatever life throws my way. Courage to face our challenges head-on is everything.

creativity

This just in: Spend your time where it counts the most

Christa Avampato
Friends
Friends

Kaufman and Hart were right about so many things, especially this – you can’t take it with you. Everything that you can hold in your hands will eventually break or be tossed aside. I don’t collect things. I don’t even like the idea of having too many things beyond the basic necessities. I am constantly amazed by how few material things I need to love a good life. What I collect and cherish are the things that will last a lifetime: the amazing relationships I have with people and the memories of experiences we have together. So let’s put our attention and energy where it really counts: focused on the people who make our lives so worth living.