This month’s Changemaker Q&A comes to us from Amy Angelilli, Chief Adventure Officer of The Adventure Project. Amy also runs in the World Domination Summit (WDS) circles, and she and I connected online. Her dedication to making the world a better place through adventure and play, while also creating a sustainable life balance, means that hers is a story that I wanted to share with you.
Without further ado: take it away Amy!
1. What is the world changing work that you are bringing into existence? (Tell us a bit about what your work means to you and why you think it’s important for the world.)
When I was a kid, I was told I needed to major in accounting, graduate in 4 years, and get a desk job with benefits. I knew this wasn’t me, but I didn’t know what other options existed. Eventually – as my journey unfolded – I found my way to myself.
My message to a person, unsure of a path, is to find your own adventure. And by adventure, I don’t mean doing something that is the stereotypical definition of adventure – please no jumping out of airplanes! (Unless you really want to!)
I invite people into the adventure discovery process so as to open them up to authenticity with themselves, their relationships and their travel experiences. I do this via the simple tool of play. When we play, we are completely in the moment and we are our truest selves. Once we find this place, we’re able to interact with the world in a much richer way. And the end result is that goodness happens when we have meaningful interactions!
2. What was the moment or situation that made you realize the way you were approaching this work was unsustainable? And, how did you find your way back to balance out of those challenges?
It was when I was with a group of strangers revealing our lightness and darkness at Life of Yes! Sleepaway Camp. I am my own worst critic. I constantly compare myself to others. I’m never satisfied with my own output and want more and/or better. This is not sustainable.
If I chose to sabotage myself, how can I move forward and have a successful adventure? I can’t. I am enough. I am good enough. Because in reality, let’s remember, we’re all finding our own adventures. No one will be able to execute my adventure as my adventure is mine and mine alone. Only I can create it, so I need to be kinder to myself and practice better self care and acceptance. I am now dedicated to this practice although I may not always be successful.
3. What are you doing differently now – how are you maintaining a balanced place moving forward?
I’m not only putting together a self care plan for personal and professional development, but I’m also saying these pieces of the plan out loud so there’s accountability. I’m spending time with people who can validate my feelings, and also encourage me to continue forward on my journey … on my adventure. Being around positive energies spreads that positive energy. Sometimes we need more than what we are able to feed to ourselves.
I’m also seeking an accountability partner – this would be someone with whom I can have a weekly check in, so that both of us are supporting each other in personal and professional growth and development.
4. If you could give that past self one piece of advice or guidance, what would it be? Or, if you wouldn’t change anything, why not?
Yoga is a practice – so is self care. We will never be perfect. We can only be kind. Keep practicing what you want to be, do, achieve – and realize that practice may never make perfect … it can only make better. As long as we continue to move forward, we are succeeding.
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