Today I’m pleased to bring you an interview with dream chaser, Christina Steinorth. I met Christina last year at Book Expo America/Writer’s Digest Book Writers Conference and was instantly inspired by her fearless attitude towards life.
Read on to hear how a life-threatening illness motivated this California-based pscyhotherapist to go for her dreams and never settle for less…
Q: Tell us about yourself. What’s your dream and how are you working towards it?
CS: My name is Christina Steinorth and I’m a licensed private practice psychotherapist and author. My ultimate dream is to be a best-selling self-help author.
I actively take steps towards my dream every day. First, I take care of my body, my mind, my soul and my spirit. Next, I do at least one thing to advance my career every day. From designing a business card, to coming up with ideas for future books and articles, to building my marketing base, I do one at least one thing to advance my career and bring me one step closer to my dream.
Q: Describe a “gray” time in your life. How did it stand between you and your dreams? How did you overcome it?
CS: I had a life-threatening illness years ago (I won’t mention what it was here because I’ll be writing about it in a future book) and it nearly devastated me physically, emotionally and spiritually. For quite some time after learning I had it, I just couldn’t seem to pull it together. I felt robbed of my future. It sucked.
Then one day, at the grocery store of all places, someone I had never met before came up to me, took my hands in hers, looked me in the eye and told me I was going to be okay. I’ll go into it all in more detail in my book but when this happened I thought, Wow, my future is now. I better make the best of it. I have lived every day since then with intention; no more wasted days, no more wasted time.
Fortunately, I made a full recovery and now every aspect of my life – my health, my heart, my head and my career – is in better shape than ever before.
Q: What fears have you faced as you chase your dreams?
CS: After what I went though health-wise years back, I now chase my dreams fearlessly. I mean, really…I feel I am both blessed and lucky to have another chance at life, so why waste it being afraid?
Of course, I am very careful not to put myself into physical risk (no base jumping off of buildings for me, thank you very much – I’ve already had enough doctors appointments to last me a lifetime!), but if there is no risk of physical injury or pain – I’m all in!
Q: What inspires you to keep pushing forward when the going gets tough?
CS: Seriously, this way of thinking never even enters my mind. If things aren’t going the way I would like them to, I look at my end of things and see what I am able to improve and I improve it. After all, I only have control over my actions – if I am being the best I can be, it’s really all I can do.
Q: If you could give one piece of advice to someone else who is struggling to move beyond the gray and follow a dream, what would it be?
CS: Realize you may not get a tomorrow. Therefore, tell the people you love how you feel about them and, as much as reasonably possible, try to live without a safety net. Last but not least, surround yourself with people who tell you why you can do it. (I know that’s more than one, but they’re all equally valid.)
To learn more about Christina, you can visit her website: www.christinasteinorth.com.
Are you actively pursuing or living a dream? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Please e-mail me at: Erika (dot) Liodice (at sign) hotmail (dot) com.
