We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Christine Shaffer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Christine below.

Alright, Christine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I have always been someone who believes in taking risks and never lived my life in a “comfort zone”. I spent close to 40 years working within a corporate system and my experiences and interactions with others are what led me to create Journey To Real Vision. I’ve slowly built this business over several years and am extremely grateful that I am now devoting all of my time and energy full-time to serving others. It’s my life purpose to guide and encourage others to become better versions of themselves. I realized early on that everything begins with your mindset, thoughts, and emotions. They are the key to everything! During my years in the corporate world, I lost my identity and degraded my own value. I see this every day with so many individuals. I got caught up in the disillusion of climbing the corporate ladder and wasted so many years chasing after someone else’s dream.

Taking risks is what reveals your true potential. For years, I was conditioned to believe that I had to work for someone else, work for 40-50 years, and then retire. Retirement was when one could finally relax and enjoy life. I always had this burning question, “Why do I have to wait until I retire to enjoy life?” Over the years I faced fears of rejection, failure, and uncertainty. Initially, I listened to “naysayers” who tried to discourage me from launching my own business. I had a strained relationship with fear thinking it was bad and that I wasn’t good enough to be successful on my own. It took me a few years to realize that those stories buried in my subconscious were not true. I had a purpose to serve, and I needed to take a bold step forward and start living my life the way that I desired.

What was so revealing to me was that risk was the very thing that made me feel alive. When I was able to leave my corporate job and manage my business full-time, I felt the essence of freedom. I was free to help others. I was free to live my life and enjoy it now. Life is meant to be enjoyed and lived to its fullest in the present moment. I was tired of sitting on the sidelines and watching life pass me by. Being tied to that corporate job kept me in survival mode and feeling stressed out and empty for years. I had allowed myself to become someone other than my authentic self. I literally became a robot. When I took the risk of building Journey To Real Vision full-time, I understood what it meant to thrive in life. I now wake up feeling energized, grateful, and blessed that I am living life. I have never felt more fulfilled, happy, and at peace.

The work I’m doing is beyond rewarding and I want to help as many people as possible understand that being stuck in a daily routine and living life on autopilot is not living life. Growth does not co-exist with comfort and safety. Taking the risk of launching my own business allowed me to get clear on what I wanted in my life. I often think, “What would have happened if I never took this risk?” I would still be living a monotonous life fulfilling someone else’s purpose.

What would be my advice about taking a risk? Start small and take action today. Real growth happens when you get comfortable with being uncomfortable! It all boils down to making a decision. Most importantly, trust yourself and be aware of what is important to you. What are you being called to do? Allow your passions to lead to your purpose. Only then, do I believe you can fully live and appreciate life.

Christine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I specialize in the area of mental mindset. I created an amazing program called DiscoveryX that helps individuals understand the importance of their thoughts, emotions, habits, behaviors, beliefs, and fears. For many years I struggled with trying to “get ahead” in life. Only when I began working with a mentor, did I realize that as long as my mind remained the same, my life would stay in “status quo”. In essence, I needed to shift my mindset and train my brain to create the life I desired. All of us are capable of creating change by simply changing our minds! Life is a journey – not an end destination.

Many people are revisiting past memories or worrying about their future. They’ve learned to “survive” and live a life that is predictable because their brain and body are out of balance. Change requires coherence which is the alignment of thoughts and emotions. People struggle because 95% of their mind is running subconscious autopilot programs. They’ve learned to live by habit and are no longer aware of what they’re thinking, feeling, and doing. In essence, many are living their lives unconsciously. Your subconscious mind only knows what you’ve programmed it to do.

Change begins with thinking and science has proven that you can form new neural pathways that reflect new thoughts. Through my DiscoveryX program, I help individuals build mental muscles, rewire their brains, and create new personalities. They need to unlearn who they used to be so that they can create a new life. Individuals can improve their outlook on life and become more confident, motivated, creative, positive, and happier. It’s about becoming more aware and living consciously instead of allowing your subconscious mind to dictate how to live your life.

I provide the tools, expertise, and guidance that people need. So many people have suppressed so much emotional energy that they don’t realize that they’re walking time bombs. One of the biggest discoveries made in this program is that your mind will cover up the true cause of a bad feeling by using projection to convince you that your feeling was caused by something in the outside world. Many have allowed negative emotions to simmer under the surface heating up over time until pressure builds up and they explode. Life isn’t meant to be lived in a pressure cooker. This is such a powerful way to illustrate why it is so important that we understand the value of coherence and developing more of a growth mindset.

I’ve also written 3 books and poured my heart out in writing them. I was raw and vulnerable and wanted to share what I’ve experienced in my life to encourage others that they can have something better. I spent so many years struggling and don’t want that to happen to others. We’re meant for so much more and life should not be lived trapped in fear and uncertainty. I never strived to be on the NY Times bestseller list but felt so much freedom in sharing my story. I applied humor, wisdom, and expertise to help as many people as possible.

What is the biggest thing I can offer my clients? I show them that they should be living their lives as human beings instead of human doings. Your self-worth is not determined by your accomplishments, but rather by your strengths and core values. We should all know our purpose and why we were created. If you don’t know where you’re going, then how are you going to get there? So many people think that they have to earn a spot in society. So many try to fit other’s expectations and they lose sight of who they really are. If you don’t understand why you were created, then you will live a stagnant life. That is not what the Divine had in mind. I guide individuals to embrace their authenticity and connect with their purpose so that they can live more fulfilled lives.

How did you build your audience on social media?

One of the best ways to be successful on social media is to be consistent. I am very active on LinkedIn and post every day. I strive to make connections and respond to others’ posts as well. Joining groups is another way to build connections. Don’t be afraid to make a comment or celebrate someone else’s success.

I offer a free 20-minute educational session as well as a free daily motivational email. I utilize these tools to help build trust. This educational session provides individuals with tools that they can utilize immediately in their life.

You cannot be afraid of rejection. There are going to be people who don’t accept your connection request or don’t respond to your posts. Don’t let that deter you from building strong connections with individuals who require your services. I feel that LinkedIn is a fantastic platform for building your business and I’ve had very positive interactions with others.

Also, don’t be hesitant to connect with like-minded individuals within your own industry. I have made some amazing and beneficial connections with other coaches and mentors. There is nothing more powerful than supporting each other in your respective businesses.

Have you ever had to pivot?

About 6 years ago I went through the most difficult time in my life. My father had passed away and my mother had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. My mother and I were extremely close, and I agreed to take care of her via home hospice for several months. To say it was the most grueling and heartbreaking experience of my life is an understatement. During this time, I was still working full-time, pursuing my degree, and taking care of my mom’s needs. I literally became a robot and was laser-focused on making her final days as comfortable as possible.

After her death, my world came crashing down. I was miserable in my corporate job, and I felt that my life was going nowhere. I had resorted to drinking and neglecting my needs. I remembered falling to my knees one night praying for something to change. I had put my mentoring business on hold and was questioning my actual existence. Crippling fear came over me about where my life was headed. I had just lost someone precious to me and felt such an emptiness.

I soon realized that I had more to give in life and that I needed to live my purpose. Soon after, I was led to move to another state and accept my final corporate position. This move proved to be instrumental. It allowed me a fresh start and I really dug deep in discovering more about myself. Not only did I flourish, but soon realized that my business was my purpose. I saw an opportunity and I took it. I pivoted from a life based on survival to a life based on thriving. In 2022, I was able to pivot into living the life of my dreams by pursuing my purpose of providing mentoring services in my business Journey To Real Vision.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.journeytorealvision.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-shaffer-5b27a423a/

Image Credits
Liza Hippler Photography