We recently connected with Christine Galib and have shared our conversation below.
Christine, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
Where you think your optimism comes from?
This is such a great question! To me, there are two parts to optimism: it is hope in the future and confidence in a successful outcome. The first part, hope in the future, is something that simultaneously grounds me in the present moment, while also “pulls” me to soar into the future. Here’s what I mean.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul discusses hope in the glory of God. I’ve always found this to be comforting and uplifting, since no matter what we face as we journey through life on this side of the line–and goodness do we face brokenness, ugliness, hurt, sadness, and suffering–we find solace and hope in God, who is already there in the future since He created it. Paul also writes that suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope, which does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us (Romans 5:3-5). This has always resonated with me, since it shows how hope can arise out of suffering. No matter what we face, as we face it, we can persevere and build our character. And as we do, we find hope–a hope that is anchored in the unconditional love of God.
This concept is foundational to my first book, Parables from the Pandemic: Holding onto Hope in a Hurting World. Parables is a collection of beautifully illustrated short stories and reflection questions that calls readers to question what defines our identity, our humanity, and our destiny and shows us no matter what we face on this side of Heaven, the only hope worth holding onto is always by our side.
The second part to optimism is confidence in a successful outcome. I know that as I set and execute my goals to make my dreams real, I can chart a course that gets me from “the now” to “the new,” reverse engineering, or backwards planning, how I can achieve my goal. Because my goals align to my North Star, everything I do ultimately aligns with and ties back and gets me to my North Star. At times, I will need to recalibrate my course–the method by which I accomplish my goals. And that is perfectly ok. That is part of the process of accomplishing a successful outcome, and because “my why”–my purpose for my goals stays the same–I know that as I recalibrate my course, I’m either actualizing my goals or learning how to create a better way to accomplish them.
With your gaze constantly set on your North Star, your purpose is crystal clear–and constantly in view, illuminating the path ahead for you to get from the present, to the future, and accomplish your goals.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am blessed to serve as Senior Director, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Ion, Houston’s headquarters for innovation. In this role, I work with startups, entrepreneurs, founders, and investors as we build Houston’s tech and innovation ecosystem. One of our taglines is “Every better way needs a place to begin. Start here.” I love this because it relates to the concept of journeying and finding, or creating, better ways to make our dreams real. If you are creative and entrepreneurial, have an idea you want to pursue, or want to mentor or be involved in Houston’s innovation community, I would love to see you at the Ion!
I am also an author. At my core, I’m a storyteller–a creator of worlds. In fact, the odds are very good that as you’re reading this, I am reading, writing, running, or taking the road less traveled. I love getting lost in a good book, and can be found at christinegalib.com. I publish under my imprint road less traveled enterprises.
I’ve published three books so far, all available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
Parables from the Pandemic: Holding onto Hope in a Hurting World, invites us to explore our faith in the context of themes such as regulation and revolution, community and division, surveillance and freedom, and waiting and redemption. Parables calls readers to question what defines our identity, our humanity, and our destiny. It is great for individual reflection or Bible Study, Christian Living, Theology on Tap, or religious or faith-based book club groups.
The next two books, Etched in Stone and Eternae, are the first two books in The Knights of the Dagger series.
The Knights of the Dagger tells the story of Carly Stuart, a young explorer with moxie and spunk who sets off to college to study archaeology, following in the footsteps of her grandmother, one of the first female archaeologists and a trailblazer in the field. Ever since she was a young girl, all Carly wanted was to walk in her grandmother’s shoes. Little did she know they would lead her down such a dangerous path. As Carly settles into her first semester at Nassauton, she gets swept up into a mystery like none other, with a dead professor, a gold pendant, and a mysterious poem at its center. This mystery ultimately leads her on a quest for the Holy Grail itself. Eternae picks up right where Etched in Stone leaves off, presenting Carly with a Nazi journal, a miraculous medicine, and a visionary scientist as she searches for the Holy Grail. In Eternae, she discovers a cutting-edge research laboratory where sickening secrets—and astounding answers—abound.
If you’re a young adult mystery fan who likes historical fiction and loves the Holy Grail, The Knights of the Dagger series is for you. For readers, Etched in Stone is “like an Indiana Jones novel with a strong young female protagonist…in the style of Michael Crichton if he had written a modern Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys’ book aimed at young adults.” I wrote the Knights of the Dagger series to empower the knight in each of us to pursue our quests with grace, courage, and faith, and love discussing these themes with audiences of all ages!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that are most impactful in my journey are, without a doubt: 1. Self awareness. Self awareness is the ability to understand who you are and why you are, so you can live how you are. Knowing your identity and your purpose enable you to navigate through whatever life throws at you as you chase your North Star. Know yourself: know who you are–and why you were created. God made you, and made you unique, because He knew our world needed you. Living “how you are” means that you are constantly paying attention to the methods by which you take the next steps on your journey and accomplish your goals. Living who, why, and how you are enables you to chase what lifts you, always navigating towards your North Star and executing your purpose along the way. There are many ways to develop self-awareness. Some of them could include spending time introspecting and reflecting; going for a walk in nature, leaving your phone behind; and spending 5-10 breaths in silence, paying attention to your inhales and exhales.
2. Discipline. Discipline is the compounding, over time, of one small step done repeatedly to get you to your goal. You want to run farther, start running. Run one small step at a time, and do it again the next time, and the next time, adding one small step each time. You want to become an author, start writing. Write one word at a time, and write another word the next time, and the next time. We all start somewhere, and it starts with one small step forward. Being disciplined is being consumed by your craft—the details, the big picture, and everything in between. 10,000 hours is just the beginning and it is not enough. And 10,000 hours starts with the first second you make the intentional and consistent choice to take one small step towards your goal, every single moment you can.
3. Kindness. Be kind. You never know what battles people are going through. And the truth is, you do not need to know. But you do need to be kind, because no matter what the situation, each person is here for a reason as a fellow traveler along the journey. Be kind, always. Developing a kindness practice starts with being empathetic to others by asking them “What do you need, and how can I help?” When we ask this, we begin to see the world from another person’s perspective—a perspective formed by that individual’s experiences and needs. To acknowledge these experiences and needs is humbling; to seek to meet their needs is a powerful act of kindness that stems from empathy. Empathy is critical: it is foundational to every interaction and relationship. Learn how to develop empathy so you can act with kindness, always.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
I highly recommend: Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs and Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future. I’ll also offer E. Paul Torrance’s Creative Manifesto, which is an absolute must-read for kids and creatives, and anyone working with creatives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://christinegalib.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinegalibauthor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineGalibAuthor
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinegalib/
Image Credits
Me seated in the Dome picture: 📸: Sam Farley with Omnispace360
