Born in a refugee camp at the Thai frontier one week after her parents finally escaped the civil war which killed one fourth of the Cambodian population, Christine grew up in France in a difficult environment. In 2005 Christine left Paris for Shanghai and has been based in China ever since. Her China journey has taken various twists and turns that have shaped Christine into the accomplished public speaker, captivating storyteller, martial arts instructor and writing coach that she is today. Tune in to hear how Christine shares her experience and life lessons to inspire and motivate others to choose courage and go for their own dreams.

In my ten years in China, I feel like I’ve lived ten different lives.

Show Notes

How she got to China

Like many of us long-timers, when people ask her, “Why did you come to China?”, Christine finds it hard to give only one reason. But if she had to pick only one, it would be going back to her ancestors’ roots and finding her identity. She knew how it felt to be French of Chinese origins and to live in France. She also wanted to experience being French of Chinese origins and living in China.

Her current project

Christine has been a writer since she can remember; yet being a bit of a realist, she knew she would need to maintain a stable income while in Shanghai. After a slew of jobs, Christine was consulting and running her own newspaper when an ad came through looking for a writer to write a book about French people in China. Christine applied and was accepted and that’s when things got really interesting.

Failure moment

Christine’s first manuscript for her now-published book, “Embarking to China”, was completed in just 14 months, but then her publisher stopped contacting her. To her dismay, her writing sat in a drawer, forgotten for 2 years. Tune in to find out how this all led to her discovering her Taichi master and spending an amazing year in southern China learning Taichi!

Lessons learned along the way

• Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
• Sometimes you need to help. Definitely seek it out.
• Intuition is a powerful tool. Access your inner self by listening carefully to your own body.
• Follow your dreams but be realistic at the same time.
• China isn’t a gold mine; it’s a battle field.
• Find your own ‘army’ of believers and supporters.
• Stay persistent and determined, while staying flexible and humble.
• It IS possible to change, if you want to.
• Never be afraid to look inward, trust your intuition and go out from your comfort zone.

How Christine stays motivated

Despite finding balance by incorporating taichi into her life, Christine still has bad days. When she’s in a slump, she likes to repeat her mantra to herself: “Face your fears and choose courage.” She also thinks of all the supportive people who are behind her and believe in her. It helps to remind herself that she is a role model for some of them and it’s her job to give them energy, hope and inspiration, by keeping a positive and proactive attitude.

Episode Links

•  www.christineleang.com
• “Embarking to China” by Christine Leang
• “Stein On Writing” by Sol Stein
• “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. A 12-week program to reconnect with your inner artist and empower your creativity
• TED.com

Connect to Christine

Website: www.christineleang.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineLeang.writer
Twitter: @ChristineLeang
Email: christine@christineleang.com