My Love letter to Layla and Miles

Since the day you two came into my life, my days have been filled with nothing but love.  I am overjoyed and my heart sings when I wake up in the morning and see the two of you sleeping, peacefully.  Your cherub little faces are all nestled on top of your pillows and if I could freeze that moment in time, I would.  I would forever hold your innocence and sweet cheeks in the palm of my hands.  Nothing gives me more satisfaction in knowing you two are happy, healthy, safe, and content.

Your father deserves a father of the year award for taking care of you with the same nurturing, love, and attentiveness that a mother normally gives.  You're never without hugs, kisses, and a little discipline here and there.  You two are my mighty little warriors for God.  As your mother, I promise to teach you the gems to living a long prosperous life.  Gem #1: Always know that although you have earthly parents who would lay down their lives for you, you have a friend in Jesus who loves you and who's paid the ultimate sacrifice. Gem #2: Respect yourselves, always know your self worth. Gem #3: When you respect yourselves, you automatically respect others if they are deserving. Gem #4: Exercise and maintain a healthy diet. You are what you eat, if your diet is horrible, then your health is compromised, and when your health is compromised, you're not in a good state of well being.  Gem#5: Be a blessing to someone you don't know either through your time or through your giving. Lastly Gem#6: Have a burning desire to go through life only getting the best out of it.

I understand you will have trying times, but be equipped to handle them.  And if you need someone to talk to, mommy and daddy will be there to listen for as long as you two need us.  And even if Mommy and Daddy are no longer around just know the love of God is greater than the both of us.

So Layla, my sweet little angel, your strong will has the ability to put mom through a rigorous test at times, but I am so blessed that God allowed you and Miles to use my body to bring forth your precious little lives into this world.

Miles, my merciful warrior, my mighty-man-of-God you and your sister have made life for me more meaningful.  When I get rejection after rejection, when my calls get ignored, my emails don't get returned, when I'm sharing and doors get slammed in my face.  I think of you two asleep, peacefully in the bed and I wipe my tears, say a prayer of victory and get myself going.  I'll take a beating so you guys won't have to.  I'll get laughed at and talked about so you guys won't have to.  Layla and Miles, I want to do whatever it takes to make you proud of me.

Team K.I.M.

Since I started Galliencafe, I realize the majority of my success will come from people I don't know.  When I first started the business back in September I called my list of friends, 56 to be exact, and asked their support for my business by buying my products.  Only five of them made good on their promise.  I thank God I now have the power to K.I.M. keep it moving.  When I hear excuses and they come as natural as breathing, I just say, "no problem, thank you very much" and keep it moving.  I am in a position to collect "no's" and that's just fine. It's a beautiful thing to get the door slammed in your face when you try to give out free samples.  I love to call cell phones and listen to them ring for minutes at a time then hang up only to have that person call back.  When they realize it's me, they either hang up or find a reason to get off the phone.  I don't take it personally, I just keep it moving.  My business team has adopted that same method, to keep it moving...whether it be product, rejected phone calls, excuses, or people.  An ancient Chinese proverb says, "Be not afraid of going slowly, but be afraid only of standing still."  When we stand still the momentum drops, but when we keep it moving, everybody wins.

I've (third from left) only been in the business since September 2010 and this is my team.  Not present are two team members from the Houston area, three from Huntsville, Texas, one member in Kansas and one member in New York.

Write the Vision, Make it plain

About four years ago, I was sitting on the floor of my small one bedroom apartment taking account of things that happened in my life.  Some things were good, and some had me going, "what the hell was I thinking?"  I had seen myself go from being married at the age of 26 to being divorced at 31.  I was an author of two novels which only put my name out there but I wasn't on the New York Times Bestseller's list, truth be told I couldn't even crack the top 1000 seller's list on Amazon.  I was single, I was miserable, I was disgusted with the person I had become.  I was the one who always inspired others but I wasn't motivated enough to inspire myself.  I sank into a small depression and for a year, I had very limited communication with people outside of work.

One day I had a talk with the woman in the mirror. The only person holding me back was me.  I had been blessed with a tremendous talent, I was fortunate to be employed with a company that gave me access, why was I not fulfilled?  So I sat down and wrote my feelings and I remember my mom sharing a very important biblical verse to me.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 says, And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables that he may run that readeth it.  For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie:  though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.  So four years ago, I wrote down the following:

1.     Have a writing career that will inspire the lives of others that will in turn have a substantial financial
        impact on me, my family, and my church.

2.     Have a blessed marriage with a man whom God chooses for me.

3.     Be blessed with a mentally and physically happy child or children.

4.    Have a wonderful and affordable home filled with God's loving presence, peace, and open space.

5.    Be a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show talking about a movie based on my book.

6.    Traveling the world with my husband and child(ren) without worrying about cost.

7.    Becoming a guest lecturer of creative writing at University level.

8.    Being an active member in my church.

9.    Becoming more extroverted and less worried about what others think of me.

10.  Living a life that God wants me to live that will be a blessing to my child(ren) and their off-spring.

11.  Only flying one to two trips or just enough hours to keep my insurance and flight benefits.

12.  Starting a ministry for those who have a creative vision but just can't seem to get started on the right
       path.

Since then only 3 of the following have been fulfilled.  The others will come at their appointed time.  In September, 2010 I launched my own healthy beverage business.  I know in order for it to be successful I must command God's words to speak on my behalf.  My vision is that my company, "galliencafe" thrives and become a multi-million dollar company.  This will come become I have the faith and God's word says, "wait, because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

This is my season and I believe God presents you with one opportunity in order for you to achieve what His purpose is for you.  All you have to do is write it down.

Taking the "Me" Out of the Equation

Now I realized why and how I failed at things in the past.  I failed at my first marriage because I wanted all of "my" needs met and didn't care about the needs of my spouse.  I failed to make a substantial living off my writing career because "I" was too scared to approach people and share my God-given talents with them.  I failed to take off in a cosmetics company because I was too busy worrying about rejection and I didn't take the time to learn the fundamentals of the business.  All my failures happened as a result of "me" worrying about "me."  I was more worried about my "ego" than I did having money in the bank.  Sometimes the enemy is within-a-me.  

Until you take yourself out of the equation you will forever find yourself "stopping at the start," and opportunities will pass you by quicker than you can blink.  Since I have embarked on my new business venture, everyday is an opportunity for me to focus on the needs of others.  When I look at my husband and my two kids I am reminded why I need to get out of my comfort zone and work the business.   Time is a precious thing and once it's past there's no way of turning it back. 

So in September 2010 I became CEO of my own healthy beverage company, laugh if you must, scratch your head if you will...My company allows me to tune into the needs of others on a daily basis.  I've discovered the formula for success and it's way beyond me. It's picking up the phone and reconnecting with a friend I haven't talked to in a long time.  It's meeting a stranger and asking them something as simple as, "how are you?" because it may be the only time someone genuinely asks of their well being.  I've talked to people who are dealing with lupus, I've talked to a person who suffered a heart attack, I've shared the healthy benefits of my product with them and they have been very receptive.

And so from this day forward, I will make it a habit to share my business with the world.  I can no longer be a secret agent, I can longer worry about how I am going to be perceived because I know people will talk whether I'm doing good or bad.  When I'm writing and sharing my stories with the world, I can't keep telling myself that I'm not good enough when I know God has given me this talent. So what if I'm scatter brained and I tend to lose my train of thought or sometime I stutter when I get overly excited I don't care anymore.  Those are small things I can correct.  Life is so much bigger than me. I know this now!

www.galliencafe.organogold.com