I opened the card and it read:

Mom,

Before you open your gift I wanted you to read a little background on it. This is what’s called a ‘Silver Nest’.  It comes from a housewife’s small business in South Bend, IN.  You’ll find a completely customized necklace – with the birthstones of your 3 children, in the form of beaded pearls, resting inside this nest.

Do you remember the seed you put inside my locket when I was in the 8th grade? I didn’t really understand it then….but I’m starting to. (BACKGROUND ON THE SEED: I put the tiniest seed I could find inside her locket to remind her that even the smallest seed – when planted and nurtured in the proper conditions, can grow into an incredible plant that creates resources for others to use. Yah…I know…a little deep for an 8th grader lol.)

So for me, these eggs inside the nest not only represent your 3 children, but the care and nurturing you put in to raising us, helping us reach our potential, and soar. It represents the well-meaning lectures, the band-aids provided and the space given to grow into US. We’ll always be inside your heart mom, no matter how far.

I love you ~ Laci

Isn’t that beautiful??  Here is the nest of pearls and I love it.  So to all you Mom’s (and dad’s) out there, never stop praying, hoping or loving, because you never know what is really getting through to your children or when.  Lets stick to being an example of our best ‘Mom-Selves’, or ‘Dad-Selves’ that we can possibly be. We’re not doing it just for our kids but also for those they will marry, those they might give birth to, and those they will work and play with. It is one of the BEST investments you will ever make in this lifetime.

Wishing you a GREAT Mother’s Day weekend with lots and lots of love.

P.S. If you happen to be an entrepreneurial mom – please take a moment to sign up for our Friday afternoon calls that begin next week!  Read here

P.S.S. And don’t forget to leave a comment below! I’d love to hear from ALL you Mom’s or Dad’s out there about what you’ve shared with your kids over the years that we can all learn from.

He called me again one evening but this call wasn’t about college.  There was something on his mind and began to tell me how much he wanted to make a difference in the world. He sounded so in control of this choice.  He said no matter who he speaks with he wants to leave them with a good feeling, one of acceptance and just wanted to add something special to their day. Before we hung up he said, Aunt Kellie, I want you to know how much I appreciate you.”

His words really stuck in my mind because I remember thinking, “Why does this one boy cares so much about making people feel appreciated when most people his age are only thinking about themselves?  What made the difference for him?”

Lee Walker never made it to Michigan and chose instead to go to a different college in New England.  Sadly, he never got to live out his college years.  Lee drowned in a boating incident during his freshman year.

What we quickly discovered however, was all the people’s lives he impacted before he died.  There were over a thousand people that attended his services the following weekend and I can’t tell you how many people stood up saying this boy impacted their life in some way, their son or daughter’s life, a teacher’s life, a neighbor’s life….on and on we heard it for hours.  Even people that didn’t know him personally, but knew of him because he made an impact on someone they knew showed up.  This entire community of people had been impacted by one boy who made the decision to make a difference to care.

So my question is, how many people will come to your funeral saying you made a difference in their life?  How many moments today are you going to let escape you before you choose to bend your knee to a youngster to help them tie their shoe, or tell your boss you appreciate them, or share what you have with a total stranger without expecting anything in return? How many lives in your community will be changed because of you?

Make a choice.  Make a difference.

If you agree with this post please share it, and feel free to embed the video on your own site if you wish.  We can all make a difference in our communities by encouraging one another.

With Love,

The day had gone amazingly well before the interview.  I was working on my new program launch called MasterMind – MasterMoney for high-end, heart-centered, entrepreneurs.  I had also set aside time to speak with a few people who willingly stepped forward to tell their story for my next book (coming out this summer) called God’s Miracles.  Some of the contributors are from my entrepreneurial community and they have been astounding.

Before my interview with Mrs. Libby, I spoke to a lovely woman from India who, after being kidnapped, was hung and tortured for days only to find herself dumped on the side of the road and left for dead.  This happened to her more than once.  She told me that she had felt the power and presence of God more times than she could count and, in her words, that is what kept her alive.  She has learned to forgive and is now on a mission to change the way women are treated in India and in the world.

Another associate I spoke with shared how she was raised in Africa during a war in the 60′s, and was witness to bodies being ripped apart by explosions and plastered to the side of her family home.  She spoke of a little girl that was found in the midst of this war that became her sister and how the miraculous love of God is what kept her believing it would happen. She spoke of how she is now involved in healing ministries, teaching people to forgive, and that she has helped others around the world for years.

Other events occurred during the day that were completely out of the ordinary but I don’t have time to write them all down.  So as the interview began my interviewer asked me one question that was unexpected.  She said, “I was on the ‘About Page‘ of your website and I was hoping you could explain how you can say that, “People would literally walk through my door with divorce papers in their hands on Monday, and by Friday they would be feeling totally connected and emotionally in love again?”

It wasn’t how I thought the interview would begin, but you never know how or when someone is going to ask a question out of the blue.

I explained that it was how Connecting LLC first got started and how God changed my entire life at that time.  Stories began to spill from my lips in the most vulnerable way and I couldn’t stop them.  I finally came to one story that is more powerful than anything I’ve ever experienced in my life.  It is about forgiveness in its purest form, and is the third chapter of my book Connecting Faith, Hope and Love.

This is where the power surge came in that struck me to my very core.  It’s hard to imagine why a person would cry during ANY interview, but if you want to understand why you’ll have to hear it for yourself. Here is the link.

Thank you to each person that has written me privately to tell me how this interview has changed your heart, your perspective, or your life regarding love and forgiveness.  I am deeply humbled by your outpouring of gratitude.

If while reading this you feel moved to share your story about the amazing miracles of love and forgiveness in your own life, I would love to hear them. Write me privately if you wish at kellie@connectingfhl.com

Abundant Love and Forgiveness to You My Friend,

Since decisions need to be made that are way out of your comfort zone, you tend to struggle with integrity at times.  It seems to be more like an internal art-form of molding and reshaping rather than part of a genuine character you once believed you had.

It looks something like this:

You told others something would turn out one way, believing with all your heart it would, and yet it never materialized or happened fast enough.  You knew you had to keep your staff, and your loved ones, excited and motivated, as if it was going to happen – all the while wondering it would come to fruition.  People gave up and walked away while you were left asking, “Why don’t they believe me?!

One might think that integrity, if part of your character at one time, is just who you are and so it will show up consistently and everyone will believe in you and in your goals or dreams.  But molding the truth, and reshaping it into something believable, just to keep people thinking something is happening isn’t a place you want to find yourself in. It hurts you and it hurts others.

Living in integrity is knowing what’s true for you on a moment by moment basis.  It’s a daily choice and when you step out of your comfort zone into a world of unknowns you want to be sure that your spoken promises match up with your actions.

If the results of your words are not in alignment with the actions you are taking, then it’s time to step back and process what might be happening. We are all human and we make human errors; and while we’re making errors in judgment – others will be judging us.  There is nothing you can do to stop others from judging you, no matter how badly you want to think covering up, molding or reshaping the truth will change it.  It is only masking or postponing the inevitable.

If this has happened to you, or is happening to you, don’t give up. Integrity is a choice, just like forgiveness and love.  Just be open and willing to be coachable.   Listen to the people close enough to the situation that are objectively trying to tell you that you need to course correct.  They will respect you more when you acknowledge the truth of what’s happening no matter how difficult it might seem at the time.

Ask for forgiveness, if you need to restore your integrity, and pray for the wisdom to discern what is true and what isn’t. Although it might seem like the end of the world…it isn’t.  In time you’ll get back on track again, but rather than continue creating an art form of integrity that crumbles into dust eventually, humble yourself by upholding the values of genuine integrity.  In the end, it’s all you have anyway.

If you would like coaching to help you through the process let me know.  We can schedule a one-on-one strategy session with you to see if working with someone on our team would be of benefit.  You can email me here.

Also feel free to share this post with your friends and pick up your free gifts while you’re here!

Love and Respect,

“Talking” and “Connecting your head and heart while Communicating” are very different.

For those who learn to truly connect while communicating, the rewards are great, both financially and personally. Those rewards are real and well within YOUR grasp right now, regardless of your age, education, background, or job.

You can improve the way you communicate with yourself, which will help you connect to others so you CAN succeed

Years ago I wanted to develop my own business. I decided I would have to research and figure it out if I was going to make it happen. I thought I had to do it alone and I also believed that when you want something done right you have to do it yourself.  Right?

Being a Solopreneur is lonely at best; every day sitting behind your computer toiling away for hours on end, and feeling as though you can’t delegate your work out. These are two concepts in your mind that will swallow you whole.

I was stuck in this mindset for a few years and although I loved my work, I felt like I was clinging to a sinking ship.  I will share tips with you on how to create your own Make It Happen Teams and how to delegate your work if that is what you’re after. Imagine creating a team of people who you can brainstorm with and working with others who will offer you the support you need to get where you want to go in your business or in your life.

Believe me, if I can do it after a traumatic brain injury, so can you.  Keep watch for future postings on this topic. You will gain so many insights and knowledge it will make your head swim with excitement!

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

For those who have believed that loving God means you cannot be wealthy, I’d encourage you to remember that Abraham, David, Jacob and many other Biblical leaders were wealthy. Lets just straighten this out now….It isn’t money that is evil – it is the love for the dollars themselves that create greed and insidious behaviors that get people into trouble.

This video encapsulates Mr. Hill’s mission to open up the minds of all individuals regarding wealth – as financial riches. It is quite fascinating to listen to, but you will only find it fascinating if you are ready to receive.

So what were your beliefs about money before reading Think and Grow Rich?

My belief was that wealthy people were criminals, money was evil, and you should never hang on to it so just give it away.  Wow! This is what I was taught.

How long do you think it took me to start attracting wealth into my life with those types of beliefs?? Lets just say a very long time, but once I chose to take my thoughts captive, meaning stop believing what others had taught me, I could understand that the flow of money (both giving and receiving) is vital to doing the work God (source, the universe) has laid out in front of me to do… then it began to flow.

We all have limiting beliefs to some degree. What limiting beliefs do you have that might be holding you back?

Mr. Hill’s favorite prayer of gratitude became my prayer as well and I’ll share it again with you now in case you want to write it down.

“Oh Divine Providence, I ask not for more riches but for more wisdom to make wiser use of the riches you gave me at birth; consisting of power and control in

directing my own mind toward whatever ends I desire.”

Here is something I’d like you to consider doing right now…

1. If you haven’t read “Think and Grow Rich” yet but would like to, tell me in the comment box below, and I’ll send you the e-book for free.  Also visit our storefront with wonderful people who have lived out Napoleon’s words in their lives.

2. Sign up to receive your free gifts to the right by submitting your primary email address so you can have access to them today.

3. Please re-tweet or FB share this message so we can continue to SPREAD THE WORD, and the WEALTH!!

I knew that if I wasn’t disciplined enough to follow through with what I said I would do that my mind would give me all kinds of excuses as to why I “wasn’t able” to make better choices for myself. I wanted accountability.

Have you ever met anyone who didn’t want to be accountable? They want to do things their way. They usually blame others and they don’t listen to how others think or feel. By understanding your own truth, being accountable for your own thoughts, you begin to OWN your STUFF….the good, the bad and yes, even the ugly, because the reality of life is that we all struggle in some way.  Accountability and truth often go hand in hand.

If you think about it, what you see is your perception of the ‘truth’ and it may or may not be the ‘truth’ for others.  But once it becomes your truth than you are accountable for upholding that truth.  In reality, we are never in a position to ‘judge’ others based on the ‘truth’ because perceptions change as we evolve.

We’re not born with character as far as I know, it is something that gets developed and nurtured over time. We are born with a spirit, however, and that spirit helps us define our character which shows in the way we treat ourselves and in the way we treat others.

I hope this helps you to grab a hold of  your own truth and to be accountable without expecting others to uphold your truth as well. We are all unique with unique perspectives, but we can all choose to live in peace, live in joy, and live in love, and in doing so, can rise to the top by being a living example!

If you found this helpful please comment and share with a friend and don’t forget to sign up for your free gifts before you leave. Look to the right and leave  your email.  Tell  your friends they can get free gifts as well!

Blessings!

I also relied on the best coaches to teach the different skills I wanted to learn. For instance, when I wanted to become a radio show host I learned from Teleseminarian Guru Alex Mandossian. When I wanted to help people see the desires of their heart more clearly, I learned from Dream Coach Marcia Weider. When I wanted to write a book I learned how to do it from the Author of one of the highest selling books, Chicken Soup for The Soul, Mark Victor Hansen. Today, as a Keynote Speaker and Seminar Director for Women’s Information Network, I rely on one of my best coaches Max Simon to guide me in the process of serving others while creating wealth at the same time.

I want to give you 5 free MP3 that will help you take several great steps toward enjoying your life.

You’ll discover how to:

These audio’s will allow you to open your mind up to truth. To new possibilities of using your God-given talents to spawn a new and exciting future. Just take 1 minute right now to log into the site with your name and email address and you’ll get the link to start listening right away.

Thank you for visiting and we hope you come back often, but if not, you’ll at least have 5 free audios to share with your friends IF you put your name and email into the boxes below for your free gift that I trust will inspire you to move into a more positive and productive life.

God’s Abundant Blessings,

Kellie

For review – there are 5 qualifications I look for in a great leader:

1. Do they draw a clear line between what they will do and won’t do, not what they can or can’t do?

2. Do they influence others in heart-felt ways and live out their BEST in all they do?

3. Do they follow through with what they say they will do?

4. Do they make it easy for others to follow their lead? and finally…

5. Do they give to others from their heart and not just for show?

Today’s culture has shifted to a more socially conscious society. People caring about people and wanting to see change that is clear, concise and filled with hope. People want to listen to those that are emotionally connected, speaking to the heart of what matters. These leaders are not listed in any particular order as they are all equally and vitally as important to our world as they are to me personally.

1. Derek Sivers – Founder of CDBaby, who treats work as play. He believes that whatever scares you, you should simply go and do it. He loves to learn, is a minimalist (meaning he is happy living with little) and Derek brought simplified leadership into our lives through T.E.D. with one simple video of a guy dancing while others followed. Derek continues to mentor and inspire us with each of his, often comical, profound views points of leadership.

2. Scott Martineau – Founder of ConsciousOne. A fabulous heart-centered speaker who knows how to help you bring increase to your life. He is a true conscious, benevolent leader who creates high performance systems for leading experts in the fields of personal and professional development. Scott is a gifted speaker who exemplifies great speaking, just by speaking, whether there is a stage or not.

3. Max Simon – Founder of GetSelfCentered. The name isn’t what you think. Most would relate it to selfishness and being self sufficient, but Max teaches to be grounded to the source of life and to center yourself with the spirit of your creator so you are never alone. His teachings are profoundly gratifying and you are able to consistently build upon his astounding business systems for your own business.

4. Oprah Winfrey – Founder of OWN. Okay, so she’s not a stage presenter, and I realize that Oprah’s show was either something you loved or hated, but what I find so refreshing was her entrance into the on-line world and how humbling it was for her. Nothing could have prepared her for this huge step, but she is doing it with as much grace as she possibly can. She made my list last year for the simple fact that she lives her truest self even in the public eye. She exceeds her own expectations of what she can accomplish in life and isn’t afraid to tackle the impossible.

5. Jeni Stepanek – Founder of MattieOnLine. If you have not heard Jeni speak, do not wait. She will captivate your heart on the subject of peace, but it is not easy for her from her wheelchair. Her youngest son, Mattie, became a phenom by the young age 13, writing poetry and becoming an advocate for world peace. When you hear mom Jeni speak, you would understand where he got some of his courage from, although I doubt she would take credit. Mattie died at the age of 13, from the same disease her 3 other children died from, which one can’t even imagine what she’s been through, but Jeni shares personal stories of courage and coping tips dealing with tragedy. Mattie’s message became hers, and as a side note, Oprah Winfrey’s was one of Mattie’s closest friends.

6. Paula Fellingham – Founder of WomensInformationNetwork and WomensGlobalSummit. An amazing speaker who is engaging women worldwide in experiencing a transformation of consciousness. Transforming the lives of millions of women around the world will help prevent illiteracy, poverty and hunger. I am honored to be sharing in the joy of assisting women in personal growth, as we create summits together and to share a platform with her in the future.

7. Kelly Falardeau – Founder of MyKellyF. Kelly maybe fairly new on the scene but you would never know it. A best selling author for her latest book ‘Self Esteem Doesn’t Come In a Bottle’, her speaking career has taken off. As burn survivor, Kelly feels quitting was never an option for her. She was burned over 75% of her body at the age of 2, and this sparked a determination in her that will make you question what on earth you ever have to complain about. She will make you laugh, cry and dance in your seat while she shares her stories and inspires you to accept the beauty you have inside of you.

8. Dennis Cummins – Chiropractor and Lead Trainer for Peak Potentials. Dennis has a heart that seems more broad than the Atlantic ocean, which matches his passion for helping others. He teaches that there are as many successes as failures in life and that nothing is more important that lifting up the relationships you build. His ability to command a room and garner people’s attention is what changes lives around the world.

9. Gary Karp – A spokesman for the uniquely-abled, Gary creates an interactive environment from his wheelchair to discuss topics that are often uncomfortable and challenging. His contributions on stage brings deep understanding to a workplace and entertainment to the audience. A wonderful person to get to know.

10. Joyce Meyer – Founder of the Joyce Meyer Ministries. God’s Love is the foundation for this amazing speaker. Joyce is like the Aunt that every kid dreams of having in their family. She is down to earth, full of life and gives you the kick in the pants you need to get beyond yourself. Joyce has the ability to bring you into a focus of heart-centered virtues and being more like Jesus.

So there you have it, my list for the most profound speakers in 2011 dealing with matters of the heart. These folks are the real deal when it comes to love and life.

If you find this article helpful feel free to forward it on or use it any way you see fit.  I just ask that you keep my name and web address attached to it.  Abundant Blessing in 2012!!