Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine NK LCM February 2018 Anniversary Issue | Page 63

Three Favorite Quotes by Maya Angelou
and How They’ve Impacted My Life.
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them.”
I’ve knocked myself over the head with this one many times
in the past, especially with family members. I had to learn when
it was time to let someone go. People are who they are and
just because we share the same bloodline, doesn’t make it any
different. I’ve learned to take care of me first. You only get one
chance to show your true colors. I’m still a forgiving soul, (I can’t
let anyone change the person I am inside), but I can love you
from a distance and keep my inner peace intact.
“I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.”
In the January issues, Angelia Vernon Menchan wrote about Making a Living. Six years ago, I left my
steady paycheck as a pharmacy tech to open my own business. Spending more time with my family was the
driving force behind the decision. My employer cut part-time workers and expected the four full-timers to
do double the work which entailed working nights and weekends. I’m an active and involved mother, and
the thought of not being at my daughter’s basketball games and gymnastics practices were unacceptable.
The change of employment couldn’t have come at a better time. Now I’m available for the everyday things
that I would miss out on if I had a traditional nine-to-five (or nine in the morning to midnight as they were
aiming for). I’m present, and that’s priceless.
“We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.”
Anything in life worth having doesn’t come easy. We have many fails before we have successes.
This is pertinent in writing. I had to remember through the editing process and now the writing of a new
book that defeat is not permanent. It comes in spells. I have moments when I can’t get my thoughts together
or writing hiatuses that seem to go on longer than they should. The important thing is never to give up and
keep working hard.
London St. Charles is a Chicago native who has always had a passion for the pen,
paper, and books. She wrote and published her debut novel, The Husband We Share
in 2017 and is currently working on her next novel. www.londonstcharles.com
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