Back From Vacation.

To love what you do and feel that it matters- how could anything be more fun?

-Katharin Graham

I am refreshed and back from vacation. I know I've said on here how important it is to not only spend quality time with your family, but quality time with yourself. I had such an amazing 8 days off. 4 of which were spent with my best friend and 4 days with my son. I just had a blast. No worries in the world.


There's a lot of you out there that can't possibly take a multiple day vacation, so today I'm dedicating to the mini-vacation and stay-cations. It is so important to your soul and well being to have fun, that I think everyone should attend a class on enjoying life. I'm going to share some great ways that we have made a fun injection into our over-worked, stressed-out lives.


First close your eyes and think of a time where you were so happy your face hurt, or maybe you laughed until you cried. When I did this I thought of many years ago when my best friend and I went camping together with some friends and how terribly much fun we had. I called her up that same day and told her we HAD to do that again. So we set up a time and nothing, NOTHING, got in our way of going.


There was also a time when we were sitting around talking about how much fun we used to have on Saturday mornings. We would wake up before our parents and build a little fort in the living room, eat Captain Crunch and watch Gummy Bears, Smurfs and He-Man. We got a good laugh out of reminiscing about our childhood, but it got me to thinking. So I went down to the library, found Smurfs, Fraggle Rock and (as much as I hate to confess) I already had He-Man on tape. So I woke up really early, made chocolate chip pancakes, woke up my son and made a fort in the living room with our old sheets. We giggled and watched my old time favorite cartoons. Talk about a boost to the week. I giggled about that for a month.


A stay-cation is another great way of getting your family together. It can be one day or a weekend. Google recreation in your local area and pick a few things that your family can do together. A few months ago I had an appointment in Anacortes, it's only an hour away, but I packed us all up. When the appointment was done, we scooted over to the Deception Pass Bridge and out to Oak Harbor. It wasn't much, just a little hiking and walking along the beach. But taking time out of your busy schedule for the ones you love makes the biggest difference.


We all want more money, time and nicer things, it's only natural. The most valuable thing we have is Time and we absolutely must share it with others. Spend it wisely and splurge it on those you love, it turns out for the best in the end.



Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming
CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com
http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings
http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

You Got to MOVE IT!

To will is to select a goal, determine a course of action that will bring one to that goal and then hold to that action till the goal is reached. The key is action.

-Michael Hason

Our whole life is made up of actions, big and small. Even sleeping and doing nothing are actions. What we need in our lives is more purposeful actions. Along your day stop and ask yourself what this action is doing to help you reach your goals.


If you goal is to spend more time with your family and you see yourself playing on a computer or agreeing to work an extra shift. Stop. Redirect your action to something more productive to spending time with your family. If you are working that extra shift, take some of that extra money to save for a family outing. If you are playing on the computer, ask yourself if making that extra level will really satisfy you, or will reading your kids a story?


In business success, we often spin our wheels on menial tasks. Spending 45 minutes check email, then rechecking email, then checking our other email. It may be more effective for you to make a phone call instead of replying to an email. Even though typing and hitting send may only take a minute and the phone call may take 5, you are getting through to that person more effectively. Creating a positive bond between you and that individual. And we all crave connections.


Just think about what you are doing, or not doing, and try to redirect some of those actions to your goals. Success is the some of small actions, done day in and day out.




Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming
CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com

http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings
http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

Deep Practice

To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.

-Confucius (551BC - 479BC)

Out of every class or book we read, no matter how bad, we can find one or two gems of information and/or wisdom. No matter who we talk to there is always something new we can learn from them . One of my favorites for the week is the term 'Deep Practice'. Here in the West if we know the basics of how to do something, we know it. In the East, we don't know something until we know how to do it right. With Eastern Philosophy we would spend lots of time doing the same task over and over again, just to say we know how to do it. This is what Deep Practice refers to.


We too often think of things to practice as physical acts. We practice our music, sports and crafts. But how often do we practice ways of thinking or reacting? Positive thought and positive actions cannot just be something we idly strive towards or tentatively know. We must practice them day in and day out until it becomes part of us. Deep Practice.


You can set up goals for your new positive mindset. Try going an hour without saying or thinking anything negative about anyone else or yourself. Make it to and from a destination without insulting a fellow driver. Set aside time each day to re-affirm the positive things about yourself. You must set aside time to practice your positive lifestyle. The more you practice, the better you will be.


Same goes for your small business. We aren't born with the ability to talk or walk, we practice. So why do so many think that the second we sign up for a home business we become great entrepreneurs. We have to practice it. We must practice our pitch, we must review and learn about our products, we must learn how to approach people, how to set up our demo, etc, etc. Most people have a curve of 6m -12m. A curve being the amount of time it takes you to become proficient in your business. Expect poor results the first 6 months, better results after the first 12 and then you should hit your stride in your 2nd year. This is true about all businesses. Home based and brick and mortar. Expect to loose money your first 2 years. Anything better then that and you ROCK!


Listen to your mother, "Practice makes perfect". Use it for your whole life. Loosing weight, being a good friend, positive thinking and work. The more you work on improving yourself the better you will be.



Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming
CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com

http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings
http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

K.I.S.S.

You don't need to outdo the competition. It's expensive and defensive. Underdo your competition. We need more simplicity and clarity.

-Jason Fried

We all tend to over-complicate our lives. Even taking a shower can be a complex string of choices and options. Do I scrub, wash or exfoliate? Is my hair in need of volume, shine or deep cleansing? Does my skin need more moisture or anti-aging? And that's just the first 15 minutes of our day. Everything has become a complicated with so many options, it can make your head spin.


We need to be less harsh on ourselves and simplify. There is no way of turning back the clock to simpler times, so we must cope with what we have. By simplifying and changing the way we react to stress, our lives can become more livable.


Over-Committed. I find myself in this situation more often then not. We must learn to say No. Do one project at a time. If you haven't finished that basket for the fundraiser on Friday, don't agree to have another one ready by Monday (unless baskets is your business and then go for it!). When your trying to find time to squeeze in a hike for a Scout group, don't agree to host a party the same week. We want to be helpful, make people happy, but too often we sacrifice our happiness for the good of others. Try what you can to do one thing at a time, you'll thank yourself later.


Under-Paid. We often don't get paid what we are worth. We get stuck in a job that we can stand, but as the cost of living goes up, our pay doesn't. And when we actually do get a raise, it's never quite enough. There are several ways to try and cope with this. Don't be afraid to ask for a raise. There has been plenty of times when someone is complaining how they haven't had a raise in years, but never asked. Leave your options open. Don't accept that just because things have always been one way, they will always be that way. Do a search every couple of months to see what else is out there. And if there is an opening for what you do and the pay is higher, go for it. Turn your hobbies into money. There are lots of services that people are willing to pay for. If you quilt, start letting people know that you teach classes, or create patterns to sell online. Work on cars? A little back yard wrench slinging can pull in some cash. Like books? There are ample opportunities to buy and resell books. Two for one, you get to shop then you get to sell!


Not Appreciated. We don't get thanked for a lot of things we do. Start patting your own back! make sure you take time each week to award yourself for all that you do!


Over-Worked. Business owners and the working person both have this problem. We want to get more done then our competitors, make sure we get that raise. So we add more hours to our work week. We need to work effectively and we can't be effective if we are run down. We skip our breaks, lunch and then stay an hour or two later. Even if you feel that you get more done in that extra hour then you've gotten done all day, chances are you'd get more done within that 8 hours if you had some time during the day to refresh yourself. Take a break. 15 minutes of stretching or a brisk walk not only will help you feel energized, but will add a better boost to your day then an extra espresso. Quit at quitting time. At least twice a week, stop working when you are supposed to. That extra hour or two will add much more ease to your life and boost your work then the little extra money you would have earned working late.


Just take a look at all you are doing, be proud of what you accomplish. Take time for you and your family to increase your relaxation and inner happiness. See what you can cut out of your life if you are over-committed. Above all, don't take any of it too seriously, life is temporary after all!



Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming
CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com

http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings
http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

ch-ch-ch-choices

The first step to getting the tings you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.

-Ben Stein

Everyday we make hundreds of decisions. Some we are so well trained to do, we don't really think about them. We choose to get out of bed, eat breakfast, go to work, what we wear, what route to take, etc., etc, etc.


Some will say, 'But you don't choose to eat, you have to eat.' not true. You don't have to eat, ask Ghandi. But if you don't eat, you die. So congratulations, you chose life! On a less dramatic scale you do get to choose what to eat. You can have a hamburger, or you can have a chicken burger. We have to rethink how we think to make changes and changes start with choices.


If you are one of the millions of people who have found themselves let-go from your place of work and are reading this. I know you are thinking that you didn't choose to get fired or laid off. Using our ability to choose is a way to react to other people's choices as well. You don't have a job, that is a fact, you cannot make your boss change their mind, so move on. You can choose to sit around and feel sorry for yourself. You can go out and apply for a few jobs a day and that's that. OR you can make active choices to regain employment. OR start your own business. We all have a skill set. Big or small. They can all be used to our advantage or disadvantage. You can clean? Send out and email and call around to see if anyone needs help cleaning their house or garage. It may not be much money, but money is money. Use your skills to earn extra $$$ while waiting for a job to come along. Doing something is better then doing nothing.


For those who are looking for a job, here are some tips:


*Keep a written record of where you have applied
*Make sure you keep track of who you've contacted at potential employers
*Follow up at least once a week, by phone, on those applications
*Make sure you know the name of who will make the decision to hire you
*Be well informed about the company going into your interview
*Try to get information on who is interviewing you (google them)
*Follow up with a Thank You Card or Handwritten Note
*Follow up by phone once a week until you get a yes or no answer
*Repeat as often as you can until you get a job.


For those who are sick of looking for a job and want long term security:


*Call or email me, I can help you find or build a business that will put YOU in charge.


Just remember today that life is all about choices. You can choose life, love, healthiness and happiness. We choose how to react to situations. We choose what to put into our bodies. We choose to spend time with our family. Use your choices wisely.




Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com
http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings
http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

Trust

You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough.

-Frank Crane

In this day and age, and maybe in every other day and age (I lack the personal experience to speak on other days and ages), trust is a rare thing. I hear quite often how someone "doesn't trust anyone" or "doesn't trust anyone they don't know". This makes me smile. Doing research to verify what someone is telling you is one thing, not trusting anyone is another. If you are a person who prides themselves on not trusting people, you should probably stop reading here.


You trust people every day, you trust people you never have, nor probably never will, meet in person. 'I DO NOT!', you say? Well, if you leave your house, use electricity in your house or turn your water on you do. We trust that the people driving behind us will hit their brakes and not hit us. We trust that the person driving next to us will stay in their lane. We trust that the power company employees will go to work today. We trust in the person who made the food we are eating (even the person who fills the Mac N Cheese box!). There is an entire army of people who we trust every day to do the right thing, get their job done right and have common courtesy. Think on this one, the first few times I realized this, I was really, REALLY, nervous driving home.


This is a great story about a professional golfer, I cannot recall from what era or what his name is, but it's a great story:


He had been on the professional circuit for about 2 years. He was having a remarkable game one day and actually took 1st place. But because of an error by his caddy, a mis-add that would have actually improved his score, he was disqualified. An error in scoring is an error in scoring, good or bad, and is an immediate disqualification. He was not mad, caddy didn't get fired, he simply said "We all make mistakes and I still had the best game of my career, even if it didn't count for winning."


Two weeks later he beat his best game and won $15,000. Being very proud of himself, he took his time washing up and getting changed. Just really enjoying the moment. As he was walking to his car a young, disheveled woman came up to him... She had no money, no job, her baby was sick, dieing in the hospital, she couldn't pay the medical bills and she was about to loose their car and their apartment. Could he please help? Without a second though, he sighed the $15,000 check over to her.


The next day one of his friends who had seen the interaction, informed him that she was a con artist. She had stolen from him. There was no sick baby, just a greedy woman. "Your kidding?" he asked. "That's the best news I've heard all day. There's no sick baby. I was up all night worrying about a poor child in the hospital."


You see sometimes when you focus on all the bad things that people do and have to offer, you miss out on some of the really great stuff. You stress yourself out, become suspicious and may loose out on great things that can come your way. The way the golfer reacted is amazing, completely ignoring the wrong that was done to him, relishing in the positive of what happened. In his world, there is now one less sick child. Fabulous!


I'm not saying that you should put your trust in everyone that you meed. Just to be a little less distrustful. Give a dollar to that homeless guy, does it really matter if he spends it on food or booze, that's going to be HIS conversation with his maker, not yours. Yours will be of kindness. Donate to charity that comes to your door. Sure, it may be a scheme, but in the long run $5 won't make or break you. But it can be a meal or help that someone else really, really needs. Lets work together to make this world a better place. One blind kindness at a time.




Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com
http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings
http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

Network Marketing and MLMs

I am working full time on my income and part time on my fortune.

-Jim Rohn

My deepest apologies for missing Friday's blog. I was so very busy I don't think I slowed down until 3pm on Sunday. I thought to make up for it, I'd give you a bonus business round.

Above is one of my favorite quotes for Network Marketers. Multi-Level Network Marketing businesses has opened up the door to financial success to anyone who puts forth the effort to work for it. We can work part time on a residual, secure income without giving up the day job (or night job) that pays the bills. But many of these businesses are often scoffed at by many. I'm here today to reconcile a few misconceptions of MLMs.

The pay structure often takes the form of a pyramid, but it is not, not, NOT a pyramid scheme. A pyramid scheme is defined as " a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, often without any product or service being delivered" Pyramid schemes are illegal and are usually busted within the first few months of being started. MLMs are legitimate companies offering legitimate products.

Having cleared that up the next issue I hear a lot about is that Network Marketers have to constantly hound their friends and family to join their company. Not true. If you like a product or service you sometimes will tell your friends and family about it. Ever recommend a shampoo, restaurant or household cleaner? That is exactly what they are trying to do, only they get paid if you act on their recommendation. They have found a product that they really enjoy and believe in. They primarily want to share a product with you and secondly want to share a way for you to make money, too. All that they ask is for you to give them a little bit of your time to listen and then if you are interested to let them know. How would you like it if your best friend found a way to make an extra $500 a month by working 5 hours a week, and didn't share it with you? How about if they ended up making $1000 or $5000? You would be upset. All I ask of you is to listen, you never know what opportunity may pop up!

Now onto the fun parts. We all know how a regular job works. You get paid X amount of work for X amount of hours. Period. You work, you get paid, you don't work, you don't get paid. Jobs are a secure source of income. You could own a traditional business and offer a goods or services. You make X amount of money for X goods or X amount of service. Once an item or service is sold, you get paid and that's the end. With MLM's you usually get paid X amount for selling goods or services that are needed on a regular basis, then you get paid Y amount for items or services that are used throughout the year. Amount Y will grow and grow as you sell more of the initial item or service.

It's like if I asked you to work 10 hours a week for $1 and hour. Then for each week you work I will pay you $1 a week forever, and I'll compound it (1st month $1, 2nd month $2, etc). I'll even give you a raise, after the first year I'll give you $2 each week, $3 for your third year. and so forth. At the end of the first year you would be making $92, 2nd year would be $144, 5 years $768, 10 years $3316. You are still only working 10 hours a week, but now you are earning $3316 a month, best of all, when you stop working you will still get a check each month for $3276. That is the wonder of residual income and building income levels. You may have to work for next to nothing for the first few years, but when you apply yourself consistently over time, you can yield great, long term results.

Going back to my favorite quote, there are many, many reasons for dedicating some of your time each week to building a solid residual income, taxes, security, independence. Everyone has their own reasons. There is hardly anything that you currently use and enjoy that you can't build a business with coffee (http://www.markethealthycoffee.com/), non-toxic home products (http://www.wealthandwellnessteam.com/celticblessings ), personal fitness (http://www.teambeachbody.com/healthymoms) , scrap booking, make-up, etc. You should find something that you really believe in and enjoy, then go for it! Nothing beats having the money and freedom to pursue your dreams.

You can always contact me and we can talk about what your strengths and interests are, if I can't help you, I can point you in the right direction.

Thanks for listening and....

Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com
http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings
http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

Smile

Let us make one point, that we meet each other with a smile, when it is difficult to smile. Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family.

-Mother Teresa

There are many places in life that you cannot get to without a smile. Namely, people's hearts and minds. I picked up a saying awhile back, 'Smile when you feel like frowning, laugh when you feel like crying.'. I'm not sure who I picked it up from, but it helps. In our down and out moments doing the opposite of what we feel like can do a world of good.


Smiles are also contagious. You will open more doors in life with a sincere smile and looking people in the eyes, then you can being cleaver. I am reminded of a story I heard about Mrs. Gretchen and Mrs. Smith.


Mrs. Gretchen and Mrs. Smith went to the same church and attended the ladies brunch together on the first Saturday of the month. Mrs. Smith never took a liking to Mrs. Gretchen, and didn't know why. She would smile at her, and Mrs. Gretchen would scowl back. She would ask her how her week went, Mrs. Gretchen would give short answers with a nasty tone that made Mrs. Smith feel sorry for even asking. And so after a while Mrs. Smith just accepted the fact that Mrs. Gretchen didn't like her. And that's the way it went for a long time.


Then one day Mrs. Smith got to thinking about it again, and it made her sad and angry. Sad that they didn't like each other and angry that Mrs. Gretchen never gave her a chance. So Mrs. Smith started taking ingredients out of her cupboards. She mixed up the dough for the pie crust, thinking about all the times she had smiled at Mrs. Gretchen and not gotten a smile back. She boiled the pudding on the stove thinking about how they always seem to sit at different tables during brunch. She whipped up the meringue thinking how she always set so far away from Mrs. Gretchen during church. Then when her perfect lemon meringue pie was done, she looked down at her feet and said "OK, start walking."


With her stomach in knots, she started down the street. Wanting a million times to turn around and go home, she crossed the tracks. Then she looked around at this run down neighborhood. No color, no kids playing, no sprinklers, all browns and greys. And she felt a little sad. Feeling about faint, she knocked on Mrs. Gretchen's door. "What do you want?!" was the answer she got. "I made you a pie and would like to share a piece with you." Mrs. Smith replied. They went in and shared that pie, and coffee, and it wasn't that they miraculously got along from that day to this, but it slowly got better. And now they are friends, not best friends, but friends nonetheless.


It's not a miracle to be nice to people, but it can be difficult. Smile. Smile. Smile. It will help. And when it seems that someone hates you and you feel like hating them in return. Do something extra nice for them. You may not be best friends after that. But it will lessen the anger and after a while, the anger will be gone.


Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4u@Gmail.com

http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings
http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

Loosing Weight

Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.

-Reggie Leach

In the last year I've gone from 225 to 175 (now back up to 185, stupid not smoking). That's not hype or photo-shopped pictures. That's 12 months of eating light yogurt instead of ice cream, working out instead of going to the movies, being sore and really enjoying working towards a goal.


We are bombarded day in and day out with the possibilities of miracles. Are we living in a magical new world? Can money and a few pills solve our problems? Are there more miracles today, or are we just broadcasting them more? All good questions to ask. I believe in miracles, absolutely. I believe in faith, love and human determination. All this helped push me through that 50 pounds and will continue pushing me through the next 25.


I have listened to a lot of people tell me that they've tried everything to loose weight... then proceeded to tell me that they ate the double whopper at Burger King (but held the cheese!). There are many, many factors in loosing weight, and not every program works for everyone. I chose simple. Diet and exercise. I watch my portions, eat WLF (whole grain, lean meats and fresh foods) and work out like a maniac (4-7x a week between 20min-2hrs). Not everyone can afford the money and time it takes to do this, but you can implement some changes.


Try the +10 a week. Start with 10 push ups, sit ups, dips, jumping jacks, squats, lunges and planks (all three hold for 10 seconds). Then the next week add 10, 20 push ups, sit ups, dips, etc. Do them M-W-F right before your shower, then add in a Tues. or a Saturday. Pretty soon you'll be doing it everyday. Promise yourself that whatever changes you want to commit for a year. If at 2 months, 6 months, 8 months you're not 'feeling' it, keep going. Take a photo of yourself today then look at another one (in the same clothes) in a year. You'll see a difference if you commit to yourself!


This way of acting and committing works for all aspects of life. If you commit a little bit of time every day to reaching a goal, you will. But it's not easy, it's not fast and it's not painless. Everything worth having is worth working for. Commit to YOU!


If you need a personal coach at an affordable rate, let me know. I can direct you to a few, just drop me an email.



Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming


CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com
http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings

http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

Shooda, Cooda, Wooda Sisters

Acceptance doesn't mean that you have to agree with something and like how it is. Acceptance simply means that you accept how it is and make peace with it.

-Mike Robbins

I'm not exactly sure when I heard the story, but it has stuck with me for years and held true... DON'T SPEND TIME WITH THE SHOODA, COODA, WOODA SISTERS!!

The Shooda sister always should have done something. I should have left five minutes earlier, I wouldn't have gotten stuck in traffic [you may have missed traffic but you may have ended up in the accident also]. .I should have called Mary first, then she wouldn't have signed up with Ken. [when we don't want to do something, and it turned out to be the right thing, we can be too hard on ourselves] I should get up earlier to get a head start on the day [don't just say you're going to do something, do it] Shooda constantly focuses in on what she 'should have' done instead of what she can and is doing. She is poor company.

The Cooda sister always could have done something. I could have taken I-90 and saved myself the hour wait [but you didn't and waisted an hour whining about it]. I could have done a better report, then I would have that raise [but you sped through yours to get of work an hour early to see your kids play]. I could have made that call, but I didn't want to get stuck on the phone while I was making dinner [excuses!] . Cooda constantly focuses on what she 'could have' done making excuses and beating herself up about her priorities. Being in her company makes you feel guilty.

The Wooda sister always would have done something, her stars never quite align right. I would have taken I-5, but it looked too crowded. [looks can be deceiving] I would have stayed late to finish it, but I didn't think the boss would be in early. [it's only cheating if you get caught?] I would have called Suzy, if I had known that she was looking for a home based business [never know until you ask]. Wooda constantly sees a better way that she 'would have' done something if something else wasn't there, if something else wasn't going on, if there was something she would have known. Too much hanging with Wooda and you may be upset or depressed, but at least it won't ever be your fault.

We have all spent at least a little bit of time (some of us a lot of time) with one or all three of the sisters. We need to not beat ourselves up, make excuses for or deflect the reasons why we make the choices we make. If something is not working, take a closer look at what you did, and do it better next time.

Accept that what has happened, happened. Accept that you had a part (big or small) in the events that happened. Identify what created the good results (or the bad). Learn from them, repeat the good, change the bad. AND MOVE FORWARD!

Only dedicate a small part of your day to this, maybe 15-30 minutes at the end of your day. Focus on the good things that happened, not the bad. And know that tomorrow you'll add another tool to your mental toolbox for positive results!

Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com

http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings

http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

Listening

"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb."

-Sir Winston Churchill

This wonderful thought occurred to me yesterday. We tend to see ourselves and others as either a success or failure. We accomplish or fail. There is this whole entire grey area between failure and success that we call life. We should find a different yard stick to measure ourselves by. Lets put aside bank accounts, cars and clothes. Lets look at our lives, that grey area. Are you happy? Are those around you happy? Do you have that special someone? Do you have friends? How's your extended family? Think about it. Give yourself a pat on the back if you had a positive answer and reaction to all the questions... heck... if you have 3 out of 5 you're doing good.

The point is not that we don't need money and the like to be successful, the point is that the small efforts we make to ensure personal, family and relationships succeed are the same set of skills used to be a success in business. If you know how to listen, when to have which emotional reaction, can give advise when needed and are pleasant to be around, more people will flock to you and your business.

Lets take listening as an example, verbal and non-verbal. When your wife [or husband] is telling you how their day went, do you smile and nod or listen? If you can't actually remember how your significant other's day went yesterday, you were just going along with the conversation, and not really listening. Mind what they are saying, try to take mental notes [write them down when you are done if you tend to forget things easily] look at how they are standing, keep eye contact. Does it look like there is something else they want to say? Do they look like they want a response from you? Are the just venting? Now, the next day try and recall how their day was. Check your notes. Try doing this activity 2-5 times a week. If you don't have a significant other, try it with a friend or roommate.

How does this pertain to business? Listen, listen, LISTEN!! To co-workers, management, clients, bartenders, whomever. You never know when your next jewel of information will come to you. For example, with Send Out Cards, I use the Internet to send a physical card through the postal service, with a first class stamp. Did you know that the postal service was going to cut back a day of delivery because of lack of mail? [not a joke or plug http://kuow.org/program.php?id=1646 ] I now feel that sending cards is patriotic. I want to support my postal service. How did I learn about this spin to my business? Listening to a conversation in line at Albertsons.

Listening will also get you more customers. I know people who will drive an extra 45 minutes to go to a dentist because they see him as a part of their extended family. And how does he do it? He has trained himself and all the staff to take notes of the small talk that they have (names of dogs, ages of children, painting the house, buying a new car, etc.). Then the next time they come in, or when he send them their birthday card, he can add in a personal note ie. How is the new puppy? I hope your enjoying the new car! How was Cindy's 9th birthday? Amazing! How to stay above the game!

Try and remember to listen and pay attention to your loved ones. A truly loving, compassionate companion is not only a hit with their family and friends. But the positive energy and uplift you'll start radiating will attract others to you creating a influx of customers.

Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4u@Gmail.com

http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings
http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz

Death, Life and Change

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

-W.H. Auden

As much as I would like to take yesterday and erase it, it would do no good. With life comes death. With death comes rebirth. It is not good or bad, it is just change. We can weep for our loss of those we love and rejoice in the memories of those who touched our lives. At 10pm on June 30th, Ethan Iverson, Age 8 passed away. He had been fighting cancer for a year. It is tragic when anyone passes, especially when it is one so young. We can all have faith that he is in a place without pain where he can just be a kid again. He was loved in life and will be missed.


Out of the ashes of this loss comes an amazing sense of community and mutual love. I watched dozens of police officers go by all morning long and well into the afternoon to pay their respects to the family. I watched many families pull together to provide support to the Iverson Family. Our local community and business owners are fantastic. Never before have I seen so many come together in such a short time for a common cause. Thank you to each and every individual who showed up, participated in, donated and supported all of the fundraisers. You all deserve a standing ovation.



I can also hope that the love and gratitude showed towards our children will continue. There was an atmosphere of clinging to our healthy children and thanking God that we have them. Spending more time with our families, thankful just to be with them. As sad as it is that it takes a situation like this one to bring out this kind of love, I have faith that it will continue.



Please take time today to show your love and appreciation to each other. I know that I say it a lot, because it needs to be said. Don't wait until it is too late... love one another unabashedly, life is too short for regrets.

Let me come in where you are weeping, friend,

and let me take your hand.

I, who have known a sorry such as yours,

can understand.

Let me come in-I would be very still

beside you in your grief.

I would not bid you cease your weeping, Friend;

tears bring relief.

Let me come in-I would only breathe a prayer,

and hold your hand.

For I have known a sorrow such as yours,

and understand.

-Grace Noll Crowell

Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4u@Gmail.com

Moderation in Moderation

There are people who strictly deprive themselves of each and every eatable, drinkable and smokable which has in any way acquired a shady reputation. They pay this price for health. And health is all they get for it. How strange it is. It is like paying out your whole fortune for a cow that has gone dry.

-Mark Twain

In general we all know what is good for us and what is bad for us. However, there are still times when I watch the news and have a 'I didn't know that was bad for me.' moment. There are those who enjoy a raw-organic-locally-grown diet, and for those who enjoy it, I give you massive props and an applause. There are the rest of us who enjoy sugar, caffeine, fried foods and the occasional pastry.


I am guilty of enjoying lots of things that aren't exactly the best for me. I recall when I first had my lifestyle change standing in Albertsons, looking at this glorious cream puff in their bakery case. I stared, and stared, and stared. I really, really wanted to eat it, I also really, really, really didn't want to eat it. I ended up not getting it. Does that mean I never ate a cream puff again? Heck no way. I make them. Whole grain, splenda to sweeten the cream with dark chocolate drizzled on top. it's 20% of the calories that was in the Albertsons cream puff and has some good for me stuff in it too.


Depriving ourselves of things we truly enjoy, makes us enjoy life less. I am not talking about things that we are addicted to (smoking, drinking, drugs, caffeine, fat, sugar, etc), I am talking about things that we enjoy that we don't allow ourselves to have. I have found lots of substitutions for things I really like. Oven fried chicken instead of pan fried chicken; Olive oil seasoned and baked potato wedges instead of french fries, turkey dogs, turkey brats, turkey bacon. But with all this substitution I still miss the 'real' thing. So on occasion, when I have done something really good, I reward myself... Breakfast with fried hash browns, pork bacon, fried eggs and regular pancakes (oh, my!) or Steak and a Baked Potato (with extra butter).


So don't let yourself miss out on all of lives pleasures. Find alternate ways to enjoy what you like. Indulge on occasion (mind your portions!). And above all, find a balance of happy and healthy.



Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com
http://www.womenswealthandwellness.com/celticblessings
http://www.twitter.com/brandysbiz