The Soft, The Hard and The Unknown..

Never judge a book by it's cover.

When I was in fourth grade, we had this group of recruiters come into our class. They pulled some of us out and gave us relatively odd projects to do. Build a weight bearing structure out of straw, playdoh and a dixie cup; here's how to do an origami ball, now do it. Several activities that seem to have no purpose. This was Odyssey of the Mind, and I was accepted. Think Brain Olympics for kids.

Part of OM was building these structures out of balsa wood. A baby could break this stuff in half and we were to build a structure (no more then 7oz in weight if I recall correctly) that should hold weight, the team that had the sturdiest structure won. I am still amazed to this day that we could do this, as kids. KIDS! We took flimsy wood and glue and turned it into something pretty amazing.

I also recall as a kid these rocks near a creek at my Grandma's place. They looked like rocks, they smelled like rocks, they tasted like dirt, but other then that they seemed like perfectly good rocks... until you picked them up. I could crush them with my hands, and I did. Over and over again, I felt like David. It was very cool.

Laying in bed last night got me thinking about these two stories. Something soft, made into something strong: something seemingly hard made actually fragile. It's like people. Some of the sweetest, most sensitive people I know, you would probably cross the street if you saw them walking towards you. On the flip side, some of the meanest things I have ever heard or seen done has come out of innocent, sweet looking people. We really shouldn't judge.

Not that if you see a mean looking person coming your way you shouldn't be a little weary, but in a social situation try meeting with people you don't usually go up to. You may be surprised. I'm trying. Remember when you interact with people that they are going through life's pile of dung heap too. That waitress you yelled at because of poor service? How do you know that her mother didn't just pass. That guy who cut you off? Maybe his wife is in labor. There's a million ways to be mean and hateful. Let's all try a few ways to be nice, loving and more accommodating to our fellow humans... no matter how much we want to ram our car into theirs and flip them the bird.

Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/brandy.deming

Rabbit Food

If I liked eating rabbit food, I would look like someone who ate rabbit food.  ~Moi


It is no real secret that I don't like salad, or raw carrots for that matter. To me those things taste like cardboard. Not that I don't like my veggies and fruits, I just like them cooked... and covered in butter. The true reality is that I like, no LOVE food. All kinds. I can't even pick a favorite, because I'm afraid one of the others might get jealous and stop agreeing with my taste buds, or even worse, my digestive system.

You may be thinking, "What [TF] does this have to do with  positive choices or success?", well... lots. You see, there's a lot of us out there who have to make daily and hourly decisions based on what we like and what we have to do. Just the facts of life.

There is a dreamland that I like to visit where eating red meat, smoking and drinking are not only acceptable behaviors, but healthy. As a matter of fact last night I had a dream about eating a HUGE plate of fluffy white cake with butter cream frosting while having the best chilled mocha and a tasty smoke. Sounds sad, but true. I also looked great. The reality is, if I eat what I want, when I want, do what I want when I want, the next 10 years of my life will definitely be the last and I'll spend them lounging around on the couch looking like the sexiest Jaba you've ever seen.

We all have to make choices, some are easy, some are hard. I'm trying to be here for you to help you make them match the goals that you have set for yourself. I bounce around a bit, because everyone has different goals, but the desire to build will power and instincts are all the same.

So, sit back, pretend that the rice cakes are the best smoked ribs EVER and hopefully you learn something... or at least get a good laugh out of it.

Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/brandy.deming

Happy 4th of July!

Today is such a wonderful day, July 4th, the birthday of our country. I hear lots of whining and complaints about how this country is run, but that is one of the beauties of this fine country. We CAN complain about how this country is managed, we CAN say that our politicians are morons, and, if we are so inclined, we CAN run for office.

We must stop and think about what the founding of the U.S. did for the world. As peasants and mid-classmen, we rose up to show that we can run a country. We did not need to be born to a certain family or be ordained by God. We opened up a lifetime of opportunity for generations of Americans and led the way so other countries could do the same. Lots of lives were lost, lots of blood was shed and more tears then we can ever imagine. But we did it. We founded a country based on essential freedoms.

Right now things may not be going as well as we may want, but there is hope. Where there is freedom, there is always hope. Let's try to not disparage today, let celebrate the hope and opportunity that others have passed down to us. Remember that they fought for our rights, let’s celebrate them today and use them tomorrow.

Happy 4th of July!

Have a Blessed Day,

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

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.

"It's a heck of a start, being able to recognize what makes you happy."

-Lucille Ball


Over the last year my son has be increasingly obsessed with stuff. He always wants to get stuff, anything: toys, mail, candy, etc. He will explain to you in great detail how happy it makes him to be on the receiving end of gifts. He likes to get stuff to give stuff away. And it worries me.

It worries me because he is not happy without it. It worries me that when he is not happy, he doesn't know why. It worries me because I was the same way when I was his age, though mine was not the getting stuff, it was just a general unhappiness.

I've spent years and years trying to fill that void where happiness should be. I went through my teen years feeling hopeless and terrible unhappy, I had The Void. I've tried filling it with food, drinks, relationships, you name it, I tried it. None of it every worked, I'd get a temporary relieve from The Void, but over time The Void always came back. All I was doing was avoiding the what and why of happiness.

There is no certainty that you or I will ever find what truly makes us happy, but a little inner searching can help you distinguish why we do what we do.

Does money make me happy? No. Some people really love money, I don't. It pisses me off. I have to dedicate so much of my time to earning it, managing it and spending it, that it takes away from all the stuff I really want to be doing. I want it, lots of it, just so that I can go about my daily life without the money questions lingering in the back of my mind.

Does food make me happy? Kinda. Food is an odd sort of fellow. I love the fact that you can take all these seemingly unrelated items and create a fabulous experience of the senses. I like the fact that several times a day I can pull off a creation. The question is does food itself make me happy or is it the joy I get from the experience of working with it? I'll have to think about that question for a few more years.

I can go on and on with habits that are both good and bad and the 'Does it make me happy?' question. What I do know is I have a list of things that I know I get a kick out of: I like experiencing new things, I like creating things and I love learning something new. If I am doing any of those things, I fell happy and fulfilled, at least for a little while.

We all are different and our ability to acquire happiness is as varying as our personalities. You just have to ask yourself if what you are doing is making you happy. Long term success is based on how happy and content you are with your daily actions. If you continue to do things that go against your happiness, you will stop doing them or turn into a bitter and often angry person.

So, lighten up. Let some joy in. Who cares if you are 55 and still finger painting and playing with dolls. If it makes you happy, then do it!



Have a Blessed Day,


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

Like sand through the hour glass...

"Men are afraid to rock the boat in which they hope to drift safely through life's currents, when, actually, the boat is stuck on a sandbar. They would be better off to rock the boat and try to shake it loose."
-Thomas Szasz

Having had a particularly rough week (yes it happens to EVERYONE), I was thinking about how wonderful the ocean is. How soothing the ocean sounds, the smell, the sand between the toes and how much better it seemed when I was little. I can go out for hours now, but back then we could spend day after day on the beach and it never, ever got old.

The sadness of this though got me to wondering where our sense of playing goes as adults. Is it something we lose as teenagers, when we are trying to be cool? Do we really outgrow playing? I think it's a damndable shame that we have such difficulty having a good time. How expensive we think it is to enjoy ourselves, when we used to just need a backyard. No frills, no equipment, just you and your imagination station.

One of the things I have always wanted to learn was to build a sandcastle. When we first set out to build one, we think of this beautiful castle that we can somehow just magically create in the sand. We get out there with our little plastic molds (or measuring cups, whatever) and start packing sand. Usually we start with dry sand and we get nothing, then we learn to do it with wet sand. I used to try and try and try, I have never been able to build that big beautiful sand castle. But I think I'll go back this year and keep trying.

The sand castle reminds me of the lives we all try to build. When we are young we have this great idea of what we want. Big house, cars, kids, pets, etc. Then we set out to build that life we dream. Not enough water, not the right kind of sand, tide comes up before we can finish, etc., etc. So many things get in the way of making our sand castle, but we can't build it if we never go back and try.

Have a Blessed Day,


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

Jim Rohn - Rich Vs. Poor

The philosophy of the rich versus the poor is:

The rich invest their money and spend what is left;

The poor spend their money and invest what is left.
-Jim Rohn

Good investment habits are right up their with good eating habits, good business habits and good exercise habits. Knowing that you have it reduces stress and can ease the day to day grind.

Many who read this blog are thinking, "THAT'S BS!!, If you don't have money, you can't invest any money!". But it's all a matter of perspective.

I like to think of it as percentages. If you invest 1% of your income (before spending any of it), every 100 paychecks, you have one spent. If you only make $1,000 a month, that's only $10 that you have to put away. If you can invest a little bit more, say %5, then every 20 paychecks you have one month stashed away. It may not seem like much, but it will add up.

Save your change, save rebates, use coupons and save the difference. Just like any other improvement on yourself, work on it, practice and you will get better at it each time.


Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

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

Jim Rohn - All About The Plan

I had always mistakenly believed that if I had more money. I would have a better plan for creating wealth. The truth is that if I had a better plan, I would have more money.

You see, it's not the amount that counts; it's the plan that counts. It's not how much you allocate but how you allocate it.
-Jim Rohn


I have to say that of all the plans I have had to get more money, I had never really had a plan to build wealth. Nest eggs, college funds, retirement plans and rainy day funds I have, but never really put much though into a wealth plan. It is now on my 'To-Do' list.

Just in case you are wondering what the difference between having lots of money and having wealth is, here's a quick explanation. Money is simply the cash that you have coming in or stashed. You can have a ton of money and have no wealth (I know a person who has an income of over 2.7 million dollars a year and their net worth is -1.2 million, oi!), the money just goes as fast as it comes in. To have wealth you must have significant assets (cash reserves, property, investments, etc) over any debt you may have (also know someone who only made 37k a year, but has a net worth of approx. 800 thousand). So it's not how much you make, it's how it gets spent.

Ever know someone who is very successful, without having to spend 100 hours a week on work? Those people have a plan. If you know how to work smart and efficiently, then you get way more done in less time. It takes a plan. You must think out what you are doing for today, this week, this month and this year. You must see how actions you do during that 1 year plan affect your 5 year plan. What's that? You don't have a 5 year plan? Well then it is really time to sit down and think about what you want your life to look like in 5 years. Build a plan.

Life can either be what happens to you, or it can be what you make happen. Some people are happy with letting life happen to them, or they are just not unhappy enough to do something about it. It's their choice, and no one can change it but themselves. But if you are a person who wants to make life happen, you must have a plan. Without plans, who knows what you're going to end up with?



Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

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

Jim Rohn - Apples

"Some things you have to do every day. Eating seven apples on Saturday night instead of one a day just isn't going to get the job done."
-Jim Rohn


Oh, how this makes me laugh at myself. I always think, well if I miss a work out today, I'll just double up tomorrow. Then when the week ends, I wonder why I don't get the results I wanted.

If you missed brushing your teeth one morning, would doing it twice that evening make it all better? Not really. We must, must set our priorities for the day and follow through on them. There are many things that have to be done every day, telling your family that you love them, getting physical activities, eating your veggies, etc. If you are lacking in one of the areas that you want to improve, find something small to do every day to work towards that goal. You'll find that if you stick to it, it just comes naturally after a while.

And just think of having to eat 7 apples in one sitting, talk about a chore!



Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

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

Jim Rohn Day 2

"Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the fundamentals."
-Jim Rohn


This week I have been teaching my son how to fry an egg. There is quite a bit of skill that goes into frying the perfect egg: cracking, opening, distance of release from pan, temperature of the pan, proper grease, seasoning, timing of the flip, the flip itself and then completion. All these things most of us do without thinking to create a successful breakfast of fried eggs. He is learning, going through all the steps, sometimes missing a step and not getting the results that he wants, but he will try again tomorrow. There has been tears, and frustration, and dissapointment, and a little bit of anger. But he keeps doing those same steps over and over again, and that is all any of us can do.

There are definite activities that we must do to reach success in our chosen area. Sometimes we know all the steps, sometimes we have to research them. If my son gives up today, then tomorrow, next week and next year, there will be no fried eggs for breakfast. If you give up on the basic steps you need to be successful, there will be no success. But, if you apply those steps every day, every week, month after month, success will come. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day and for the rest of your life.

Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

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

Jim Rohn Day 1

Time for my tribute to Jim Rohn, he passed away in December of 2009. Definitly one of my favorite inspirational speakers.

"There are always a half-dozen things that make 80 percent of the difference. A half-dozen things.

"Whether we are working to improve our health, wealth, personal achievement or professional enterprise, the difference between triumphant success or bitter failure lies the degree of our commitment to seek out, study, and apply those half-dozen things."
-Jim Rohn

In an article I once read, it stated that the average number of things most people can remember is 7 things. I disagreed, there are 7 sins and 7 dwarfs, I can never remember all of them. Usually I remember 6. So a half-dozen things are easy to remember.

Thinking on this concept I tried to apply it to many aspects of life, it turned out to be so very true. Having read lots of self-help, inspirational and instructional books; they all say the same things from different angles. Could it be because there are really only 6 things we need to work on to improve our lives? Let's take a look:

Health:

1. Exercise at least 20 min, 4 times a week
2. Eat whole grains
3. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables
4. Avoid Fat
5. Eat Lean Meats (may fall under #4)
6. Watch Your Portions

That's about it. Easier listed then applied, but those 6 things can create a world of difference.

Personal Development:

1. Do what you say you're going to do.
2. Keep in contact with friends.
3. Spend time with your family.
4. Read something inspiring every day.
5. Do something good for someone else at least once a week.
6. Be abundant with gratitude.

Hmm... There seems to be a pattern here.

Business:

1. Write it down! (goals, daily planner, business plan and marketing plan)
2. Keep a good contact list.
3. Follow up with customers and potential customers.
4. Try to meet at least 5 new people every week.
5. Do something every day to advance your business.
6. Know when to get help.

Some may vary business to business, but there are certainly only a few things that make the biggest difference. If you get in the habit of doing #1 then 2-6 will fall into place.

Personal Finance:

1. Save then spend.
2. Know your wants vs. needs.
3. If you can't pay cash for it, you don't need it.
4. Planning leads to success.
5. The best things in life are truly free.
6. Know when to get help. (one of my personal mantras)

I'm pretty sure I can go on all day with my lists of 6, but that would be dull. There is a pretty easy way to make your own list of 6.

First write down what you want to accomplish (weight, happiness, savings), then think about what has to be done to get there (lose weight, have friends, better spending habits), write out as many of those things that have to be done as you possibly can. Then go over your list and find those 6 things that everything on your list has in common. Keep that list posted on your bathroom mirror so you read it every day. That way you know what to concentrate on!

Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

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

The 1 Ton Phone

If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone.
-John Maxwell




The fear of the phone is so very common amongst business owners. There is no shame in knowing that you KNOW you have to make calls to get business, yet you avoid the phone like it's got the plague. We all understand, we have all done it.



I was having a conversation with a friend of mine who was saying how they only had a couple of customers that month and didn't want to spend a lot of money on an advertising campaign. She then asked me what I would do. I said I'd get on the phone, start calling people, see what's going on. She said she hated doing that and was going to run the ad campaign... Oh well.



Referrals can be the life blood of your business, but how do you get one and from who?



The people who give you referrals are the ones who know and like you. Lots of business owners put their social lives on hold in order to advance their business. It is a huge mistake. How can you get to know new people and have those you know like you, if they never get to spend time with you? The solution is to call them. Don't call to talk shop, call to see what's going on in their lives, call to see if there is anything you can help them with. Do they have a fundraiser going on? Any special events for their kids? I'm telling you from both a parent and a business owner's point of view, buying a few chocolate bars or an $8 roll of wrapping paper goes a long, long way in developing relationships!



Want to call people but have no idea what to say? Try keeping a log. Just a few notes on what's going on with them. See if they are on Facebook or Twitter, it will give you a better idea of what to talk to them about. In the log try to keep track of kids, pets, spouses, any issues they may be having. If they mention in January that Jane is working on her final project for graduation in June, that gives you a great reason to call back in June!!



If you need to set appointments for presentations? This is BY FAR the hardest reason on why you need to call people. Calling someone out of the blue, or even someone you know well and putting yourself out there opens a huge door on our self-esteem. There's lots of outcomes and I think I've heard them all. From rude, to excited, to unwilling to can't wait, you never know what's going to happen on the other end of that phone. But it MUST, MUST, MUST be done. Try working out different approaches, some people wouldn't' listen for a second if they thought you were trying to sell them something, but if they thought they were listening as a favor to you or to see if they know someone, it can be a different story. Try and figure out what approach would work for them and if nothing else, just try, try, try again.



Using the phone to build your business is like any other tool or skill you need to be effective. I don't think any of us were born with a great ability to set appointments, get referrals or build relationships. We have to practice at it. Start small, try 5 phone calls a day. Just keep working at it. Like all other skills, it will grow with time, and soon you will be great at it!





Have a Blessed Day,



Brandy Deming



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

I Suck At This!

How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success.
-Elbert Hubbard



Over the last month I have been homeschooling my son. It is a growing experience for us both. I have always appreciated teachers, they do something that I would not even try to do in my wildest dreams. This experience has made me appreciate them even more. As we struggle over grammar, spelling, math and Spanish, I hear myself repeating the same words over and over again.

"I suck at this!" he will cry out.

"You don't suck, you just don't have enough practice." I tell him, "No one is good at anything their first try, they have to practice, practice, practice. Just be patient"

It struck me today how true that is. It's not that we really try to limit ourselves and what we can do, it's more like we expect our god-given gifts to appear to us. As if one day we shall wake up and know that we are supposed to write a great novel, or be a great business person, or even to be the best parent. Unfortunately many of the talents and gifts that we need and want in life have to be learned.

Learning is a hard process that takes much patience. I am a seamstress, by no means the best seamstress, but I can stitch together many types and styles of clothes. I sewed my first dress when I was 11. Even after so many years of sewing, there are things I have to learn and many, many things I have yet to do well, let alone perfect. I can think back to so many scrapped projects, panels sewn in the wrong way, mis-matched button and button holes, crooked hems, bad seams and just general disasters that have lead me to this point. This point where I can take a tissue pattern, some thread, cloth and notions and bring forth a beautiful gown.

Thinking about all the work and mistakes that have gone into this learning process, I have to ask myself why I think that, in just a few years, I could change my life. Why I would be so down on myself for not succeeding in all of the tasks I set out for myself?

It is my personal lack of patience. I told myself I was being patient at 6 months and a year. That my success was right around the corner. But then after that year had passed, I started to think I must be doing something wrong. That maybe I had chosen the wrong path, that this was fates way of telling me to do something different. I spent a lot of time thinking about it, and I say "No!". It's not the wrong path, I am just learning.

I am taking steps down this long, winding, difficult road of self-improvement and self-realization. One day I will have what I want and do what I want to do. I just need to keep learning, keep reading. I will one day be able to help those around me to succeed in their endeavors. I will find those people who will help me by helping themselves. I am absolutely positive that we are not all lost causes and have a set life laid out before us. I have faith that we can be whatever we want to be in life.

This belief guides me and keeps me on my path of learning. This learning will never be done, ever. And I am thankful for it.

Have a Blessed Day,



Brandy Deming

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