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

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

The Myth of Spare Time

We should use time as a tool, not a crutch.

-John F. Kennedy

How many times do we hear 'in your spare time' over the course of a month? Personally, I get sick of hearing it. 'You can build a business in your spare time.' 'Volunteer in your spare time.' 'What do you do in your spare time?' Spare time? When did we get 25 hours in a day? Did someone add in a Someday to the week? No, no they did not.


Trying to find that time you need to work out, spend time with your kids and/or build a business is a chore in and of itself. There is no way of 'creating' extra time. We only have 24 hours in a day and like most of our paychecks, it's spent before we even get there. So how do we make time?


You have to start by knowing how you spend your time. How much time do you spend doing your hair and putting on make-up in the morning? Picking out clothes? Checking email and following up with your friends on Facebook? There's a lot of little things we spend our time on. Try keeping a log of what you do. You can't really fix anything until you know what is wrong with it. Are there any repetitive tasks that you can group together, like checking your email at lunch so you don't have to spend 45 minutes on it when you get home? Are you waisting time looking at sales ads for things you don't need? Once you actually look at what you spend time on, you can start looking at where to find some. Here are a few tips on finding an extra hour or two in your week:


1. Books on Tape/MP3: Many of us have books to read for school, personal development or training. Many of these are available in audio format. Check the publisher's website or your school's library. It is often cheaper to record books onto audio then to have them printed in braille, so school's pay students to record the books. Listen to the recordings in the car or during your work out to save your reading time for other uses.


2. Many Hands Make Light Work: Is there anything that you can get help on? Give your kids a night that they have to cook, this can save you time and make them feel part of the family. See if your friends want to help on craft projects for the holidays. You can work on it together and get more done, plus you spend time together so there's some time back! Never be afraid to ask for help. Are you doing all the chores? Time to ask your partner to help with some, you shouldn't have to do it all yourself.


3. Hair, Make-Up and Clothes: Talk to a stylist. There are lots of ways to reconfigure your wardrobe so that everything goes together. A little bit of careful shopping at the beginning can save you that 20 minutes of "What am I going to wear today?!". A stylist can also help you simplify your make-up and hair-do. There is no need to go into a two hour hair and make-up session every day before work, do some research on different products and styles. Somewhere in the mix you can find one that can get you out the door in under 45 minutes.


4. Email and Social Networks: Set up filters for your not-quite-junk items. Everything from Facebook goes into it's own folder, Twitter another, Sale alerts in another. It is pretty simple to do, and then when you go to check your email, you don't have to sort through all that junk to see if someone really does need your attention. Same thing with your social networks. Almost all have lists that can be used to sort through which of your friends and family are sharing. By knowing where to go for the updates that you want to look at, you don't waste time on a lot of junk.


5. Games: I am a HUGE fan of games. I love them all. But I do get sucked into them. You start playing around and before you know it an hour and a half has gone by and you can't even remember why you booted up your computer to begin with. Try getting a timer next to your computer. Set a limit and stick to it. (30 min is usually pretty good)


I hope some or all of these can help you find an extra 5-10 hours in your week. We all get going at lighting speed, end up at the end of the day exhausted and not quite sure what we got done. A little bit of foresight, planning and some professional assistance can make the world of difference in how you spend your hours. Because unlike money, once time is spent, we really can't get it back.


Have a Blessed Day,


Brandy Deming


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

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

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

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

Love of Life

"Isn't this fun?"

-Kody Bateman

Life is a beautiful, magical, wonderful thing. Trees, flowers, animals, sunrises, sunsets, storms, snow, rain, all take my breath away. Seeing a baby, watching a child grow, seeing a true act of compassion between people, just amazing. Have you ever seen a kid walking down the street and start, "oh, Mommy a dog, Mommy its a dog, look Mommy its a dog!" Mom goes "That's nice honey, its a dog" and never looks, no enthusiasm, no excitement... another one I hear a lot is, "What I would give for energy like that, even just a drop of it!" It isn't that children have some endless fountain of energy (though it may seem like it) or that there is something unique about that particular dog. It's excitement. The joy of being in the world. Wanting to run so fast it almost feels like flying. And, unfortunately, most of us loose this.

So today is all about recapturing a little of that fountain of youth. Look at something with new eyes, be curious, roll in the grass. Find a friend to go the park with and play tag. Roll in the grass with your dog. Have fun. That's what this is all about... enjoying life and having fun.

Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy
http://sendoutcards.com/celticblessings