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 - 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

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

Does It Hurt Enough?

One day when traveling, I walk into an old General Store. You know the kind with wood flooring? There's a dog laying by the counter, groaning. Every few minutes he'd let out a little groan. When I put my items on the counter to pay for it I ask the man there what was wrong with the dog. He stated that the dog was laying on a nail. I asked why he didn't move. The man replied, "It doesn't hurt enough."

I heard this the other day on a Leadership Training CD. The man spoke of how many of us complain about different aspects of our lives, but never do anything about it. How it's because it doesn't hurt enough yet. It's shocking how true this is!

There are things about our lives that we all want to change. Everyone knows by now that I am a self-improvement junkie. It's amusing that there are a lot of people out there who think that only losers and those with low self esteem read self-improvement books. When, in reality, a lot of successful people have a huge library of self-improvement books. It's a matter of being the best you that you can be. Why wait until it hurts to do something about it?

Millions of people complain every day about how much they hate their job, their body, their living situations, etc. Day in and day out they do the same things and then scowl at the results. They never do anything to change it, because change is difficult. It's like voting. I hear tons of people that complain about our political situation, yet only 1/4 of us actually vote. One of the things I ask people when they are on a political rant is if they vote, 3/4 say 'No'. My response is 'If you're not going to participate in the system and try to do something to change it, don't complain.' Just like everything else in life, if you're not doing something to try to change what you dislike about your life, don't complain about it... you're the one making the choices.

Being that ideal vision you have of yourself takes hard work and lots of practice. You can't wake up one morning and decide you are going to run a marathon, 26.5 miles in a day is a LOT of running. You have to train, you have to practice, you have to come up with a fee for participating, you have to have the proper equipment. All this for one little marathon. Think about your personal goal. Break it down. Work on it a little every day. Practice the skills that you need to reach that goal.

Wealth, health and positive attitudes don't appear over night. It just doesn't. We have to step out of our comfort zone and reach for it. Sometimes we don't succeed the first time, but we must keep trying. Keep an open mind, don't listen to the nay-sayers. Don't sit there an let your life hurt you, get up and do something about it. We only have this one life, make it good.


Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

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

Visualization and Action

I would visualize things coming to me. It would just make me feel better. Visualization works if you work hard. That's the thing. You can't just visualize and go eat a sandwich.
-Jim Carrey



When trying to change your life in any way, using positive affirmations is an incredibly useful tool. I know there are many people who have never heard of this concept so I'll start with a brief explanation:

Positive affirmations is a positive activity that you want to have happen. They are written as if they have already happened. Your affirmations should be read at least once a day, though twice is twice as good. They are especially effective if red before going to bed and again when you first wake up. Mine are written in a card that I carry around with me everywhere. Here are some examples of affirmations for different situations:

For losing weight: I am 130 lb. I am a healthy, fit, energetic person.

For quitting smoking: I am smoke-free. I am breathing better.

For school: I am a college graduate. I am passing all my tests.

For business: I am attracting the right customers to my business. I am attracting wealth in abundance.

If you have any questions about your affirmations, or would like some assistance, you can always contact me and I will be glad to help.

Affirmations must be used in combination with activities to assist in reaching your goals. You cannot repeat 100 times a day that you are going to be healthy and fit, then not exercise and eat fast food 3 times a day. Affirmations are there to push your subconscious mind into creating positive choices through your day.

Just like hypnotherapy and subliminal messaging, without a real drive and personal interest in making changes, affirmations cannot work by themselves. Your day should be punctuated by the positive choices you have made. Celebrate your success and the success of others. Many small steps will construct the journey of your life.

Success Corner: I want to congratulate Terry, Angie and Tammy for their recent positive choice to make a better life for themselves, both financially and health wise. They have done what a lot of people choose not to, they have committed to daily activities to grow a business and live healthy lives. Way to go!

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

Perfection is Not Required

Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who cannot attain it in anything.

-Eugene Delacroix

A look into history you will find that our obsession with perfection is relatively new. Only in the last few centuries has the need for everything to be 'just right' really driven us. The only saying "cleanliness is next to Godliness" comes from centuries of not having running water, fire in the house and a complete void of disinfectants. And yet there were great successes.


Many times I have hesitated or even not completed a task because I thought that I wasn't doing it right or that the results weren't up to par. In sewing I have tossed entire projects because of faults that, looking back, I'm sure only I noticed. Hours of work and materials wasted, all for my need to make something look 'perfect'. Handiwork isn't the only area of our lives where our drive for perfection can distract us from progress.


I speak to a lot of people who are all or nothing. They refuse to make any forward progress because of a hundred different reasons why they can't do something. They are waiting until after the holidays to lose that weight. As soon as football seasons over they will put the time in to build that business. There is always a reason to delay, ways that the timing isn't perfect.


We discount trying. Just getting going and doing something is better then nothing at all. When trying to lose weight, small steps can lead to big results. I started by switching from regular coke to diet coke, then not ordering french fries with meals. Small bits that can be easily maintained and over time lead to a total overhaul of my lifestyle. The weight didn't fall off, but it stayed off. I'm not perfect, sometimes I have fried food, sometimes I have cake. I just consistently work on making good choices and in the end it pays off. It's not perfection, it's progress.


Same goes for a lot of our lives. No one does anything perfect the first time. In many philosophies there is no way to ever do anything perfectly. If there is anything you want to do, you should do it. Let nothing stand in your way. If you're doing it wrong, you'll learn. We learn more from doing something wrong then from doing it right the first time. Don't worry about perfection, keep your eye on success.




Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

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

Faith & Hope

Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go much further than people with vastly superior talent.

-Sopia Loren

There is a sign on a church on the way into town that states, "Hope is praying for rain, Faith is carrying an umbrella." I used to think that hoping for something and having faith in something are one in the same. After thinking on it more over the last few months, a striking difference has occurred to me. I want to thank whoever put that up on the churches billboard.

When we hope for something, it may or may not happen. We tend to make a backup plan in case things go wrong. Not that there is anything particularly wrong with ever having a backup plan. But it means we have explored our own doubts about the outcome of the situation. We have allowed ourselves an out if things don't go the way we want them to.

Putting our full faith in to something takes away any doubt that it will happen. There is no back up plan, no doubt, only the honest, true belief that this outcome will happen. Knowing that something has to be, often gives us more motivation and pushes us farther. Just like love, there is risk, but we put all other cares aside.

So how does this drive us?

When trying to accomplish a goal, going to college, loosing weight, building a business, we have to have some form of hope or faith to get us through difficult situations that come with reaching any goal. Hope can get us so far. We can hope we pass a test, hope we lost weight, we can capture that customer. Hope can get us so far. Hope is like gambling, we could make it/we could not.

To assure success you must have faith that you can do what you put your mind to. You have to push all doubt out of your mind. Write down your goal, visualize yourself accomplishing that goal, make sure that you KNOW that you will succeed.

When you start living with less and less doubt in your life, you will be amazed at what you see. You stand taller, talk with more confidence and are just more at ease with yourself and those around you. When we are more sure of ourselves, the world sees it, likes it and wants to know your why.

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

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

Faith In You

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.
-Norman Vincent Peale

In order to succeed, we have to believe we can succeed. In order to be healthy, we have to believe we can be healthy. To be happy, we have to believe we can be happy. If we don't have faith that we can do something, we will always be looking for ways to NOT do what we want. SOMETHING will always go wrong and prevent us from reaching our goals. Let me repeat that one again SOMETHING WILL ALWAYS GO WRONG AND PREVENT US FROM REACHING OUR GOALS. If we are looking for a way out, or a sign that we shouldn't be doing this, or some excuse that will give us a good cop out, we will find it. Now let's flip that.

If we don't allow any excuses, NONE. And we start reinforcing faith in ourselves, we can do anything. Say that out loud 'I CAN DO ANYTHING!" It's an amazing thing, even if we don't believe in it immediately. It's like a personal revival. You are now rebuilding faith in yourself. Start with a good foundation of self-respect, then build the You that You want to be. No excuses. Find a way.

Think of all those people who overcame massive odds to do great things. You can do it. Is it any more impressive that Lance Armstrong overcame cancer to win the Tour d'France multiple times, or that a woman can raise 4 well adjusted happy kids while holding a job and having inner happiness? I don't think so. It takes the same self confidence and self love to overcome disease and despair as it does to conquer every day life. And once you are successful in one, you can do anything you put your mind to.



Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming
CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com

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

CH-ch-ch-changes

"In the end, everybody knows what the goal is and how to achieve it. This is common knowledge, and it's been around for a long, long time. Success is about knowing these things and having the will to go after them without giving up, making excuses, or getting sidetracked. It's about the uncommon application of common knowledge."

-Dr. Ivan Misner



We all have a habit we'd like to kick or a little something about ourselves that we would like to change. Have you ever been struck by that 'Ah-ha!" moment when you realize exactly what you need to do to change it? Do you know how to change it, but just can't seem to do it? It's OK we have all been there, like watching our lives from the outside. Seeing ourselves do these not so great things, knowing that we are better then this, but just seeming like we can't do anything about it.



I have gone through my fair share of not so good habits. Being obese, compulsive eating, drugs, smoking, nail biting and a not so good mother. It's not that I woke up one morning and was a think, non-smoking, grade-a mom. It takes time to dissolve old habits. Lots of time, will power, support and tears. I didn't even quit smoking until this last week. That means that I have been dumping bad habits for the last 9 years. And the work is never done...



Let me tell you a story.. when I was in 8th grade we did an experiment. The teacher had asked if anyone knew origami (having learned how to make a 'ball' in 4th grade, I raised my hand), I then stood up in front of the class and showed over and over again how to make the ball. Then the teacher split us into two groups, and gave us 3 minutes to make as many balls as possible. Pitted us against each other. And both sides numbers grew. After 3 rounds we were making twice as many as we started. The teacher uses this as a business lesson in motivation and constant improvement. By pitting different shifts against each other, you can cause a competitive reaction to make the shifts do better and improve a little more each time. Constant improvement is still with me today. Thank you to my 8th grade Teacher, though for the life of me I can't remember his name.



We just have to remember that when we make a big change in our life, to take small steps, reward ourselves. Try to make tomorrow a little better then today. And if we should stumble or fall in our task. Not to get too upset, not to chastise and speak poorly of ourselves. To get up and try again. Because we are doing something, we have stopped just talking about doing and started doing. For that you should reward yourself.



Yes, I have lost 50 lb, I am drug-free and I am a non-smoker. It's a long, hard road back from these places, but together we can walk through it. You can be the person you see yourself as being. Just map out the road to get there and put one foot in front of the other. I believe in you.





Have a Blessed Day,



Brandy Deming


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

Appreciating Yourself

"Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos - the trees, the clouds, everything."

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Let me tell you a story about myself... Last year there were many changes, this is one of them. I used to walk away from every argument I got into, be it with family or friends or whatever. I wouldn't say anything I'd walk away and be done with it. That is what everyone else saw. I would actually punish myself with McDonalds Abuse. No kidding, it is funny, but not a joke. I would go order massive McDonalds with extra mayo and cheese and bacon on top. And eat it, eat it all. I knew it was bad for me and I KNEW it would make me feel worse when I was done, but I did it anyways. I didn't even realize I was doing this until a day I was upset with my partner and immediatly left the house and ordered two egg mcmuffins, extra mayo packets please. Uh, what a way to 'solve' a problem. By eating it away. And I'm not the only one...

Lots of us eat away our pain. Food is always there. Food will never say no. Food will never leave us in the middle of the night (no matter how much we ask). And above all we use food as love. We give our kids food as rewards for good behavior, we award ourselves food for doing the right thing. Lots of this food = good goes around and not all of it's bad. What we need to work on is how to appreciate ourselves. How many times have you seen something you really wanted or had something you really wanted to do? I do. I have lots on my bucket list. Instead of letting that list idle around and do nothing about it. Pick one. Price it out. $200 or $2000. Get the plan in your head for how you are going to do it. Then instead of awarding yourself with a $50 meal out. Choose a healthier meal in and put the difference in an account for your big reward. Instead of buying that $1.50 candy bar... add it to your account... you'll feel better in the long run.

The world and your health will thank you for changing a food habit to an award habit. New experiences and less garbage. Remember that your health is the foundation for a happy life. It's not that without health you cant be happy, it just a firmer foundation.

Team Note: Send a card to someone today that may be struggling with their weight or health. They will appreciate the extra support.

Have a Blessed Day,

Brandy Deming

CelticBlessings4U@Gmail.com

http://www.sendoutcards.com/celticblessings