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Does Your Bag Have Holes by Cameron C. Taylor: A Perfect Book

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Does Your Bag Have Holes by Cameron C Taylor
I just finished reading Does Your Bag Have Holes? 24 Truths That Lead to Financial and Spiritual Freedom by Cameron C. Taylor. To be more precise, I just finished reading it through the second time. Every now and then I come across a book that has so much information and, well, greatness on each page, that I know once through isn’t going to be enough.

Books like this one remind me of really great movies – the kind you watch as many times as possible, and somehow notice something different each time.

“Everyone is responsible for his or her own actions. The story of your life is not written by what happens to you but by what you choose to make happen.” – Cameron C. Taylor

Does Your Bag Have Holes? 24 Truths That Lead to Financial and Spiritual Freedom is, as the back cover says, “The First Book Of Its Kind.”

From the Back Cover of Does Your Bag Have Holes?:

This book pulls together the principles of Christianity, personal finance, and success into one amazing resource. Cameron’s unique style of writing is entertaining, yet powerful and to the point. As you live the truths in this book, you will experience the joy of financial and spiritual freedom.

The wonderful thing I noticed about this book (on each trip) was that the information, the parables, the stories, the quotes, the graphs, the pictures.. Okay, everything… doesn’t just provide the reader with a first class lesson in finances. It provides you with a first class lesson in life.

I came across SO many different stories (with illustrations) that I wanted to scan/type in and send to the people on my e-mail list. They’re that AMAZING. Then I realized, after I lost count of the number of stories, that it would be much wiser to simply shoot out one widespread e-mail recommending this book and everything in it.

That’s when I knew I’d also be recommending it to my Self Help Daily friends as well.

Does Your Bag Have Holes by Cameron Taylor

What Makes Does Your Bag Have Holes A Perfect Book?

  • The information is information that you will not find anywhere else.  How’s that for starters?!  Many books (and, come on, let’s be honest, I read so much I’d know) sort of recycle information. They say what’s been said a different way.  What Cameron C. Taylor gives his readers in Does Your Bag Have Holes is unique.  It is the information that will be recycled in upcoming books.  But you know… and I know…  the original’s almost always better.
  • Does Your Bag Have Holes? 24 Truths That Lead to Financial and Spiritual Freedom includes an Abridged Audio Book. I’ve said before how much I LOVE audio books.  A pure genius, somewhere, discovered a way for us book addicts to keep our nose in books even when our nose has to be somewhere else.  A billion thanks, genius.   I love books that come with audio.  Not only is is incredibly appreciated from a reader’s standpoint (after all, it helps those of us who are too busy for our own good to multitask and make better use of the 24 hours we’re given), it also shows that the author and the publisher think so much of the material that they want their audience to get it every which way possible.  That’s confidence in what they have AND consideration for those who purchase it.
  • Cameron C. Taylor is simply a wonderful author.  I love to see someone doing what they were meant to do.  There’s a certain beauty about it.  Whether it’s Faith Hill singing, Frank Sinatra dancing, or Serena Williams playing tennis – there’s something awe-inspiring when someone has found what they were meant to do and they carry it out as beautifully as God knew they would.  Cameron C. Taylor was meant to write.  And he does so beautifully.  He writes with humor, insight, and profound wisdom.  He understands the teachings set forth in the Bible and wants to share them with as many people as possible.
  • This book will affect every aspect of your life.  Yes, it’s geared toward the financial aspects, and it most certainly will have a profound effect on your finances – but the author will touch more than just your money.  He’ll touch the hand that holds the money, and the heart that holds the hand.
  • Can you say TIMELY?!?!  If we ever needed a book about financial truths, it’s NOW.  Is there any way we can force our nation’s leaders and would-be-leaders to read this book?!  Probably not, but we can certainly help ourselves and our families by reading it ourselves.  Maybe twice.

“The person that is good at making excuses is rarely good at much else.” – Cameron C. Taylor

Reviews for Does Your Bag Have Holes: 24 Truths That Lead to Financial and Spiritual Freedom:

  • “Every person in the world should be taught these 24 powerful truths.  Whether you’re a student, a teacher, or a parent, you need to learn these truths.  It would change the world.” – Robert G. Allen, author of the NY Times #1 bestsellers Nothing Down and Creating Wealth
  • “Success, happiness, and spiritual and financial freedom are not complicated.  After reading Cameron Taylor’s book, you will understand why I feel this way.” – Lou Holtz, National Champion and Infamous Head Football Coach for Notre Dame Football 1985-1996
  • “Inspiring lessons of truth and wisdom beautifully applied to today’s world.” – Sean Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens
  • “This is a warm, wonderful book full of timeless truths you can apply to every area of your life.” – Brian Tracy, author of The Way to Wealth
  • “I found the book insightful and a very balanced look at the principles of financial prosperity.  I love the emphasis upon seeking first the Kingdom of God.  I really think the illustrations are excellent.” – Nate Fuchs, Minister (I love the illustrations too!)
  • “The personal application of these 24 timeless truths will enable you to achieve breakthrough financial and spiritual results in your life.” – Henry Marsh, 4-time Olympic runner and author of The Breakthrough Factor
  • “This book can help anyone replace damaging myths with Biblical truths that will set them on the right course for not confusing the pursuit of money with true success.” – Rich DeVos, Billionaire, owner of the Orlando Magic, and co-Founder of Amway
  • “Wise, universal truths beautifully permeate this book – a true illustration of the law of the harvest.” – Stephen R. Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and “The 8th Habit:  From Effectiveness to Greatness”

I have multiple shelves of books throughout our house.  Some books, after I’ve read them, will be passed on.  Others, the ones I want my family to read or that I’m certain I’ll re-read, go on appropriate shelves.  Books that I will be returning to again and again – for quotes, quips, and information go on a special bookshelf beside my computer desk and that’s wherre Does Your Bag Have Holes? 24 Truths That Lead to Financial and Spiritual Freedom can be found.

A few days ago, I wrote a post “The Last 6 Books I Recommended to My Own Family.” Needless to say, this book is now among them. When anyone in my family is ready to read this amazing book, they’ll be able to find it on the shelves by my desk.

Or in my hands.

Does Your Bag Have Holes? 24 Truths That Lead to Financial and Spiritual Freedom

A Gem from the October 2008 Issue of Success Magazine

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The October 2008 issue of Success Magazine has a mini-article titled “Healthy, Wealthy, & Wise – Your Checklist.” The reader is given 6 small but powerful goals that’ll lead him or her down a path to better health, more wealth, and increased wisdom.

Sign me up for all three.

The first tip is “Add a small fitness goal to your routine each week.” The author suggests drinking one extra glass of water each day, running for one more mile a week, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I think I can swing the extra glass of water each day. But run? Only if I’m giving chase or being chased. As for the stairs, I’m all over that one. I have no great love for elevators, so stairs are fine by me.

My favorite tip of the six is this one: “Don’t use people as mirrors.” The reader is told to have a strong sense of who he/she is without letting other people influence how they feel. This can be a hard one, can’t it?

Some of us are more inclined than others to care too much about what other people think of us. A lot of times, our own opinion of ourselves is heightened or lessened by someone else’s words. We can be feeling pretty pleased with ourselves or with a particular accomplishment until someone criticizes us. Then we basically bottom out.

As the article points out, we should try very hard to keep a healthy sense of self, without allowing others to affect it. After all, there are some people who can only make themselves feel bigger by making others feel smaller. After years of practice, they’ve perfected the art.

The advice is positively golden – and the more I think about it, the more golden it is.

All 6 of the tips are golden. I’ve given away two of them, if you want the other 4, grab the issue! The issue’s packed with great stuff – including the last page: “Turning Knowledge into Power, 10 Actions You Can Take Right Now.”

You can find a lot more wonderful tips, hacks, and self improvement advice on Success Magazine‘s website.

~ Joi

The Last 6 Books I Recommended to My Own Family (2008)

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Just Who Will You Be by Maria Shriver
Even though this blog post was written in 2008, I still stand firmly behind each of these book recommendations. They’re just as inspirational, informative, entertaining, and important now as they were then. Each will still stimulate your mind, encourage self growth, and help you find the happiness and success you deserve. Especially the first one. 

I was just responding to a comment left on one of my posts when an idea for this post struck me.  My husband and three daughters (Emily, Brittany, and Stephany) are very busy people.  They come and go at all times – most of our cats gave up, long ago, trying to keep up with them.  One, Alexa, is fighting the good fight and still stays on top of watching the revolving kitchen door.

When one of these busy bodies or one of their boyfriends (we’ll exclude my husband on that one) comes through the door, Alexa will find me to “tell” me they’re here.  She knows I like to go meet them at the door and see what they’d like…  coffee, tea, hot chocolate, food, or an ear.

Needless to say, they don’t have as much time to get lost in a great book as I do.   Ahhhh, the sweet perks of working from one’s home.  I read all the time – as I’ve said before, I usually have at least 3 books going at once.  If I recommended EVERY single book I like to them, they’d think I was completely off my nut.

I’m still trying to keep that fact a secret from them, so I only recommend only the books that I KNOW will touch their lives and make them and their future brighter and better.  The following are the last 5 books that I recommended to my much beloved family.  I’d like to recommend them to you, because I heart you a great deal, too!

  1. The Bible.  Obvious, much?   I’ve always loved the Bible and reading it has been a constant in my daily life for too many years to even count.  Every single one of life’s problems can be found in the books of the Bible and I’m convinced that the first step in living a better life begins with being a faithful Bible reader.  After losing my mom, far sooner than I should have, I found a great deal of comfort by turning to Psalms.  The beauty of the words brought more calmness into my heart than it thought possible.
  2. Just Who Will You Be? by Maria Shriver – Click HERE for my review of this remarkable little book.  Each one of my family members has read this book and commented on how much they loved it.  It’s a very fast read, and I think each one of them read it in one sitting.
  3. How to Think Like a Millionaire – Read my review of this exceptional book HERE.
  4. One Can Make a Difference: Original stories by the Dali Lama, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Dennis Kucinch, Russel Simmons, Bridgitte Bardot, Martina … Dozens of Other Extraordinary Individuals – How’s that for a title??  This is another wonderful book that’s also easy and fast to read.  It’s actually compiled of a series of amazing essays, so they can be read in a one essay a day fashion.  I would actually advise you to read them that way, because each essay stands on its own as a powerhouse of motivation and inspiration.  The book is so amazing that you’ll want to devour them all at once.  I have to confess, that’s the way I did it.  But I’m going back now and reading them one essay at a time – really allowing each one to “set in” before moving to the next.  This is a profound and powerful book that will change you forever.  The truly beautiful thing?  If enough of us are changed, we can change the world!
  5. Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude: How to Find, Build and Keep a YES! Attitude for a Lifetime of SUCCESS – A wonderfully fun, yet highly motivational little book. It, too, will change your life for the better – by changing the way you “look at” things. It’s a make-over for your attitude, which is pretty essential because your attitude touches every single inch of your life.
  6. Strength for Life: The Fitness Plan for the Rest of Your Life – My family’s health is even more important to me than my own, so I recommended this great all-in-one book to them. The author, Shawn Phillips, has as much knowledge about nutrition and fitness as any author I’ve ever read. He lays it all out for the readers in an easy-to-read and easy-to-live style that puts better health within arm’s reach.

For my daughters, I also recommended a fictional book by Kate Jacobs: Comfort Food. She’s the talented, engaging author who also wrote “The Friday Night Knitting Club.” I love her style! Comfort Food is about a lovable host for a television show on the Cooking Channel. The main character, Gus, is a fifty year old mother who has had this show for 12 years. The ratings are dipping, so the producers add a diva-like co-host, Carmen. Carmen loves nothing more than Carmen, so you can imagine how well that goes over.

Carmen decides to use her show as an on-air cooking class that brings together her fighting daughters Sabrina and Aimee.

Another great character, Oliver, provides the romance for the novel. He’s the new culinary producer who adds spice to Gus’ life. Sorry, I couldn’t resist the spice comment. I tried – but, in the end, I had to go with it.

Other Books You’ll LOVE:

Is Your Personality an Asset or a Liability?

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Quote About Personality
 

In a superficial society, we often neglect one the most important things we possess. The thing that truly separates us from everyone else: Our personality.

Our personality is what makes us who we are. It dictates who wants to be around us and who avoids us much as they’d want to avoid a Biblical plague. Two years after we’ve left this world for the one beyond, our personality (for better or worse) will be the thing we’ll be remembered for – not our waistline or our hairline.

Not EVEN our clothes, perfume, or jewelry. This one kind of smarts because I take great pride in my perfume and jewelry.  Maybe, just maybe, I can also be remembered for smelling pretty and wearing ” the cutest earrings” and “a tad too many bracelets.”  My inner gypsy would love that.

Seriously, though…. or at least as serious as I’m capable of being… think about your loved ones who are no longer, physically, around. I say physically because I have lost enough loved ones to know that they never entirely leave. Their body leaves, but the essence of who they were remains with us forever.

Thank you, God, for that. Thank you very much.

When we think of these loved ones, we don’t think about their appearance, we think of their personalities. We think of what made them who they were.  We think of the times they made us laugh and we think of how they made us feel.

When it comes to personalities, I believe the following statements to be 100 percent true:

  1. They can make a person MORE attractive or LESS attractive.
  2. They can help an individual get AHEAD in their career or HOLD them back.
  3. They’re each built upon one of two foundations:  A SELFISH foundation or a SELFLESS foundation.
  4. People can change.

Pretty is as Pretty Does

For obvious reasons I won’t name names, but one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever known was (at first glance) not much beyond cute or somewhat attractive.  Yet, after just 10 minutes in her presence, you were convinced that she was, possibly, one of the most beautiful people on the planet.  She was extremely sweet, soft-spoken, kind, neat, feminine, witty, and was a very good mother to her beautiful children.  She was also very fond of laughing and kept one on standby at all times. Mostly she had the one trait that I am drawn to more than any other – she loved life and squeezed all she could out of each second.  She had a vivacious personality that served as a killer running mate for her physical features.

By contrast, we all know people who have been blessed with wonderful physical features, but possess personalities that serve as ugly masks – hiding the beauty that they should be enhancing.

I remember a boy in high school that all the girls were nuts about. His first name was uttered around our small town the way Brad Pitt’s name is uttered around Hollywood.  My best friend and I were probably the only two girls in the entire county who weren’t smitten.  Why?

We knew him.

He had sat near us in one of our classes and we battled to pay attention to the professor all year. Heck, we battled to stay awake. Prince Charming was actually Prince Boring and we literally considered changing classes to get away from him.

Why is it the most boring, dull-witted people in the world are the fondest of talking? We never figured that one out but this kid could not take a hint.  I think if the school year had continued any longer my friend would have thrown her Biology book at his head…. along with a loud, “Just shut up! No one cares about anything that comes out of your mouth!”

He would have been perfect for today’s society. Selfies, telling everyone everything you did over the weekend, showing off your car…  He’d have been one of the boys who take pictures of themselves in front of a mirror and captioned it, “I love my chin..”  Or eyes, or smile, or something he was quite smitten with.

He’s somewhere, today, crying because he was born too soon, I guarantee it.

You Can’t Make it to the Top if No One Likes You

Granted, Prince Boring was harmless enough. At least he wasn’t a total jerk. We’ve all known plenty of those, haven’t we? People who just seem – down to the core of their being – to be mean, contrite, argumentative, and disagreeable.

These people are their own worst enemies. Some people get angry at the jerks of the world, but I kind of feel sorry for them.  I believe that when someone comes across as disagreeable and angry, something inside of them isn’t quite right.  Truth be told, the problem is more IN them than it is OUTSIDE of them.  Angry people generally have pain rooted deep inside them that they haven’t dealt with yet. It could be anger from childhood, feelings of abandonment, or any host of things that no child should ever have to experience.

Other times, the pain doesn’t stem from childhood – it came later in life, maybe through broken relationships or even the loss of a loved one.  Pain, kept it, doesn’t produce anything pretty for anyone.

I think that’s why “therapists” are so popular and, quite often, so helpful. They give the individual a chance to “talk things out” and to realize that they can let it all out and that everything will be okay.  I can’t help thinking that keeping things bottled in is what causes some people to be so disagreeable.

So many people have a lot going on for them, but their personality holds them back. They have brains, humor, and good old-fashioned know how, but possess the personality of a paperweight.

Are You Selfish or Selfless?

Every single one of us is either more selfish than we are selfless or more selfless than we are selfish. I tend to believe that no one is TOTALLY either one – but everyone definitely has more of one trait than the other. Put another way, we all bend in one of the two directions.

I’m of the mind that this one “bend” determines the greater part of our personality.

Very often, a rotten disposition comes from being self-centered. Think about people who have angry outbursts. They certainly aren’t thinking about other people – they’re only thinking about themselves. How they’re being “put upon” or how others aren’t doing enough for them. Me, me, me – it’s all about me!

  • Anger (including road rage) is just selfishness having a temper tantrum.
  • Sarcasm is just selfishness acting petty.
  • Mocking and ridiculing are just selfishness acting childish.

On the other hand, benevolence, tolerance and kindness are selfless acts. They’re traits from people who honestly care about the needs and feelings of others. The person who slows down to allow someone to pass rather than gunning it to stay in front is a perfect – albeit rare – example of a selfless person.

Selfless people – or at least people who “bend” more toward selflessness than selfishness – ask people how their day was and listen to the response. In fact, they do more than listen to the response – since they are genuinely interested, they interact, asking questions and letting the other person know that they care.

Social media is a beautiful example of the difference between selfishness and selflessness.  Ever see anyone on Twitter ask a question, only to ignore the people who answer? I don’t understand this one at all. Why bother asking a question in the first place?!

How about the company on social media that only talks about THEM – never engaging in conversation with others?

Again, these are just examples of a flaw that comes down to one thing: A bend toward selfishness rather than selflessness.

For those predisposed to selfishness, selflessness takes practice. But it can be achieved.

Be totally honest with yourself, do you think you are more concerned about yourself or others? During the day, do you concern yourself more with your own needs or those of others? When’s the last time you put yourself totally out for another person – without shining a spotlight on it?

Start today: Do as many kind acts for others as possible. Smile and speak to strangers. Put the grocery cart in the corral in the parking lot. Pet peeve alert: I hate when people leave it out in the open and justify it by saying, “That’s what they get paid for.” I hate when selfishness tries to explain itself.

People CAN Change

Change a habit and you change your life. If selfishness seems to dominate your personality, make it your #1 mission to change that right away. It can’t be something you think about today then forget tomorrow. You have to make a concentrated effort each and every day to care more about others than you do yourself.

Think about personality traits that you admire in others. Do they always seem happy or upbeat? Do they make you feel better when you’re around them? Do they look you in the eyes when they talk to you? Are they honest? Do they make you smile? Do they dwell on positive things rather than negative ones?

Identify personality traits you admire and are drawn to – then take inventory of your own personality traits. Are they a service to you or a disservice? Do they elevate you or demote you? Do they benefit your relationships or serve as a barrier between you and others?

If you don’t like the answers you’ve come up with, what are you going to do about it?

Quotes About Encouragement and Comfort

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Keep Going
Hurricane Ike has caused more damage and loss than any of us want to think about. He even reached us, here in Kentucky, this weekend with high wind storms that have left many without power for days. The worst tragedies, of course, are those who have lost their lives. A woman in a town nearby lost her life when a tree limb fell on her. She was outside making her three children come inside. One of the children broke his arm, and I wish with all my heart that were the only casualty that day.

Ironically, another tragedy involved people trying to save a young life. A man and his son drowned as they tried to rescue a ten year old boy. Like so many heroes, they didn’t walk away from their finest hour.

The local news wanted to tell me more stories, but my heart couldn’t take it. Suffice to say, you won’t hear me complaining about the damage done to our trees, roof, or about the time we were without power. I pretty much welcome the problems we’re having with cell phones and an internet connection that crawls at a snail’s pace. I know we’re amongst the very, very lucky ones.

My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by the nastiness of Ike. And I guess that’s pretty much all of us in one way or another. If today doesn’t call for an extra dose of comfort and encouragement, I (literally) don’t want to see the day that does.  Below are a few quotes about encouragement and comforting others as well as yourself.

We live by encouragement, and we die without it – slowly, sadly, angrily. – Celest Holme

Count the garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall. Count your life with smiles and not the tears that roll. – Author Unknown

You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life. – Zig Ziglar

God is closest to those with broken hearts. – Jewish Saying

The heart is the only broken instrument that works. – T.E. Kalem

Sadness flies away on the wings of time. – Jean de La Fontaine

Sadness flies on the wings of the morning and out of the heart of darkness comes the light. – Jean Giraudoux

The more sympathy you give, the less you need. – Malcolm S. Forbes

To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own. – Abraham Lincoln

When love is lost, do not bow your head in sadness; instead keep your head up high and gaze into heaven for that is where your broken heart has been sent to heal. – Author Unknown