Perception

 I have written about my wrestle with perceptions before. 

I find myself re-visiting this topic and, maybe, with more insights than I had before. I just gave a speech, where I found a different way to explain the reality of perceptions.

I asked the audience to look at this picture. 

I shared how some people will look at this picture and the first thing they will notice is the dirty, muddy, road. I have a friend that is allergic to everything and not about ANY creepy crawlies. I would bet my hard-earned money those would be her first thoughts. 

Some people will get excited OR nervous about what could be at the end of that road or driveway. Will they need to make a decision? I can feel the anxiety building.... Will the view be so spectacular they are left in awe? (Two different perceptions right here.)

Some people will be drawn to the light, which then allows them to appreciate ALL that the light is shining on. It may cause them to truly study the picture and the beauty in it. 

What is the truth? All of them and none of them, all at the same time. We form our perceptions based on our life experiences. EVERY perception we make as humans if from a limited vantage point. Therefore, how great would it be if EVERYONE moved through life knowing that there is moRE to EVERYTHING. I think we would see more second chances, more conversations, more respect, and A LOT more grace for one another. 

One of the many things I have wrestled with in business, is the general perception of others. The perception of the general public, my clients, bidders, non-profits, family, and friends....the list could go on and get broken down even more, in some regards. I wrestle with it, even though I KNOW the above..... That there is moRE to everything. There are things that I don't see. There are things that I don't understand, and the same for others. 

Over the years, I have had to learn the finesse of living with the one overall truth, which is that: Our perceptions are reached by our own experiences, which are true - BUT, all of our perceptions are limited. Thus, not the ULTIMATE truth....which is the only one that really matters. I think this is one of the major reasons grace, mercy, and forgiveness are so important to God and are in so many of His messages to us. Our perceptions will ALWAYS (until maybe when Jesus comes back) be limited. That is a fact. The more wisdom He deposits in us, the more we will know, and (most likely) need to ask forgiveness for. 

I could write a book about the role perceptions have played in the growth and restructuring of my business. However, what I REALLY want to leave you all with is this truth....this explanation. As you see changes happening around you and you feel the feels on whether or not you like it, whether or not it's "right," whether or not it is "fair," whether or not it was "handled properly," JUST REMEMBER - everyone's vantage point is different and NONE of them see the full picture. 

I am a firm believer that The Holy Spirit ebbs and flows at God's command. I am also a firm believer that The Holy Spirit is mysterious and thorough in His movements. I promise you, that our God knows each one of us so intricately. He knows how hard certain things are for us to let go. He knows our hearts in such a way, that He removes what we will not. He cuts the rope of what we keep hanging onto. He places just the right people in our path at just the right time, and removes the influence of persons, places, or things that are NOT part of His plan for our lives. So much of it won't make sense, but we want it to. 

It is why grace and mercy and forgiveness are bypassed for judgement and condemnation so often. We want to understand. We want to make it so. We want to have some handle on why things are the way they are. Yet....this is why He asks us to Just. Have. Faith. in Him. We can't. He can, and He LOVES us so incredibly and fully....WAY more than we love ourselves. Buck Up Baby! & have a little faith. You know what you know, but there is SO much you do not. Trust Him. 

Also...be sure to put perceptions where they belong. Rest in God's truth and the wisdom He has blessed you with. Doing this files off the rough edges that brush against you when experiencing the limited perception of others. 

Just Because You Could - Doesn't Mean You Should

 Today, I was brought back to some of the thoughts that ran through my head before I decided to really pursue building my own business, instead of working for someone else. Without Jesus, I would not be here. Those prayers, back then, were a kind all their own....fervent, desperate, FULL of fret and worry, talking out loud ALL....EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. MY. CONCERNS..... Jesus knew them. Even though He called me, I was not able to recognize it right away. I questioned EVERY thought. I thought of EVERY scenario....EVERY possibility.....REALLY sat with the less than favorable possibilities, let it saturate me and then decide if I was willing to make the sacrifice and FOLLOW Jesus's call. A TD Jakes sermon & The Holy Spirit snapped me into action back then and......here I am....more than a decade later.....and TD Jakes has once again motivated me with one of his sermons and I felt that familiar feeling. The feeling of ALLOWING God to show me. To put all my plans, thoughts, ideas, limited knowledge to the side and....well....BUCK UP BABY & RIDE WITH JESUS!

This brings me to my most beautiful lesson this week. In business.....just because you COULD, does NOT mean you should. Sometimes.....we are SO hard-headed that God literally has to LET US recognize for ourselves our weaknesses. He let's us FEEL the discomfort, angst.....He lets us struggle in our limited knowledge. 

I am a person that likes to be in motion. Sitting still, focusing on numbers, piecing things together, and trying to figure out how to make a program work.....that's not my thing. Yes. Once upon a time that was my thing....because I was curious....engaged....interested....learning. That being said, I identified years ago, that - that was one of my least favorite parts of the business and taught, encouraged, hired, and/or trained others to do that very thing. NOW.....as I sit in the middle of my reset, fumbling my way through what's next...wanting to BE REAL SURE I need a person to do X, Y, Z....I have never been more sure of anything in my life.

My brain was SOOOOOOOOOO tired that once I struggled my way through programs and documents and process manuals, and FAQ web pages, then double, triple, & quadruple checking my numbers (which BTW....as I sit at my daughter's music recital, realize I forgot a very important deduction that was accounted for, but not notated) I realized that....when I work myself to a place where basic addition and subtraction is a struggle......it's time to let it go. AND...if that wasn't enough to convince me....after ALL the corrections and THINKING I was printing page 9 of a 9 page document.....I take a call and, by the end of it, have NINE FULL COPIES OF A NINE PAGE DOCUMENT....that is not where I'm supposed to be.... THUS, just because you could, doesn't mean you should. 

God gives us such AMAZING gifts. TRULY, when I started this whole journey FRUSTRATED with my J.O.B. at the time....I HAD NO IDEA that I would one day become a Texas Reserve State Champion Auctioneer, learn how to sell EVERY type of asset under the sun, and HELP RAISE MILLIONS for non profits! In fact, when I started this journey....being an auctioneer was a thought written in a journal out of frustrated prayer. I reached a point where I did all I knew how to do in my own knowledge and ability and I did not know what to do. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR MY OBEDIENCE. 

God knows that sometimes we have to wear ourselves down to the place where we will be obedient; where we have exhausted all we know & we SURRENDER. 

And as I type that, I think to myself....knowing all this....why is it still SO HARD? I'd like to think that God is teaching us how to trust Him the way we will, one day, need to trust Him. Every time we get ourselves to these places we trust God a little more. AND....it is not that we don't want to trust Him...it's that we don't know how and He is teaching us. It gets easier to say yes. It gets easier to step into the unknown and LET HIM paint the road as you walk. We can't rush it. We can't make plans. We can simply EXPERIENCE His goodness and His grace and His mercy towards us & LET HIM SHOW US!

BUCK UP BABY & RIDE WITH JESUS! GO where He takes you. No questions and no expectations. 

An EXPLOSION of Creativity

Art, CreaTIViTy…..I'm seeing it EVERYWHERE, in every way. MOST ESPECIALLY, THIS week, I have found myself DRAWN to poetry, art, design, art & science projects & differnt forms of art & expression. The words I would tie to my most recent experiences with ART are: curiosity, a retreat, an escape, a release, joy, light, connectedness, memories, reminders, a glimpse. 

Tonight, I will share images of some of the pieces, quotes, and artwork that have been inspiring to me this week, in one way or another. You can also check out my Pinterest Boards & FOLLOW ME there at: www.pinterest.com/HDSKaspar. Main boards to check out would be: "Words to Live By...," "Jesus," "Mother Mary," "William Blake," "Art," & "Animals." (God's CREATION is the MOST amazing.)

Reflecting, yet again, on personal experiences..... part of the "overwhelm" I, (& I believe, many others feel) is an EXPLOSION of creativity....literally. I see it everywhere in EVERYTHING. Here are some examples from my life: 

• Fundraising auctioneers brainstorming & CREATEing online, virtual, & tailored alternatives for fundraising, due to social distancing restrictions.
• Livestock exhibitors & their parents finding CREATIVE alternatives to the typical show/sale environment. 
• CREATIVE ways to share, explain, educate the public on how different industries are handling this shutdown and what it means for business.
• Businesses shifting & adjusting to find a way and CREATE a way to adapt & offer their goods/services in a variety of different ways.
• The adjustment of our own "typical" marketing campaigns, to find new ways to reach people.
• Business owners changing their business plans as the observe the changes they are seeing before their eyes.
•  The GAZILLION different ways people are staying connected to those they can't see. 
• ART pieces & social media posts encouraging ALL the "essential" workers.
• ART pieces & social media posts encouraging people in general.
• I have experienced more CREATIVE negotiating tactics & creative excuses :)........just being honest. 
• Face masks, as a form of EXPRESSION.
• SO MANY more Facebook games & challenges, seeming to all be geared at finding a connection.
• An OVERWHELMING increase in email MARKETING, with many different messages.
• The many ways President Trump and other government leaders are keeping us informed. 
• The ways communities are COMING TOGETHER & creating ways to show support to: high school seniors, athletes, college graduates, the elderly, the struggling, the recently unemployed, area non-profits, medical employees, city officials, EMS/EMT, doctors, nurses
• The documentaries that are replacing some of the MUCH MISSED sporting events.
• Strategic plans for non-profits changing and adapting & how they are communicating that change. 

I could keep going. I find myself being more creative & I'M LOVING IT! I've missed it. In fact, I had no idea I has gotten so far from it. I'm glad to be back! Buck Up Baby & let yourself be as CREATIVE as you want to be. Don't put ANY limits on yourself & ENCOURAGE CrEAtivIty in others. God bless ALL of you!

William Blake

William Blake

William Blake

William Blake

William Blake

William Blake

RE-affirmed & Ready to Go!

This past Saturday was the annual RTC Education Foundation Round Up. The event was GREAT. We had GREAT auction items for the LIVE & silent auctions. The food was delicious. The music was toe-tappin' good & the caliber of people there were TOP NOTCH! A big THANK YOU goes out to all the donors and the FANTASTIC group of bidders we had. You guys truly made it FuN & a HUGE success!!!

Photo credit goes to Melissa Wickel!! Great Job! Lace Dress comes from Junk Gypsy Company & Turquoise Necklace from Brenham Saddle Shop.)

This auction also REaffirmed a few things for me. Unless you've gone into business for yourself before, it's hard for me to explain ALL the different thoughts that can go through a person's head like..... Did I make the right move? Can I hack it in a sea of other auctioneers? Can I hang with the best of'm? Will there be a FUTURE in this? 

Let alone all the specific BUSINESS things that go through your head & processing what you hear from other people in the industry: Am I being fair? Am I shortchanging myself? Is my image "professional" enough? Is it unique enough? Am I holding true to ME? Am I taking care of my voice?

WELL....you GREAT, WoNDerFuL people of ROUND TOP CARMINE.... You gave me a moment of reaffirmation. I won't go into every single little detail.... or conversation... or my epiphanies, if you will...

Let me just say that I had a few conversations, with several people, about a plethora of rAndOM topics. ALL of them were just what my SOUL needed, in JUST the right "areas of concern" that were millin' around in my mind.

I prayed a BIG prayer before that auction & the GOOD LORD delivered.

Folks...I have a couple auctions coming up. The next one scheduled thus far is a benefit auction for Dana Herzog Srubar. She is a young mother (early 30s) that has been diagnosed with breast cancer & has already started chemo treatments. The auction is February 22nd at Chicken Ranch Dance Hall in Nechanitz. Please shoot me a message or give me a call if you are interested in donating to the LIVE or silent auctions & please keep in mind when you are looking for something to do on February 22nd. Black Cat Choir will be performing. For all of you business owners & political candidates out there. Donating items & bidding on items makes for a GREAT PR campaign in these little small towns - where TV ad campaigns are non-existent.

Also....starting February 9th - We can start accepting consignments for the 1st GENERAL CONSIGNMENT AUCTION Buck Up Auctions will be holding this year. It is at the NEW Ledbetter Fire Hall (right beside the old dance hall) one block off of HWY 290 - ACROSS the Highway from Stuermer Store. I'll be blogging more about it later, BUT please mark your calendars to be there & PLEASE be thinking of a few items you may like to consign & get some money for.

Many, many BLESSINGS ya'lls way! Buck Up Baby! Come to an auction! Ask me some questions! Leave me some comments! Also...pick the picture you like best. I have to send one off to the National Auctioneer Association & I want to pick THE BEST! I appreciate all of it!

I´m a Rockin´ Rural Woman!!!

Hey Everyone! I have been featured on the RURAL WOMEN ROCK page and am MORE than honored. Please be sure to check out the post below (which is also on their site) and be sure to check out the otherAWESOME feature stories!!

For all of you new readers...If you want to watch a video of me auctioning something off - you can check out several of my blogs. I´ve put links to them below:

A Little Constructive Critiscism

Kinda Sorta Hittin´ My Stride

Auction School Day 2: Bid Calling

Auction School Day 7: Quizzes and More Bid Calling

Buck Up Baby: Heather Kaspar

Sales Account Executive/Auctioneer. I love how Heather is mixing it up- chasing her dreams, and doing what she loves. Rural women are doing some amazing things! Quoting Calamity Jane:"I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one."
 Heather says, “I want to make a difference and I want a STRONG legacy when I leave this world”. Knocking your socks off  from: http://buckupbaby.blogspot.com/

Meet Heather Kaspar!

Hi there!! I´m Heather and I am really all kinds of things, but what moved me into the blogging world (besides my good friend Kacie over at Pistols and Cupcakes) was my decision to become an Auctioneer. I just got back this week from Auction School. To become licensed you have to take an 80 hour course (amongst other things) to get your license. Now I´m in the process of filling out all the needed paperwork and working on scheduling a date to take my state exam (another requirement). I´m SO excited!! Some of my other titles include: Christian, Mother of a 2 year old little girl, wife to my high school sweetheart, Cable TV Ad Sales Account Executive, Mentor, Texas State University - San Marcos Graduate, and...MOVIN´ AND SHAKIN´ RURAL WOMAN!
I grew up in a teeny tiny community (in the GREAT State of Texas), where I graduated with 20 other people. I was brought up around cattle auctions and started showing cutting horses at around age 12. I was also pretty active in 4-H and FFA where I showed market lambs and commercial heifers. I´ve also (within the last 10 years) taken´ a likin´ to hunting and fishing (husband´s influence).

I sell TV Advertising (on a local level) in a little coastal community close to Corpus (Rockport). We have GREAT fishing! Anyways…I started out in sales in College Station, TX (Home of the Fightin´ Texas Aggies). When I started I hadn´t even finished my college degree, but I paid for most of my way through school (besides a few scholarships and a little help with books every so often) and I´LL BE DARNED if I wasn’t going to have a “good job” when I graduated. Well…to make a LONG story short…I was good at it….still am. This job has given me the ability to learn about ALL KINDS of different businesses and help create marketing strategies that help them grow their client base. The main thing my career has done is show me that I have GRIT. You don´t really realize it REALLY until you look back and you remember where you started (no actual billing client list), notice the number of people that have walked into your life for a short while, and moved onto another profession, and realize the number of people you have helped. It´s always nice when people in a certain type of business ask: “Have you ever worked with a frame shop?...church?...outdoor shop?...mattress store?...jeweler?...restaurant? cattle genetics operation? (you better believe it)....etc.” AND I CAN SAY YES!! Of course it took close to 5 years, but I have learned A LOT about A LOT of things – through this job.
You can really get to know LOTS more about me by checking out my blog  I wear A LOT of different hats and I sit and ponder on how I manage it all and why I am the way I am. When it comes to business I feel like I´m pretty buttoned down…but not stuffy. I enjoy the company of people…ALL KINDS of people! I cherish my family and friends and am SO grateful for all the blessings the GOOD LORD has bestowed upon me. I AM BLESSED! I like to have fun and I REALLY have a hard time tolerating DISRESPECT. There is a right and wrong way to go about any given situation and I think it is important for people to take a step back and look at the entire situation before talkin´ ugly about somethin´.

I have decided that the reason I am the way I am is because of ALL of the different people that have influenced me in my life, like: The people I admire (some have no idea and most people wouldn´t guess that I´d admire), the people that make me realize what I DON´T want to be like, all the people that have taught me some sort of life lesson - whether it be nicely done OR brutally honest. Then...not letting the negativity DEFEAT me, but fight like hell to rise above it. All that started in the rough and tough years of becoming a teenager and not understanding stuff. Ultimately I had a "Comin´ to Jesus Meeting" with just me, Jesus, and God and worked it all out. I figured out who I wanted to be, thought about the people I admired, thought about the people I didn´t, and figured out what steps I was going to take to BECOME the person I wanted to be. God is there, and he guides us all. You just have to be willing to listen and DO! If we all would just DO something the Lord will light our path.

I do want to share (what I think is) the best quality of all rural people. WE ARE REAL!! I have friends and acquaintances of all kinds of different backgrounds and upbringings and I just really appreciate the people that aren´t all about TOOTIN´ THEIR OWN HORN! You know the best way to get to know someone is ask them questions about themselves….NOT tell´m all about how wonderful you are. Rural people are DOERS!! You don´t have to talk about it….JUST DO IT (like Nike says). Actions have a lot more merit (in my eyes) than words and I really think that is what sets RURAL people apart from the rest. Be a Doer….not a Tooter.
I´m sure that some you gals readin´ have had the thought: "I am bigger than what I´m doing." Well I had that thought, light bulb went off, and I made the decision to follow in my Uncle´s (cattle auctioneer) footsteps and become an AUCTIONEER! I was SO nervous at that first fundraising auction, but I opened my big mouth, said I wanted to do it and there was NO TURNING BACK. Luckily...I was pretty good at it. SHOCKED the heck out of me. I was thinking that maybe I´ll just help Uncle Mele and do this on the side. Then 6 fundraising auctions later...I have people telling me to "Keep it up....Don´t quit!" I thought to myself....no one is holding these people at gunpoint...they must really mean what they´re sayin´. I don´t really know where I´m goin´ with all this yet, but I´m gonna keep goin´ somewhere! Let me just say that going to auction school solidified it for me EVEN MORE. I have been given a NATURAL GIFT and I better do something with it. This is ANOTHER way that I can really help people and I am just tickled to pieces about it. Hence…..where Buck Up Baby! began. I was SO overwhelmed with everything that went along with me auctioneering….I needed a place to unload it all and well…The title is literally something I had to tell myself on the ride over to Plum (first auction).

Folks....it really is AMAZING how the GOOD LORD works through all of us - if we let him. Do you know how many of MY FRIENDS looked at me confused and crazy - when I told them I was going to be an auctioneer? You just don´t hear very many people talking about it…much less a young woman. All I know is I decided it was time to BUCK UP BABY! You can´t be scared...well maybe a little scared, but you still have to DO it!!

I found a quote on an AWESOME GROUP OF WOMEN´S website (The Junk Gypsies) . This is what it is:

"I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one."-Calamity Jane

Now...I don´t have a clue what kind of legend I may be one day BUT I KNOW I want to make a difference and I want a STRONG legacy when I leave this world. . I ENCOURAGE every one of you to let every person you meet, every book/article you read, and every situation you encounter leave a mark on you. We learn from each other and we can ALWAYS continue to educate ourselves. The way you handle any given situation builds CHARACTER!! I want to make people PROUD of me and HELP OTHERS. That is really what it is all about!

Ladies! Don’t be scared. Buck Up Baby and let´s show the world how much RURAL WOMEN ROCK!!! I really do look forward to getting to know you ladies and lettin´ you inspire me!!