by admin | 20 May, 2023 | Andrew's Blog, Joyful Longevity
It’s a word I hadn’t heard much of – as it is not used much these days – until watching the movie Night at the Museum – the battle of the Smithsonian. In this movie, Amy Adams plays Amelia Earhart, and she says to character, Larry Daley, as she asks if he enjoys what he does, “You say you like what you do, but what I see in front of me is a man who has lost his moxie.” It is not a word that we hear much anymore and it is not a word we use much anymore, but it is a great word. This week I want to ask you to help me bring moxie back.
The dictionary definition of Moxie is The ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage. If there was ever a time to face difficulty with spirit and courage, I would have to say now is it. Interest rates are rising, the cost of living is expanding, job security is dwindling, health is declining, and times are challenging. Unless, that is, we choose to get up, dust ourselves off, get out, and find our moxie. Add ‘spirit’ and ‘courage’ to anything you are facing, and you have a winning formula, that’s for sure.
I think we all understand the meaning of ‘courage’. In my mind, it simply means facing your fear and doing what you need to do to live your best life. The word ‘spirit’ however, can leave room for interpretation. So, I plugged the word into the Thesaurus, and here are some of the words that came up to embody ‘spirit’: soul, essence, life, life-force, attitude, strength, character, force, fortitude, determination, heart, faith, and love, just to name a few. Can you imagine how good things would be if you owned some or all of those traits. Are you ready for the good news? You already do. Moxie is part of your DNA, you may just need to pull it out, dust it off, and own it.
I had dinner this week with two amazing ladies, both who epitomise the word ‘moxie’. It was the 85th birthday of moxie-laden Brenda Richards, an incredible lady I randomly met on one of my walks a few months ago. I will talk more about her shortly. Through Brenda, I met the incredible Eva Sifis, a lady who has shown all sorts of moxie to deal with being hit by a car and sustaining a significant acquired brain injury back in 1999. That event ended one part of her life, but due to her powerful moxie, it started another part, which is still evolving and empowering others as you read this.
Brenda Richards has lived in the same home in the suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, for more than 60 years. It took much longer than it should have for Eva, Brenda, and I to walk down the street to take Brenda out for dinner for her birthday. Why? Brenda knew every second person, and they stopped to chat and wish her a happy birthday. She is most definitely part of the fabric of this suburb, for sure. I don’t have time to get deep into her story, but she is a survivor, and has developed an amazing heart for people. A challenging beginning in life, led her to be travelling on the itinerant track in her teens from town to town, and job to job, just making enough to get by. She has now authored many books, has written a TV series for children and is just as feisty today as I am sure she was in her teens. She is the queen of moxie.
How can you add some moxie into the things you are working on, the people you are working with, and the struggles you are facing right now? Moxie is courage and spirit. Courage means, in essence, face it, deal with it and act on it, whether you want to, believe you can or not. You know what you have to do, don’t you? Spirit means do it with heart, with enthusiasm, with zest, with strength, with determination, and with all of your life-force. That, my friend, is simply a decision. Things don’t always look easy, fun, or desirable, however, you can make them meaningful with moxie. So, let’s bring moxie back.
In my podcast this week with Yana Hempler, called Run for purpose, I have the pleasure of meeting another lady full of moxie. Coming from Russia to Canada, and with a fear of running, she now runs every day, helps other people run, and she ran 30 marathons in 30 days to raise money for a great cause. She loves running now, it is something she does with great joy, overflowing enthusiasm, and endless moxie.
I have moxie, you have moxie, and we all have moxie. It may be hidden and may have been buried deep inside of you for a long time, but it’s there waiting for you to drag it out to see the light of day. This incredible world, we are blessed to live in, is not always easy, as you may be experiencing right now. However, trust me when I say, it can always be a joy, no matter what is going on, if you bring back your moxie.
by admin | 13 May, 2023 | Andrew's Blog, Joyful Longevity
Have you ever eaten a meal or dish before and then compared it to another dish that is effectively the same, yet one tastes so much better than the other? Me too. Have you ever had an experience at one time in your life, and then repeated that exact same experience again with someone different and one was so much better than the other? Me too. Why is one meal, experience, or interaction so much better than another that seems to be the same? The answer is the secret ingredient.
I was enjoying lunch with my dad and his partner Annette last Sunday, and after a yummy main course Annette pulled a delicious looking apple pie out of the oven. It initiated a conversation that has inspired this blog. My dad started talking about his own mother’s apple pie and how amazing it was. This immediately made Annette feel that she was competing against Dad’s mum for the best apple pie. After re-assuring Annette that her apple pie was delicious and rated very favourably with my grandmothers, we started discussing the difference between homemade apple pies and store-bought ones, and why the homemade alternative was far tastier. Annette shared a very cute story about when she served her grandchildren some of her fabulous pie, which they loved. They asked her why it was so yummy, and Annette told them it was because of a secret ingredient.
This special secret ingredient can turn anything, no matter how annoying or unpleasant it may seem, into magic, even a simple walk by the beach. I went for a walk the other day because I felt obliged to. It had been a full day with not a lot of margin for anything else, and even though the weather was beautiful and it should have been a joyful walk, it wasn’t at all. I was far too focused on what I should have done that day and what I should be doing instead of walking, so instead of joy, it was an average experience. The following day the weather was far less appealing, but my walk was an absolute pleasure, and I loved every second of it as it left me feeling refreshed and re-energised. What was the difference? The secret ingredient.
As you may know, I was a proud and blessed dog owner to a beautiful little girl for 14 years until late last year. She was my first dog, apart from dogs my family owned when I was young. Up until that point, I would not like picking up dog poop, cleaning dirty dog butts, or getting licked on the face by a dog. With Joia, all of that changed. Why? The secret ingredient. If you are a parent, I am sure you will understand this, as I can only guess, but before children I am sure crying babies, loud and messy children, and sleepless nights would be something to avoid. When you have children, it is my prediction all that changes, and you start to embrace, and even look forward to, the things that at one time repelled you. Why? The secret ingredient.
As a mentor to authors, I find two different types of attitudes people have as they are writing their book. One attitude is that writing is hard work, a chore, and they find it difficult to get into the zone to get the job done. On the other hand, there are those who just easily flow into writing, and can’t wait for the next opportunity to create something that will inevitably entertain, inspire, and help others. Have a guess what the difference is. Yes, you got it, the secret ingredient. I am thinking by now you are starting to understand what the secret ingredient is.
If you are trying to get yourself in shape and are really struggling to get into a rhythm and motivate yourself to do the simple things you need to do to create change, I believe you are missing the secret ingredient. If work is a chore, relationships are hard, and energy is waning, then you may want to add the secret ingredient. In my podcast this week with Yogi Aaron, called Stop stretching, you will hear the secret ingredient in his voice as he talks with passion about helping people move better and live pain free.
If you are still wondering, which I doubt you are, the secret ingredient is love. It changes everything. It makes food taste better, a walk more joyful, and cleaning a dirty dog-butt or changing a pooey nappy a pleasure. It makes writing a breeze, work a passion, exercise a game, forgiving an easy choice, and anything that seems like a chore, a delight. This is an area I am still working on in my own life, and is a focus for me, as I hope it will be for you. Whatever you do this week, add love to it and watch how it changes the taste, the experience, and the outcome. Add the secret ingredient this week.
by admin | 6 May, 2023 | Andrew's Blog, Joyful Longevity
Why do we take life so seriously? I understand there are times we need to be serious, but at what point did we lose the inner child and the ability to just be silly at any time? I believe life is to be loved, every single day. It does not mean we have to love everything that happens or everything we have to do, but it does mean we can love we are here and that we choose the meaningful life which is available. I want to encourage you this week, if you need it, to find your playful side, because play is not just for children, it is for everyone.
I was meeting a friend last week in her neck-of-the-woods, so I asked for her suggestion as to the best venue. She sent me a link with an address and map reference. I was expecting that we would meet at a café, instead the address was for a park. Well, I’m flexible if nothing else, so I just went with it. When I arrived at the park, there was a really cool playground, and whilst waiting for her to arrive, I started playing. What else would you do at a playground? There was a cool spinny thing, swings, a seesaw, and of course a slide.
When my friend arrived, I of course had to get her to spin with me on the spinny thing, jump on the seesaw (as it was not as much fun alone), and then have a swing together. It was a blast! As we were chatting, I posed a question to her. I asked, why is it that generally only children get to enjoy the playground? Often, when you see parents at the playground with their children, they are standing around talking, and the children are playing. Why don’t the adults play? She said, because the adults have to watch their children. To which I replied, often they don’t even watch the children, they are just talking to other adults. I am sure there are many adults who would love to jump on the play equipment, I can’t be the only one. So, why don’t they? I want to start a campaign today, and with this blog. My goal is to get adults back into play.
I do get it, when we become adults, and certainly parents (not that I know from experience), there are many responsibilities. There are lots of things to consider like; money, safety, work, different and complex relationships, and many other things we have to start thinking about. I just don’t think we should do it at the expense of play. You can be serious and playful. You can be responsible and still have fun. You can be sensible and silly. I think we often make the mistake, as I have, of thinking play is for when all the serious stuff has been done. Why not add playfulness into everything you do?
In the book, The Happiness Advantage, the author, Shawn Achor, based on research, flips the paradigm on the out-dated adage, once we are successful, then we will be happy. What he is actually suggesting is that, when we are happy, then success will follow. My question and challenge for you, should you choose to accept it, is how can you bring play and playfulness into every day and every part of your life to help you live with more joy, be healthier, and more successful? What can you do to bring more play into your home and family life? Could you play more games, get out to the playground more often, create games out of chores, and do fun projects together? How can you bring more play into your workplace? Could you smile more, make games or competition out of achieving work goals, focus on the positive impact your job has on other people’s lives, or find ways to make people smile?
How do you bring play into your financial situation? I can think of lots of ways, such as having fun rewards when you achieve financial goals, feeling the joy of saving money knowing that it is growing your financial strength, and finding fun ways of earning additional income. Bring play into your health and fitness pursuits by participating in sports you love, doing it with friends, feeling joy every time you put healthy food into your body, and going to the playground often. You see, play and joy is free and available to you today, tomorrow, and forever. When you focus on playing, your life will change for the better, trust me.
In my podcast this week with Michelle Powell called Your authentic self, we have a very powerful conversation. From a childhood of abuse to a narcissistic marriage, to losing her children, Michelle is now living a life of joy and helping many people, because she started to focus on her authentic and playful self. It is incredible what can happen when you start adding play into your life. There are times to be serious, and there are definitely more times to be playful, So, remember, play is not just for children, it’s for everyone.
by admin | 29 Apr, 2023 | Andrew's Blog, Mindset
As I am writing this blog, it is Saturday morning and I am sitting in the waiting room at Bob Jane Tyre Mart, waiting for my tyre to be replaced. Why am I telling you this? Because there is a story that led me to this moment I thought would be worthwhile sharing. The day before, just as I was on the verge of complaining and blaming, I stopped, took a breath, and then took full responsibility for where I was.
Rewind about 18 hours from now and I was just leaving for an appointment at a café nearby. It was almost 5pm, the rain had started, and I was cutting it fine, as I sometimes do. As I drove down the one-way street, through a traffic moderator, I wasn’t paying attention as I should have been, and I heard and felt a thud. I had hit the protruding barrier that was there to deliberately slow down drivers. I was jolted back into the present moment and kept driving, until I felt something not right. The car was pulling to one side and there was a rough sound.
I stopped and got out in the rain to discover I had punctured my tyre. I was annoyed, as you can imagine. I looked at the time, and thought, I will keep going, driving very slowly, go to my meeting and then change the tyre afterwards. Hopefully the rain will be stopped by then. As I drove, every second person was trying to get my attention to let me know I had a flat tyre. I thanked them and let them know that I was aware. Finally, I got to the place, parked, prayed I had not done too much damage to the rim of my wheel, and went to my meeting.
As I arrived, I couldn’t see the person I was meeting anywhere. I walked around, looking in every corner, to no avail. I waited about ten minutes, made several calls to try and reach him, again to no avail. So, even more agitated, I left to go and attend to my massacred tyre. On a good note, the rain had stopped, just as the sun was going down. Well, the rain stopped just long enough for me to get the jack and spare tyre out of the car and then it started raining again, this time heavily. My irritation level was rising. For the next 30 minutes or so, I changed the tyre in the rain, in a puddle, in the dark, and finally finished saturated and infuriated.
I was just about to spiral into blame mode, as I was saying to myself, if only this person had cancelled earlier, I would not have come out, would not have rushed, would not have had a flat tyre, and would not have had to change it in the rain. I was justifying to myself why it was not my fault and looking to shift responsibility. Then I stopped, and thought, come on Andrew, this is not you. You are not a blamer or a victim. I took a deep breath and then I took 100% responsibility. It was no-one’s fault except mine that I was rushing. It was no-one’s fault except mine that I wasn’t paying enough attention on the road. It was no-one’s fault except mine that I ended up with a flat tyre I needed to change in the rain and then replace with a new one. It was all my doing. I am responsible.
Did that make me feel any better? Not really, I was still wet, out of pocket, and annoyed. However, I did learn something from it, and it did provide me with content for this blog. You see, when we blame others, for anything, we can never move forward in that area of life. Blamers, from my experience – and I should know, because I was one – are miserable, stressed, anxious, and never move forward to create great things in their lives. When you take full responsibility, even if the responsibility was shared, you will be given the most amazing gift of lessons, opportunities, and freedom. Taking a breath and taking total responsibility will empower you beyond belief.
I now have a new tyre, have written a new blog, I met a new friend at Bob Jane, and I have rescheduled the appointment I missed on Friday. So, all is great and, as I write this, I feel awesome. All is wonderful when you take responsibility. In my podcast this week with Billy Ballard, called Spread the love, we discuss his spiral into drug addiction and the chaos it caused in his life. Billy talks about the moment he took a breath and then took full responsibility and how, in that moment, everything changed for him.
No matter what you are facing right now, and no matter how easy it may be to shift the responsibility elsewhere, I want to encourage you with all my heart to stop, take a breath, and then take 100% responsibility. In the moment you do that, your life will change for the better.
by admin | 21 Apr, 2023 | Andrew's Blog, Inspiration
Our greatest asset and our biggest liability are one and the same thing. It’s our thinking. Just as quickly as we can be presented with a flash of inspiration and possibility, we can talk ourselves out of it. Have you ever heard yourself use the phrase, I would love to, but…? That is exactly what I am talking about, all-in-one sentence; possibility on one hand, and limitations on the other. This is why we need to stop thinking and start bearing witness to the potential each one of us has.
I had one of the most wonderful experiences last week. After a visit with my dad and his partner, I was inspired to visit The Lume, in Melbourne. OMG. There is no way I could possibly try to describe it in any way that would possibly do it any credit at all. Let me try as well as I can, with the help of their website; The Lume is a purpose-built space to seamlessly animate art at such a jaw-dropping scale. Much more than a simple exhibition space, THE LUME Melbourne’s state-of-the-art design combines sights, sounds, tastes, and aromas to give visitors a unique chance to enter into the world of the artist.
The show was called Monet and Friends and showcased the works of Claude Monet and all the French Impressionists of the era. The uniqueness of this exhibition, if that’s what you could call it, is that the artwork was dynamically projected on the walls, the floors, and the ceilings. It was accompanied by animations, music, and sounds that elevated it to a whole different level of immersive experience. It was mind-blowing. On entry, there was a quote projected on the wall by Monet that read:
“All I did was look at what the universe showed me to let my brush bear witness to it”.
In other words, he saw the beauty that was all around him, and he just let the art flow freely through him to his brush and onto the canvas. He didn’t plan it, he didn’t overthink it, he didn’t reason it, and he didn’t even necessarily visualise it. He felt it and then just allowed it to emerge as he bore witness to it. This is artwork that has spanned the globe and delighted people for centuries. It wasn’t planned and it wasn’t considered, it was felt, and it just flowed.
This may sound ethereal, but this quote impacted me in a big way, and I believe there is something here for all of us, if we can understand what it is truly saying. What I take from it is that I already have everything I need inside me. I have the answers, I have the inspiration, I have the courage, I have the potential, and I have the capacity, so all I need to do is let the life I live bear witness to it. You may be asking, what the &$#@ is he talking about? I will let Michelangelo, another famous artist, answer that question.
After many years of sculpting the magnificent Statue of David, Michelangelo was asked how he did it. He answered, “I saw the angel in the marble, and I carved until I set him free”. How do these artists just get it? They have been able to remove logic from creation. This I believe to be one of the greatest keys to success, joy, and happiness in life. It is about feelings, not formulae. It’s about intuition, not intelligence. It’s about faith, not facts. It’s about trust, not theory.
No matter what you may be aspiring to, whether it be better health, stronger relationships, greater impact, career growth, financial stability, or something else, you just need to know, you already have all the answers and capability. All you need to do is start moving intuitively, divinely, and passionately and let the results you get in life bear witness to the potential you have been born with. The bottom-line is that you are good enough, just as you are.
In my fabulous podcast this week with Mark & Monica Sandercock, called, The power of a hug, I was so inspired about the relationship they have built through many challenges and the impact they are now having on many lives. It was not logic but love that allowed Monica to hug Mark after he revealed a very disturbing secret. It was that hug that bore witness to the beautiful relationship which then blossomed.
As I read back through this blog, I find it hard to believe that I wrote it. How does a footballer write this kind of stuff. The answer is simple. As I was inspired by Monet, my fingers on the keyboard bore witness to it. The stereotypes that we all have had thrust upon us by society, conditioning, and generations are no match for what is inside every single person. When we take our eyes off everyone else and put them on God and the universe, and just be lead, we can then move into the creation of a life that bears witness to the amazing person you were born to be.
by admin | 15 Apr, 2023 | Andrew's Blog, Joyful Longevity
When we are younger it seems to be more about what we can get. Well, if I am being brutally honest, that was me. Totally selfish and self-absorbed. I really and tragically believed joy came from what I could get for myself. I am grateful for the years, the challenges, and the wisdom, as I now know deep in my heart, my true joy comes from what I can give. And the best news, I have plenty to give. As do you.
You may be sitting and reading this saying, he doesn’t know my situation. I don’t have plenty to give at all. I am struggling to make ends meet financially as it is, how could I give more? I am busy with a full life and don’t have any time to give. If this is you, I can relate, because I have been where you are. I still believe, despite your limitations, you have plenty to give. This simple experience I recently had reinforced it to me.
I had been training one morning and was heading home. As I walked through a local park, there was a man walking his two dogs. He had just arrived and was just letting them off the leash. As soon as one of them saw me, he started bounding towards me with enthusiasm. As the dog approached the owner said, he will want to jump up on you. I said, that is fine, I love dogs. As promised, the dog jumped, licked, and enjoyed some love from me before leaping off to find more adventure. As I walked away, and passed the owner, he said, he will want to jump up and kiss you every time he sees you now. I replied, that is fine, I have plenty of love to give.
As I walked away, this blog came into my mind. That phrase came out of my mouth without any thought or deliberation. I just know inherently, whether I have money in the bank or time to spare or not, I will always have plenty of love to give. So, by the way, do you. I have spoken before about my experience with the homeless, and my realisation that they don’t need me to give them money, they need me to give them recognition and love. I can do that till the cows come home. I was reminded by the guy in the street as I went home to get a book to give him, it wasn’t the book that mattered, it was the fact that I went to the effort to get it and come back. That is something I can give and will give until there is no breath left in my body.
Money can be spent, often on the wrong things. Time can be wasted, and once gone we can never get it back. Love, encouragement, and recognition, once given, will last a lifetime and will start a ripple effect that may well positively impact millions of lives for generations to come. We can all give love, encouragement, and recognition in an unlimited supply because it never runs out.
I am reminded about the letter my Hungarian great grandmother wrote and sent via mail to my mother when she was just 6 years old, in the year 1941. It was a letter written in very poor English by a doting grandmother to her granddaughter and it spilled over with love, encouragement, and beautiful affirmation. My mother kept this letter until the day she died, 63 years later. It was a message that I know impacted her life, and has now impacted mine, and the ripple continues. We all have plenty to give.
In my podcast this week with Dr Jono Taves, called The headache doc, I was amazed and inspired by what this man is giving to help people be headache and migraine free. He recognised that the answer is so much more simple than has been portrayed by many people, and so now he is making a powerful difference all around the world.
Here is my challenge for you today. Pick five people and give generously to them. Not money, not time, not knowledge, not motivation or not anything you may feel you have a limited supply of. Give them something you have in an abundant and endless supply. Give loving words, give encouragement, and give focused attention. Trust me, these things will have a far greater impact on someone’s life than money, for sure. The great news is, when it comes to these things, you have plenty to give.
