by admin | 3 Dec, 2022 | Andrew's Blog, Inspiration
Have you ever heard the saying; you don’t know what you don’t know? When you are young, you think you know everything, right? As you grow up and experience life and its challenges, you start to realise, more and more, there are many things you don’t know. Do you understand what I am talking about? There are things you don’t know that you don’t know, but you actually do want to know them, and there are things you know you don’t know and you’re not sure if you ever want to know. I am positive I have totally confused you. Sometimes it takes courage to know what you don’t know.
I am going to try to decipher this mumbo-jumbo now with an experience I have just had. My good friend Kate is an amazing lady. She has a deep faith and strong belief in God and has been led to invest a large part of her already full life helping, feeding, and sharing hope with many homeless people in Melbourne’s CBD. Through the church we both attended, a premises was purpose developed with just this task in mind, but it has been Kate who has really brought it to life. So, now Kate leads a team of people who every Wednesday and Saturday evenings offer refuge, food, clothes, supplies, and prayer for the disturbing number of people who don’t have a roof over their heads, or, often, food on their tables.
Kate has been asking and encouraging me for around 12 months to come and see what she is doing and help out on one of the nights she and the team are there. She has been constantly telling me what they are doing, the stories of some of these people, and the difference they are making. I kept saying to Kate, ‘I would love to come, but I just can’t do it this week. I will definitely come, one day’. Do you know what ‘one day’ actually means? It means ‘no day’! So, I kept telling Kate I would come, and I kept making excuses why I couldn’t. The reality was that I was terrified. I didn’t know what I was terrified of, I just was.
Finally, after Kate asked for the umpteenth time, I said I would come. I had run out of excuses! Suddenly, fear filled my body, and from the moment I had said I would come, I was hoping that Kate would ring and cancel. She didn’t, and so, last Saturday I drove into the city for this experience. Why was I so scared? I thought maybe because I wouldn’t know what to say to these people. I considered that I was worried that they would judge me. And ashamed as I am to admit it, there may have been a small fear that I could get hurt. However, after spending a few hours with these people, I discovered that the reason for my fear was totally different. The truth was that I was scared to know the reality of the situation.
Let me explain what I mean. As I mingled amongst, chatted to, served food to, arranged chairs and tables for these people, I felt incredible sadness and empathy. I saw people, real people who had fallen on hard times, and now didn’t even have a roof over their head or food on their table, the things most of us just take for granted. I saw and met people who, simply because they were going through a tough time in their lives were being treated more like animals than people by many, even, and again ashamed to admit it, by me up until that evening. I had been there only a short time and had done barely anything and people were coming to me and thanking me, with tears in their eyes, for helping them. It was a transformational few hours, for sure, and I left a changed man with a desire to do more to help these people.
As I drove home, it became clear to me that my fear was in knowing. I was scared that once I knew the reality of the situation, I could no longer stick my head in the sand and pretend it wasn’t happening. I was terrified because, If I knew the truth, what if I couldn’t do anything about it? I was petrified that I wasn’t strong enough, resilient enough, or capable enough to make a difference in the lives of these people. My fear was in knowing, and I realised on my drive home, that it took courage for me to step into that space and know the truth. This is why I have so much respect and admiration for my friend Kate.
Over the next few days, I thought about it, spoke to others about it, and am now committed to do what I can do to help. I have realised that I don’t need to be afraid, all I can do is all I can do, and that is enough. The fear of knowing is very real for all of us. Knowing that there may be a health issue is terrifying. Knowing the truth about a failing relationship is horrifying. Knowing the reality about finances may cause panic. The problem with not knowing is that nothing can or will change. When you have the courage to know, and you find out, then you can do what you can do to create change.
I love my conversation with Matt Caruana on this week’s podcast called, Trust and belief. When Matt faced the truth and really understood where he was at, he was able to start on the journey of doing what many believed was not possible. He severed his spinal cord, and despite being told he will never walk again, he is taking his first steps. It is a truly inspiring conversation, well worth a listen.
When you know, you can create change. That is a powerful concept. Let me say it again, when you know, you can create change. The thought of knowing is terrifying, but in fact, knowing is the most empowering thing you can do. Find the courage inside of you to get the knowledge you need to create positive change and enjoy where it leads you.
by admin | 26 Nov, 2022 | Andrew's Blog, Mindset
Why do people behave the way they do, say the things they say, and experience the results in their life that they do? Have you ever asked yourself that question? You may even be asking it about yourself. I know I did. How can there be people experiencing incredible joy, purpose, and abundance, yet others spiral into misery, loneliness, and lack? These are interesting questions to ponder, but even more important to answer. In my mind, the answer is association.
I have been reaching out to some people, over the last seven days, I haven’t spoken to for a while. It is great to reconnect with some wonderful people, however, what is disturbing is that many of them are experiencing some dark times. Many have been significantly affected by the craziness of the last couple of years in the world. Then on the other hand, there are people I am speaking to who seem to be thriving and loving life. As I do, I want to try to understand the difference in perspective of people leading to the two types of responses and outcomes they are experiencing.
I used the word ‘perspective’ as the difference in responses and outcomes because everyone has gone through the same ‘stuff’. We have all been impacted by COVID. The whole world has been rocked by the war and resulting suffering in the Ukraine. We are all having to negotiate rising cost of living and a very unstable economy. All Australians have to deal with crazy and unseasonal extremes in weather. That being the case, the only difference in how we respond to the same situation must be perspective. The question then is, what will have the greatest impact on our perspective to help us thrive rather than dive? Again, in my mind, the answer is association.
I know that when I am alone, which has been the majority of the time over the last few years, my mind will often take me into dark places. After my marriage ended, my mind told me I wasn’t capable of loving or worthy of being loved. After I lost work and money during COVID, my mind tried to convince me I was a victim. When my business plateaued, my mind wanted to persuade me to give up because I am not good enough. My mind, as can yours, be my worst enemy, so I am grateful I didn’t stay with myself for long. Instead, I tapped into communities that would help give me a different perspective.
The bottom-line is that we become like the people we associate with the most. That is either amazing news, or the worst news possible, it all depends on who you are spending your time with. The best news is that it can change in a heartbeat if you want it to. For me, I now know after many years of struggling, anxiety, and self-loathing, I need to be with people who love me unconditionally, support me, encourage me, guide me, and most importantly, push me to be better. The answer for me was and still is association. I am telling you this now because I want you to know there are people out there, including me, who want you to be happy, on purpose, healthy, and successful in life, whatever that looks like for you. You just need to spend more time with them.
On Friday evening just gone, I went to a re-union for the professional football club I played with back in the 80’s. It was an amazing night and wonderful to re-connect with some incredible people who helped me, from an early age, to believe in myself. I was 16 years old when I started at the St Kilda Football Club, and I had lots of doubt about my ability to play sport at the highest level in the country. It was the seven years I spent with these people: players, coaches, support staff, and supporters who encouraged me, guided me, and even harassed me to be the best I could be. I couldn’t be more grateful for this association I fell into at such an impressionable age. It has helped me in every area of my life, ever since.
Like most people, I haven’t gotten through the last few years unscathed. I am, however, more grateful, more optimistic, and have more belief in myself than ever. How and why? You may ask. The answer is association. I am part of a wonderful church community I see every week. Every day I have a relationship and a conversation with a God who loves, protects, and guides me. I am part of a business group that is more like my family, who help me see things differently and believe more in myself. I speak on the phone every morning, Monday to Friday, with my mentor who helps me start every day on the right foot. It is these people, these communities, and these associations that have helped me the most. The answer is most definitely association.
In my podcast this week called What’s your story?, Desmond Dixon discusses his early experiences living in poverty and how the beliefs he had adversely affected every area of his life. He then talks about the transformation that occurred when he started to hang out with the right crowd. Please listen to this podcast, and please take the time to assess the people you are associating with and ask yourself this question: If I continue to spend time with these people, how will my life look in the next five years, ten years, and beyond? This is a critical question to ask, and answer. As I have already mentioned several times in this blog, your life can change direction in a heartbeat, and trust me on this, the answer to it is most definitely association.
by admin | 19 Nov, 2022 | Andrew's Blog, Mindset
In Melbourne, Australia, rain is commonplace. In fact, we are known for the city that has all four seasons in one day, and, it’s actually true. To wake up to a beautiful blue spring sky, get fooled into thinking it’s going to be a summer’s day, then to have it turn quickly from spring, summer, straight into autumn, and then become a cold and rainy winters day is part of the joy of living in this town. We are currently two weeks from summer starting in Australia, and it feels like winter. Rain can be inconvenient, annoying, damaging and even depressing, however, after the rain comes the rainbow.
My routine is to get up between 5 and 5:30am to train six days per week, and now that I am living by the beach, it is even more motivating. The one thing that dampens my enthusiasm, is the damp and cold. In my younger days, it would not bother me, but I am older and softer these days and I much prefer mild and dry weather. I certainly chose the wrong city to live in to make that my climate expectation. Any who, I was training the other morning, by the water, with the wind blowing and rain pelting in my face, just wishing it was all over so I could go home and get in a hot shower, when all of a sudden, it ‘did a Melbourne’.
When I say, ‘did a Melbourne’, I mean, it was typically Melbourne and, in a moment, the wind stopped, the rain stopped, and the sun came out. Then, as the clouds cleared a beautiful rainbow emerged. I finished off my workout enjoying much nicer weather conditions, and a stunning rainbow. Rainbows are amazing to me. I can’t explain where they come from, or how they are formed. The one thing I know for sure is that the rainbow always comes after the rain.
I want to encourage you to imagine that rain is a metaphor for the challenges in your life, and the rainbow is the blessing that comes as a result of that challenge. That being the case, I hope you can see that, just as the rain passes and is followed by a rainbow, challenges will also pass and be followed by incredible lessons, opportunities, or gifts. The key to enjoying the amazingness of the rainbows in your life is to firmly believe that tough times will pass and expect great things will come as a result.
I am writing this blog in my new office in my new home, and I feel so incredibly blessed for this house I have just purchased. It is definitely the rainbow that came after the rain. As I have already spoken about, so my apologies if you have heard this before, it was about three months ago my life was thrown into a bit of turmoil. Happily residing in a home, I was renting and had been for nine months, I received an email with a notice to vacate. The owner of the property had given me the remaining three months of my twelve-month lease to vacate the property, by November 25, 2022.
Even just a few years ago, that news would have sent me spiralling into ‘poor little old me’ mode. I would have chucked a tantrum, started blaming, complaining and effectively making everyone’s life miserable, mostly my own. But I handled this very differently. In fact, I surprised myself. The rain was pelting down, but I imagined the rainbow. Maybe it’s time to buy my own place, Ithought, this is definitely a sign from God. I thought about how it would feel when, within those three months I could find, buy, settle, and move into my own home. I did, and in fact, made it happen in just two months. I can tell you; I love my new home and will be enjoying this rainbow for many years.
I want to encourage you, as soon as the rain starts falling in your life, imagine and expect the rainbow that will come. Is the rain falling on your health? If so, get to work to become healthy again and imagine when you can do the things you want, and inspire others at the same time. That’s a pretty exciting rainbow. Is the rain pelting on your relationship? If it is, get to work repairing the conflict, and imagine the rainbow that will appear as your relationship is restored and renewed. Is the rain fear in your life that you may not be good enough or worthy enough to achieve what you want? My goodness, repeat this next sentence to yourself over and over again; I am enough, I am worthy, just as I am. Can you visualise your life when you truly believe that? Can you envisage how beautiful that rainbow will be.
The harder the rain, the more amazing the rainbow, but it does have to rain first. Challenges will come, and the need to come, for you to experience amazing blessings, opportunities, and growth in your life. In my podcast this week with Matthew Loudon, called Get off the grid, Matthew discusses the torrential rain that was his traumatic childhood and a life which spiralled into depression. Now, on the other side, he is enjoying the benefits and blessings that come from moving through the storm to enjoy the rainbow on the other side. It is a powerful and inspiring conversation.
Is there rain in your life right now? If so, get excited, because just now, as you negotiate the challenges you are experiencing with a desire for change and an expectation of great things to come, the rainbow will appear, and it will be the most beautiful rainbow you have ever seen. Believe in your life, just as with nature, that the rainbow comes after the rain.
by admin | 11 Nov, 2022 | Andrew's Blog, Joyful Longevity
Have you ever noticed how many people wander around with their head and eyes down? It’s incredible what they may be missing simply because their eyes are down. Possibly they’re having a bad day. Chances are they are stressed about everything they have to get done. Perhaps they’re worried about all the things that are uncertain in their life. Whatever the reason, there is so much out there to enjoy, be grateful for, and to be inspired by. All you have to do to see it, right in front of you, is just simply lift your eyes.
I have just had a wonderful trip to Albury, on the New South Wales and Victorian border. I was honoured to speak to an incredible group of people on Thursday, and as I was driving back to Melbourne, I was feeling light and inspired. On the Thursday morning I got up in Albury to do some exercise, as I do every day. I walked out of the hotel, with no idea where the best place for exercise would be. I turned right, I lifted my eyes, and I saw a beautiful white monument upon a hill. It didn’t look too high or too far away, so I headed towards it.
Well, it was further and higher than I thought! By the time I finally struggled my way to the top, my chest was heaving, my lungs were bursting, my legs were heavy, and I was exhausted. I was bent over, looking down and trying to catch my breath. When I finally stood up and lifted my eyes, I was presented with the most incredible view around Albury and beyond. I stood there for a few minutes just enjoying and being grateful for the incredible landscape I had found myself in. At that moment, something inside moved me to lift my eyes again, and up in the tree were two kookaburras.
For people who live in country Australia, kookaburras are not a big deal, they are commonplace. For a city slicker like myself, however, it’s a very different story. I was so excited that I felt I needed to point them out to every person who walked past. They looked up, shrugged their shoulders, and kept going because for them it was no big deal. For me, it was a very big deal. I’m so grateful I actually stopped and lifted my eyes to see what was around this beautiful country. My question to you is, do you spend your time with your eyes down, or do you regularly lift your eyes up to experience the joy and beauty that is all around you?
This may not apply to you, but, I know in my life, I have missed so much because of spending so much time with my head down. Head down in my business, my problems, and in the stressors in my life. The result: I can’t even begin to tell you how much I have missed because my head was down, and I didn’t lift my eyes. So, let me ask you this, where are your eyes most of the time? Are they down and fixated on everything you’re trying to achieve, avoid, aspire to, or change? Or are they up looking at this beautiful world around you, and all the wonderful things happening that are there to enjoy?
When you take the time to lift your eyes you will see a world full of great people to connect with, collaborate with, support, and encourage you. When you raise your eyes, you will see beauty all around the incredible world you live in. As soon as you lift your head out of the mess and muck you may be experiencing, you will see solutions, ideas, and opportunities. The greatest things you will see when you lift your eyes include love, joy, gratitude, and peace. All this amazingness is available for you, if you stop, lift your eyes, and look at the abundance that is there waiting for you.
In my podcast this week called All you need is love, with Chris Freer, we discuss in detail the love, joy, and opportunities that are available to every person who lifts their eyes to really see themselves. There is no doubt about it, we live in a fast-paced world that seems to demand more and more of us every single day. It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and lose sight of the most important things we have. Those things are free and readily available, and all you have to do to enjoy them in abundance is just lift your eyes.
by admin | 5 Nov, 2022 | Andrew's Blog, Mindset
You may have heard a saying along the lines of, own your life, don’t rent it. I always wondered what that meant. I mean, of course I own my life. Who else owns it? How can I rent it anyway? It’s my life, my body, my choice, and I am in control. Or, so I thought. Then I bought a home, and it changed my whole perspective about ownership.
I am different now than I was just a few weeks ago. I have rented homes for far too long, and now that I am a homeowner, I am finding myself hard to recognise. When renting, I was far less intrigued about tidiness, maintenance, and looking after things. I have changed in a heartbeat. Now, for some reason, my dishes are always done, my bench tops and splashback wiped down, my clothes put away, my bed made, my bathroom wiped down, my floors swept and vacuumed, and any little thing that is out of place is put back in place. I am even on the verge of employing a cleaner on a monthly basis. What has happened to me?
Ownership has happened to me. When I was renting, I was far less focussed on the state of the property, and now I am attentive and deliberate about looking after my home. It’s a miracle really. Not only am I focussed on the maintenance of my home, but incredibly, I am also enjoying it. Why, when I was renting, was it a chore and now I am owning, it’s a joy? Simple. I own it, I love it and I want to look after it for my own pleasure, but also to protect my investment. Ownership has changed everything for me.
Let’s go back to the idea of owning our life. There are many aspects of our life we can either own or rent (for the sake of a better description). What about your health and wellbeing? Do you own it or are you renting? Let me give you a powerful and personal example of what I mean. My greatest hero in life is my mother, who tragically passed away many years ago now. When first diagnosed with breast cancer back in the late 80’s, she was renting her wellbeing. In other words, she wasn’t taking responsibility for her condition, how it may have happened, or how to solve it. Instead, she presented herself to the medical profession to fix her. She passed ownership of her health to doctors who did the best they could.
Whilst conventional medical intervention seemed to work in the short-term, the cancer reappeared much more aggressive secondary cancer in her liver just 18 months later and she was given a much gloomier prognosis. This is when my mother decided to take ownership of her own health. She was no longer a passive observer to what was happening to her body. Instead, she started being very deliberate about making multiple positive changes; mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. This decision to own her wellbeing enabled her to create an extra 15 years of quality life above what doctors predicted for her. This inspiring lady will live in my heart forever, and her legacy will live on for many generations to come.
Owning something means that you are taking 100% responsibility for its performance, upkeep, and outcome. It’s amazing how much more aware and attentive I am to my home and things that are out of place now that I am an owner. So, let’s just do a quick stocktake of the things you are owning in your life at the moment. We have spoken about health and wellbeing. Are you truly aware and attentive of the things you need to do to recover lost health or keep yourself in optimal wellness? Do you own your relationship, or renting? I mean, are you aware and attentive to your responsibilities to maintain a strong, healthy, and open relationship that is growing each and every day.
Do you own your self-growth or renting it? I mean, are you simply allowing the attitudes and opinions of other people, television, or society to control your thinking, or are you deliberately associating with the right people and putting the right stuff into your brain? Do you own your financial position or renting it? In other words, are other people pulling your strings and telling you what you are worth, how much you can earn, how many hours you have to work and how to spend your money, or are you in control of your time, money and financial situation? Are you happy you read this blog, or are you squirming in your seat a little? Squirming? Great, then it’s time to change.
In my podcast this week called Everyday joy, Phil Barth discusses how he was just renting his health when a heart attack struck him down. After a while of pity-party and victim-minded thinking, he decided to take ownership of his health and life, and he deliberately started looking for the joy that was all around him every day. It’s a powerfully inspiring conversation I encourage you to listen to. The bottom line is, my friend, you have one shot at this life, and then it is done. If you want more joy, more success, and more meaning in it, then you need to take ownership. Trust me when I say, ownership changes everything.
by admin | 28 Oct, 2022 | Andrew's Blog, Mindset
Every day we face things that we don’t like, don’t want, or are not right. Whilst we may not choose those things, every day we get to choose what we do as a result of them. It may not be your fault, it may be out of your control, and it may be very tempting to start blaming and complaining. I have a very simple message for you this week, if it’s not right, fix it!
I have now been in my new home just over one week, and I love it. However, everyday I am finding things that are not ideal and not right. I have to admit, I have been very tempted to get cranky, start blaming other people and complain about these things. However, I know that will never change anything, other than turning me into a person whose own ass I’d want to kick!
In the first week I started moving stuff in, I noticed water on the floor in the laundry, after careful reflection and a few days of observation I found water leaking through the ceiling. When I connected my washing machine up for the first time, and turned on the tap, again, water was leaking. I thought I had fixed it until I woke up the next morning to find a flooded laundry floor. Then soon after, I realised the dishwasher was also leaking onto the kitchen floor after each cycle. So, I started thinking; what is it with this place and water?
My initial thought was, this is not fair, the previous owner should not have passed the home to me with these issues. I started getting angry, as you do when you believe you have been wronged. Then I stopped and thought, maybe I should have done more thorough inspecting of the property and appliances before signing the contract. The second I removed blame and took responsibility for my own home; I knew I had to fix these things. So, I got into action. I called my friend the plumber, who came and fixed the washing machine. I contacted the Body Corporate who arranged a plumber to fix the roof leak. I have contacted the dishwasher supplier and the process is in motion to get that fixed.
As I sit here writing this, rain thudding against my roof, and, no more leak, I am feeling empowered, in control and ready to fix the next thing that is not right. Here is my question to you. What is not right in your life? As you ponder on that, let me ask you another more confronting question. Are you blaming something or someone, are you complaining about it, or are you in the process of fixing it, no matter who or what is at fault? The answer to this question will tell you who is actually in control of your life, you or someone else.
I think we are all guilty of resorting to the default position of blaming and complaining. The problem is that, whilst it may give some short-term comfort or justification, it will never change anything. So, if you want things to get better, you need to take responsibility and action. If you really want to be challenged and inspired, then I encourage you to listen to this week’s podcast called, Step out and thrive, with Bethany Boring. Born with severe physical issues, including, sight loss, hearing loss, heart problems and limb deformity, it would have been very easy for Bethany to submit to her adversity and blame her situation for lack of joy and fulfilment in her life. Instead, she is the epitome of taking control of her life and is one of the most joy-filled and inspiring people I have ever met.
No matter what you may be facing right now, start taking action to fix it. It may not be as easy as calling a plumber, but the solution is simple. Start by taking full responsibility for where you are at, and go from there. Every positive and permanent change starts with the first step, however, there is a condition on that first step. It has to be taken now. Yes, now. The second you stop reading this blog, do something. If you say to yourself, I will do it later or I will do it tomorrow, it will never happen. Do you know why? What is later and where is tomorrow? Do you realise they are not even real. Later is fiction and tomorrow is fantasy. Have you ever existed in ‘later’ or ‘tomorrow’? No, of course not, because when later comes around it is now, when tomorrow is supposed to occur it is today.
This means one thing and one thing only. All you have, and all you will ever have is now and today. Is it your health that needs fixing? Is it your relationship that is damaged? Is your financial situation in disrepair? Do you want things to be better in any area? If you answered yes, then you are ready. All you have to do, when something is not right, is simply take responsibility and fix it, starting right now.
