In the Loop with Andy Andrews

On this week’s episode, Andy tackles the listener question…is college necessary? Casey wants to become a speaker and asked if it’s possible to do so without going to college. You have to figure out what value you bring to other people. What can you bring to the table that will change someone’s life? You have to go beyond simple “You Can Do It” speaking. Encouragement is good, but it takes more than that to create lasting value. There is a huge resistance in corporate America to motivational speakers. If the audience thinks they’re about to see a “motivational” speaker, you’ll lose half of them before you say a word. Proof is better than motivation or encouragement. There was a time when if you did not have a degree, you would not be getting a job in certain fields. Obviously, that’s still the case in some areas, like medicine. Generally, it isn’t the case. Most people couldn’t care less if you have a piece of paper. All they want to know is: can you do this? And will they like being around you? It’s what do you know, as opposed to what do they say you know. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to college. It can be a great thing. But it is not a necessity. If you have to go into debt in order to go to college, always remember that it is not a requirement for success. College is not bad; putting limits on people or yourself is. Questions for Listeners  ·           Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your question might be featured on the show! o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews                   o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, Andy answers two listener questions about preparing for life transitions. Donna celebrated her 70th birthday shortly after hearing Andy speak about how to prepare for the next crisis in our lives. The next day, she went zip lining and got caught in the middle of one of the zip lines. Now in a crisis, she did not panic and calmly waited for the crew to come get her. Life can be lived like a second baseman. You don’t know what’s going to happen from one play to the next. But you do have some indications of what might happen. You do have to be prepared for whatever happens according to the circumstances. Before every pitch, you have to ask yourself, “If the ball comes to me, what am I going to do with it?” If you can think ahead a little bit, life becomes easier. You don’t make as many bad choices and mistakes. The same was true for Donna. She had already decided that God was in control. She knew how to respond when things went wrong. Another bit of listener feedback from a woman named Susanne: She fulfilled her dream of becoming a doctor. Now, she believes God wants her to change direction, but she’s not sure what that direction is. What do you do when you feel restless like this? We definitely should be open to shifts in direction. Sometimes when we work so hard to get to a certain place, we think we’ve achieved everything we were supposed to achieve. But if we’re still here breathing, that means our purpose hasn’t been fulfilled yet. We have to be very open to shifts in direction. However, God cannot guide a still object. You have to be in motion. God feeds the birds, but he doesn’t throw the worms in their mouth. If you feel you’re being pulled in a different direction, start going out and doing all the different things you can. Questions for Listeners  ·           Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your question might be featured on the show! o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews                   o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, Andy talks about how to make your family your number one priority…and keep it that way. If you want to maintain a good balance between work and your life that enables you to spend more time with your family, you must start with priorities. If you say your family is your number one priority, you have to step back, observe your actions, and then determine if your actions match your words. It’s easy to “think past” certain aspects of your life that you think are certain and absolute. You may THINK your family is your number one priority, but have you really assessed whether that’s true or not? One thing that can mess your family up is if you don’t set expectations for how you will spend your time. You have to communicate your priorities and the exceptions to your priorities to your family. If you are having family time, let them know it is family time and that it’s the number one priority. If there are certain phone calls you know you may have to take, let your family know in advance. When you’re with your family, you have to make the decision to intentionally engage with them. This is something that’s easy to overlook. You have to be intentional about the purpose of the time you spend with your family. Don’t just let it pass by. Questions for Listeners  ·           Give us a call and tell us know how you have shifted your priorities and found ways to spend more time with your family. o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews                   o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, Andy talks about his family’s favorite show on TV, and why it could be a great thing for YOUR family to watch.  Duck Dynasty has become the Andrews family’s new favorite TV show. It’s like a modern-day version of The Waltons. They end every show with the entire family around the dinner table saying a prayer together. It’s a great show about family and business values. The people on the show offer great examples for mothers and fathers. They are also a great example of creating a business by coming up with a way to offer tremendous value to people. It’s not just another “reality” show. The episodes aren’t all about fighting and bad language. They show how families can sometimes disagree without being so disagreeable. The show reflects how large of a role faith plays in their lives. Questions for Listeners ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on future episodes? o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, Andy answers a listener question: What are some different, tangible ways that we can help others take action?   One of the most important things we can do to help others take action is to tell the truth that is the truth. ·      The truth stands alone, and the truth is the truth. ·      Yet someone can tell the truth while not telling the truth. ·      You must tell the truth that IS the truth.   You only know what you know, so you only do what you know to do. ·      To know something different requires an outside source: a person, a book, etc. ·      Most people think they are already taking action when they actually are not.   You lose perspective when you stop actively seeking growth. ·      You can’t go to the gym for three months and stay fit for the rest of your life. ·      If you read a book that changes your life, you can’t just stop after reading the book. ·      It’s hard and inconvenient to keep pushing yourself, but it’s essential to growth.   The ultimate answer is that nothing will encourage someone to take action more than actually taking action. ·      If you want someone to take action and read a book, start by reading the book yourself and showing them how much value it can offer them.   A great example of the value that comes with taking action is AT’s book, Early to Rise. ·      To get your copy, click here. Post Details Status This episode is released. Podcast RSS Feed released Sat 3/23/2013 10:12 AM never Podcast Box released Sat 3/23/2013 10:12 AM never Podcast.com released Sat 3/23/2013 10:12 AM never Flash Player released Sat 3/23/2013 10:12 AM never Libsyn Podcast Page released Sat 3/23/2013 10:12 AM never Select a player Width (px) Height (px) Embed Code             Direct Download URLs If you need to link to your files directly please use the following URLs. http://traffic.libsyn.com/andyandrews/ITL077.mp3 Enclosure Permalink URL http://andyandrews.libsyn.com/-itl077-the-key-to-thinking-at-the-highest-level Description Andy uses a listener question to illustrate how to move your life to the next level by changing the way you think.   John, a listener who grew up with an alcoholic father and rough childhood but has turned things around and created a great life for his family, wrote in with a question. ·      He feels as though he could inspire people to reach their potential and succeed, but he doesn’t want his ability to provide for his family to suffer in order to chase after his dream of helping others. ·      How can he help others while also continuing to provide for his family?   John is ready to move to the next level. ·      You can look at people at different levels of life and deconstruct what steps they have taken to get there.   For John to be successful in moving to the next level, he needs to do these things: ·      He needs to get to the point where he’s duplicating his efforts and understands that he can teach other people how to do what he has done. ·      There is a type of thinking that has yielded choices that have created actions that have yielded results that have made John what he is. ·      John, what were you thinking that has led to the results you are currently enjoying? ·      How can you teach that way of thinking to others?   There is no such thing as a neutral choice. ·      Everything you do is the result of a choice you have made. ·      You are either choosing to do nothing or choosing to do something. ·      The way we think determines who we are. However, you are allowed to choose the way you think.   Questions for Listeners   ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on future episodes? o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews                      o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Andy uses a listener question to illustrate how to move your life to the next level by changing the way you think.   John, a listener who grew up with an alcoholic father and rough childhood but has turned things around and created a great life for his family, wrote in with a question. ·      He feels as though he could inspire people to reach their potential and succeed, but he doesn’t want his ability to provide for his family to suffer in order to chase after his dream of helping others. ·      How can he help others while also continuing to provide for his family?   John is ready to move to the next level. ·      You can look at people at different levels of life and deconstruct what steps they have taken to get there.   For John to be successful in moving to the next level, he needs to do these things: ·      He needs to get to the point where he’s duplicating his efforts and understands that he can teach other people how to do what he has done. ·      There is a type of thinking that has yielded choices that have created actions that have yielded results that have made John what he is. ·      John, what were you thinking that has led to the results you are currently enjoying? ·      How can you teach that way of thinking to others?   There is no such thing as a neutral choice. ·      Everything you do is the result of a choice you have made. ·      You are either choosing to do nothing or choosing to do something. ·      The way we think determines who we are. However, you are allowed to choose the way you think.   Questions for Listeners   ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on future episodes? o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews                      o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this episode, Andy tackles the question—how do you find and keep truly great friends?   There are three things you need to do in order to have great friendships: ·      You have to make an increasing effort to be a great friend. ·      God’s grace—they have to be able to forgive you when you mess up, and you have to be able to forgive them. ·      The biggest factor of all is the ability to narrow your focus and become intentional about what a friend actually is. That will enable you to seek and nurture that relationship. You have to know what a friend is in order to recognize a great one.   The people around you affect the person you become. ·      Would you rather be around someone who is constantly negative? ·      Or would you rather be around someone who is positive and keeps you moving forward with your life?   You have to be intentional with the way you budget the 24 hours you are given each day. ·      Are your friendships creating value in your life, and enabling you to create value for others? ·      Are they pushing you forward…or dragging you down?   Questions for Listeners   ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on future episodes? o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Andy and AT bring special guest Julie Borlaug, granddaughter of Norman Borlaug (whom The Butterfly Effect and The Boy Who Changed the World is about), on the podcast to discuss the legacy of her grandfather’s life-changing work.   Norman Borlaug hybridized corn and wheat for arid climates, which ultimately saved the lives of over 2 billion people across the world from famine. ·      Andy reverse engineered Norman Borlaug’s life in multiple books to show that everything we do matters. ·      He absolutely changed the world. ·      Julie now works for the Borlaug Institute at Texas A&M, which continues the work Norman Borlaug started.   Andy came up with The Butterfly Effect story when the military contacted him about the problem of suicide among soldiers. ·      How do you prove to people that their life matters? ·      He was researching George Washington Carver when he discovered Norman Borlaug.   Julie had the opportunity to work directly with Norman during the last six years of his life. ·      Norman was adamant that we must believe in the young and inspire them and give them the resources to show them they can change the world. ·      He made his breakthrough with wheat in his 30s after everyone told him what he was doing was not going to work. He was even fired and he quit a few times. ·      He was working on a technique called shuttle breeding, and his stubbornness eventually paid off. ·      Norman truly believed that it will be the young who will come up with the solutions to our greatest problems.   If you’re doing what everyone else is doing, you’re probably doing something wrong. ·      Most people aren’t getting extraordinary results. So if you’re doing what everyone else is doing, you’re only contributing to the average. ·      If you want extraordinary results for your life, your marriage, your children, your profession, you have to stop doing what everyone else is doing. ·      Norman Borlaug’s least favorite word was “mediocrity.”   Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Share it with a friend!   Questions for Listeners   ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on future episodes? o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Andy and AT share a message from a listener about an amazing moment the listener created in a restaurant by honoring a friendly waiter.   When you honor people and give them a “standing ovation,” amazing things happen. ·      Everyone involved will end up paying it forward. ·      It will change the way they interact with everyone for at least the rest of the way. ·      It will create an immeasurable ripple effect.   We’re very quick to tell someone when things aren’t done properly. ·      Why don’t we point out when things are done right? ·      We can change our culture by beginning to do things differently, and honoring those who get it right…instead of always complaining when something is wrong.   We’re either doing something or nothing. ·      Which one are you doing? ·      If you’re doing something, Andy wants to hear about it. ·      We’ve all got the guts to tell everyone how bad someone did, but who has the guts to tell someone what a different they made?   Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Send it to a friend!   Questions for Listeners   ·      Have you given a “standing ovation” recently? Andy wants to hear about it! Call, email, or contact us on Facebook or Twitter. o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Andy and AT discuss what we need to do to make days like Valentine’s Day special. Andy shares a funny story of what he recently did to make just an average night with his family a special occasion.   Is it important to make Valentine’s Day special, or is it just a dumb holiday? ·      Yes, it is a dumb holiday…and yes, we DO need to make it special. ·      At one point, Andy was just having his assistant order flowers to send his wife, Polly, for him. ·      Eventually, Polly told him that flowers he had his assistant order didn’t mean all that much.   So he started putting more intention into doing something that showed Polly he actually cared. ·      You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day or any kind of special day to surprise your spouse or your kids or anyone with something special. ·      Andy did this the other day by cooking a surprise dinner with an extremely unique menu for his family. ·      Look for ways to make ordinary days special days, no matter whether it’s Valentine’s Day or not.   If you do a surprise dinner for your family, find Andy on Facebook or Twitter and send him your menu!   Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Share it with a friend!   Questions for Listeners   ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on the podcast? Let us know! o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

A few weeks ago, Andy had the opportunity to speak in front of a large number of members of the U.S. Congress and their spouses. Before he spoke to them, he and A.T. discussed what the talk would be about.   What king of message should someone share when speaking to leaders, influencers, and decision-makers?   You should always go in with a humble attitude. Show gratefulness for their service and their influence.   All leaders face criticism, so you have to take that into account.   You may be thinking the leaders you are speaking to need to change some things, but that’s true with all leaders. You have to show a little grace if you’re hoping to engender change. If you go into a room of people and tell them they’re stupid and going in the wrong direction, the result you desire will not happen.   You have to remind them of the things they already know to be true.   You may not be that qualified to speak about the specific type of work they are doing, but you can illustrate principles to them that are true no matter what they’re doing. Andy is not an expert in golf, but he was still able to talk to a group of the best female golfers in the world and help them bounce back from a rough start in the Solheim Cup. Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Forward it to a friend!   Questions for Listeners   What would you like to hear Andy discuss on the podcast? Let us know! o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On today’s podcast, professional drummer Jeff Jones, formerly of the band Big Daddy Weave, joins Andy and A.T. to talk about transitioning your life and career. After reading The Traveler’s Gift and listening to the podcast, Jeff decided it was time to transition from being a drummer to becoming a speaker. He had been the drummer for Big Daddy Weave, touring all over the country and the world, for 13 years. He had been gone about 140 days per year for his family’s entire life. Jeff came up with the acronym WISE, which has become the crux of his message. It stands for What I Sacrifice Every Day. The acronym embodies the choices you make in order to achieve the results you want in your life. When he was a kid and decided he wanted to play drums for a living, he began making sacrifices every single day in order to achieve that dream. Andy’s Storms of Perfection series also inspired Jeff to create a custom pair of drumsticks for camouflage company Mossy Oak. The series inspired him to take action. It taught him that almost every successful person started out overcoming adversity. You don’t have to be “special” to be successful. All you have to do is seek wisdom and take action.   To get a FREE eBook from Jeff, go to JeffDrummer.com, enter your email address, and he’ll send it to you!   Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Click here to forward it to a friend!   Questions for Listeners   Have you ever made a major career or life change? We’d love to hear your story! o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On today’s podcast, Andy and A.T. discuss how to teach children to persevere through difficulties and struggles.   Listener question: How do you influence your boys in a positive way in regard to what they want to be when they grow up? It’s important to connect what someone wants to do with the things they have to do to get there. You want to encourage while also keeping in mind that their mind can easily change, especially when they are younger.   Whatever your children are trying to do or learn, you have to encourage them to stay in the hard places. You gain ground when you keep going through the hard places. Even adults tend to stop trying when things get hard. We remain comfortable only with the things that come easy.   We need to change the culture surrounding childhood education in our country. Cultures that have better results in education have better results because of the way they think. Our culture does not think there is honor in struggling, which causes us to avoid struggling through difficulties. Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Forward it to a friend!   Questions for Listeners   Normal.dotm 0 0 1 10 57 The Web Easel 1 1 70 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} ·      What are the biggest challenges you have with raising your children? o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On today’s podcast, Andy and A.T. discuss the techniques that are necessary to mastering goal setting.   Andy’s tip for goal-setting is to be honest with yourself If Moses had spent a little more time up on the mountain, he would have come down with an 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not kid thyself. Don’t set yourself up for defeat by trying to do something crazy. As opposed to saying, “I’m never eating brownies for the rest of my life,” try to not eat brownies for a week. Accomplish your goals in small chunks and you will eventually accomplish something major.   Reward yourself when you accomplish small milestones Don’t overdo it, but give yourself a small reward. It’s important to keep your morale up.   Be able to measure your goal The bathroom scale is a great tool. Find a “bathroom scale” to measure any goal you set.   Instead of always focusing on the ultimate goal, focus on the process Become a master of the little things you have to accomplish along the way to the ultimate goal. Never lose sight of what you must be doing right now. Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Forward it to a friend!   Questions for Listeners   What goals have you set recently? How are you going about accomplishing them? o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On today’s podcast, Andy discusses how the ability to work through confusion is what separates the great from the average.  God has created you with a will that is stronger than your emotions People often say “That’s just the way I am” and use it as a crutch for bad behavior But you can use your will to overcome your feelings and emotions You have to use your will to overcome the tendency to ignore your health If what you are currently doing is not getting the results you want, you need to: Begin thinking differently Go beyond just “thinking outside the box” Do not do what everyone else is doing, because not everyone is achieving the results you want Confusion always guards the answer Ordinary people have no problem getting through little bitty pieces of confusion Those who can work in the midst of great amounts of confusion can do great things Ask “Why?”