In the Loop with Andy Andrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on thinking and how it inspires action.

 

Most people believe that their choices determine where they are.

  • In a way they do, but you can’t really control your choices any more than you can control the flip of a coin.
  • Unless you have a process in place for guiding your choices, at best you can hope to make 50% of your choices right.
  • Thinking determines the choices we make, choices determine actions, and actions determine our reputation.

 

Are there instances in which action inspires different thinking?

  • Yes, if we are looking to learn something.
  • When we are not looking to learn something, our words (or thinking) will overpower our actions.
  • Thinking and action are kind of circularly intertwined.            

 

There is a great paradox between “As a man thinketh, so is he,” and yet we’re still able to choose what we think and how we think.

 

God feeds the birds, but he doesn’t throw worms in their nest.

  • I realized years ago that I was praying beggar prayers, and I felt like God was rolling his eyes at me.
  • If you’re sitting at home and lying on the couch, the people that God places on your life path are probably not sitting next to you.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

 

 

 

Direct download: ITL135_The_Paradox_Betwwen_Thinking_and_Action.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on which three words I would use to describe myself.

 

One of them would definitely be searching.

  • In the second decision –“I will seek wisdom”– I thought for a number of years that the most important word was wisdom.
  • The most important word is seek.
  • I’ve become so much more aware of searching because I’ve finally figured out that there is a lot more to the things that I thought I knew.
  • Even if you are an expert in a field, there are always more answers to search out.

 

The second word is intentional.

  • I don’t live my life according to intention.
  • Intention has no power.
  • To be intentional about what you do means you are heading in a specific direction for a specific reason.

 

When you are intentional about where you are going to go, then you are able to determine very quickly if what you are doing is moving you closer or further from the result you want.

 

The third word is really the first one I thought of, and that is grateful.

  • Gratefulness is perspective.
  • I’ve never found anyone who has presented a situation where I couldn’t point out something to be grateful for.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL134_How_to_be_Intentionally_Grateful.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I address a listener question on displacing negative thoughts.

 

You can’t leave your mind blank.

  • When we don’t choose what goes in our minds, our minds fill up with things that point our thoughts in other directions.
  • These directions may affect our choices in ways we would really rather not choose.
  • How many times have we said to ourselves, “what was I thinking?”

 

Think about this….

  • If I was to sing, “Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale…”
  • You would immediately think, “A tale of a fateful trip.”
  • But was there really a time that we sat down with a pen a pad and said that we wanted to learn this song?
  • We weren’t choosing anything at that time, but it made its way into our brains and it’s never going away.

 

There was a movie I saw in high school that totally freaked me out.

  • I don’t even remember why I was there, or who I was with when I saw it.
  • It has been decades since I’ve seen that movie, but I can’t forget the things that I saw.
  • Those images are not doing me any good.

 

Why not choose what does go in our minds?

  • Choose something that will benefit your family forever, or benefit what you believe your destiny to be.
  • It is important to choose.
  • You don’t have to read my books, but you better be reading something beneficial.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

 

 

Direct download: ITL133_-_Displacing_Negative_Thoughts.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, we honor our mothers with an episode not just for Mother’s Day.

  

A couple of weeks ago the boys found a vine hanging down from a tree.

  • I can remember telling Polly, “They’re fine.” I didn’t say, “You’ll be fine.”
  • Adam was yelling, “It’s perfectly safe!”
  • So as Polly is swinging, the vine cracks and mama fell from the sky.
  • What a great mom these boys have. As crazy as that was…what a great memory.

 

I say this to friends of mine whose mothers pass away:

  • First, I ask how old they are. For this example, let’s say they are 57.
  • I’ll say, “I know that you’re sad, and there’s never a good time for anyone’s mama to pass away, but I am envious, because you had 57 years with a mama as great as yours and that must have been awesome.”

 

Make a determined and consistent effort to let your parents, especially your mama, know you love them.

  • Some of the moments when I most admire Polly are when I see flashes of my mother in her.
  • It’s very odd to me that I am now older than my mother was when she passed away.

 

I make sure the boys know every time they leave for school or go to bed at night that it could be the last time they see us.

  • I don’t want them living in fear.
  • But I also don’t want them living with regret.
  • Again, say what you need to say to the people you care about.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL132_How_to_Honor_Your_Mother_Year-Round.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

 On this week’s episode I discuss why your family needs a mission statement and how my family created ours.

 



I’ve never seen a successful company that didn’t have a mission statement.

  • I found out that a friend of mine, Sandy Stimpson, has a family mission statement for his family. 
    
  • He suggested that we make our own.

 



Polly, the boys, and I sat down and decided…
 

  • What is important?
  • Where do we want to go? 
  
  • What is the best?
  • What result are we after?
  • How do we act?

 



Over the course of several weeks we formed the mission statement, and it is now framed.

  • We keep it in the front of our house where we can see it all day long. 
    
  • It makes life more intentional for Polly and me, but it is also transforming how our boys think.

 

Be sure you’re on the AndyAndrews.com email list so you don’t miss the release of our free Family Mission Statement Builder! Go to AndyAndrews.com to sign up.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL131__The_Benefits_of_a_Family_Mission_Statement.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT