Andy Andrews
By Ashley Andrews, 700 Club Interactive
CBN.com –Are you missing the perfect moments in your life? Even when those moments are staring you straight in the face? , Author, speaker and comedian Andy Andrews thinks that we are. And in his new free e-book The Perfect Moment, Andy hopes to encourage everyone to realize and appreciate these precious moments.
PERFECT MOMENTS
"I know I was missing perfect moments," Andy admits. "I'd spent almost five decades on this planet completely oblivious to the perfect moments occurring in my life." But all that changed for Andy on one regular afternoon. And he credits that change to his eight-year-old son.
"My life changed dramatically several days ago," he explained. Sitting on the front porch, Andy and his son Austin talked about fishing. Andy had already had a long day at work, but was surprised when he realized that he did not have a headache, wasn't tired, hungry, or even thirsty. He had "nowhere he had to be and no one he had to call," and he was perfectly content where he was. Looking back, he shared, "It was indeed a peculiar feeling that only foreshadowed the moment that was about to change me forever."
That afternoon, Andy and his son fished and played catch. And in that time, Andy learned a few things. He learned that "hope is the next best thing to excitement" and that perfect moments can happen anywhere at any time. As he threw a football back and forth with Austin, he didn't realize just how perfect that moment was until his son pointed it out. As Andy described, "He was lying on the beach, but sat up as I stepped toward him and motioned for the ball. Smiling, he held his hand out and said, 'Dad! Stop!' I did. 'Do you see?' he asked. I raised my eyebrows and quickly looked around. 'What?' I replied. 'Look!' he insisted as he got to his feet and came closer. He grinned widely and I chuckled as I noticed the gap where his two front teeth used to be. 'Dad, don't you see?' he said again and I shook my head, mystified. No, I told my boy, I did not see. He took my right hand in both of his. 'Well,' he began, 'think about it . . . The sun went down so it's not in anybody's eyes, but it is still light enough to throw the football. The sand is soft enough to fall on and the temperature is not too hot and it's not too cold.' He shrugged. 'And it's just you and me here together.' Pausing, he looked at me earnestly. 'Dad,' he said, 'it's just perfect.' And it was."
STARTING TO SEE
"As I sit here today," Andy shared, "in what the world calls the 'middle age' years of my life, it occurs to me that I have existed for decades on this planet. And I have managed to notice every cross word or disappointed glance tossed my way. I have noticed every hurricane that forms in the Caribbean . . . every fire and earthquake and tornado.
I have slowed down to see wrecks on the highway. I see every bill that comes in the mail. I mark every flight that is delayed. I even see the spot on the fender of my car that was missed when it was washed. I have paid attention to things that weren't true. I have spent time on things with no lasting significance. And I have worried about things that never happened. Oh God, how many moments have I missed that were just perfect?"
With that, Andy vowed to never miss another perfect moment. "I want to live a happy life," he claimed. "One for which I am grateful and cognizant of time well spent. From this day forward, I will notice the joy on a child's face, not the chocolate he left on the couch. I will notice clean sheets, the roof over my head, and the fact that I have enough to eat. I will see opportunities to help or to teach and be grateful for my life."
And one opportunity to teach came with his book The Perfect Moment. Andy knew that he could not be the only person to miss these rare moments. And he knew that he needed to point it out, just like his son did with him. Of course, he mentioned that "noticing these moments is not always as easy as it sounds. After all, it took me over 40 years before I was aware enough to notice..." But, Andy has come up with a few ways to help anyone recognize these moments.
THE STEPS
First - determine the ingredients necessary for a perfect moment to take place.
"Make a list...think about what makes you happy... even if you take away one of those ingredients, the outcome is still a highly enjoyable moment. Remember, things don't have to be perfect for you to be happy. For instance, let's say I'm healthy, completely comfortable, and enjoying a nice dinner with my wife, but I happen to have a deadline coming up in a day or two. That deadline may be in the back of my mind somewhere, but that does not have to stop me from focusing on the fact that I'm enjoying a meal with the woman I love. Sometimes we set up so many rules for how things need to be in order for us to have perfect moments. But if you go back to basics and focus on what really matters, you may find it's not as hard as you think to be happy every day. Imagine that!"
Second - make sure that you have the right perspective.
"Right now, there are perfect moments occurring in your life, no matter how bad things may seem. Without the right perspective, your list of perfect moment ingredients isn't going to do a whole lot for you...A great exercise in perspective is to make a list of the things you often take for granted." Some things, for instance, that Andy listed are shelter, healthy family, transportation, religious and political freedom and good memories."
Third - learn to create your perfect moments.
"Once you start noticing your life's perfect moments, there is only one thing you are going to want to do- create them intentionally. You see, I didn't set out to create that perfect moment between my son, Austin, and me. It just happened on its own. And, most of the time, that's how perfect moments are going to happen. I mean, how many times have you planned an afternoon with your family or friends that you thought was going to be perfect, only for some unforeseen interruption or setback to derail the whole occasion? Life, as they say, rarely goes according to plan. So if planning perfect moments rarely works, how can we go about creating more of them? It's simple. We create an environment that is conducive to perfect moments. The first step is to determine what this environment looks like." And with that, Andy urges readers to ask themselves this: "What excites me more than anything else? If this were my last day . . . what would I do? What do I need for a perfect moment to take place? What do I often take for granted in my life?"
In the end, Andy reminds everyone to follow through. "You can take your life down any path you choose. You can choose to be open and available to creating perfect moments every day, which in turn leads to living an incredible and fulfilling life...Ultimately, the direction of your life is up to one person-you. Do not let outside influences sway or determine your vision. Continue to take purposeful action with every day that passes. Though your path will be fraught with difficulty, the rewards of living your life intentionally will far outweigh the cost. After all, your next perfect moment could be just around the corner. Don't miss it."