Seven Decisions Interview - Andy Andrews

fesourceAutumn 2005Ifmagazne

self developmentSeven Decisions toPersonal SuccessAndy Andrews talks toChristine MillerAndy Andrews was one ofthe keynote speakers atthe 2005 National Speakers Association conventionI attended this summer in Atlanta, Georgia, andI have to admit I had never heard of him belbre.His entertaining, engaging style certainly amusedthe 1600-strong audience, but contained withinhis stories and jokes were powerful messagesconcerning the growth and development ofourselves and our planet. Homeless as a youngadult, Andy made the discovery that there areseven decisions that work without exception totransform lives, Norry, as someone who has beeninvited to speak by four different US presidents,has performed for the US Military, and deliveredspeeches for many Fortune 500 companies, Aodyhas been described as one of the most influentialpeople in America today.After I contacted his offfce to arrange this interview,Andy's Chi€f Solutions Officer, Nick Francis, sentme two books - "The Traveller's Gift" and ..Islandof Saints" - so I could be fully conyersant with his\ryork. I wasn't sure what to expect, although thereviews were excellent, and Andy definitely seemedto have a knack for storytelling. In fact, I foundboth books powerful, yet easy to read, and thoseskilful storytelling skills were prominently displayedthroughout, making them a joy to read.I was curious about what had prompted Andy toturn his life round at the age of nineteen, and here'swhat he told me.Chtislihe: M$ thcte d (et.tain v rcthing, odc[hting nkr ent thot ptntnpted you to a.;k.t,o tscl/ th( kc.y (l cstk)tl "is lU(j sr o hrfluf,lickcl or arc thcrc choiccs ohc can tikc ttdircct hisfuturc?" at u oitital point in .yout.lili \t,hcn w werc l9.rell,:J ol.latftl a"phlgtough on the fi?cts, th(tt helpcd vtu gcttrxili/L buek on rru

self developmentbuilt the story ofthe Travellers Gift.Chrisli,te: l'bw dicl lou delenlitlcrhich werc lhc seren nuitlp iftiples rllen )ntt \rere sif?ingth Eh the 200-tlus biogtdPhie.\Andyi Thosc were the seven thingsthat cross-referenced in every oneofthose people's lives. I couldsee all sevcn things in each oneofthose people's lives, and that'show I narrowed it down to seven.Therc wcre other characteristicsthat pcople hd, but they may havenot nccessaf ily cross-rcferencedwilh cvcryone elsc, so thesc wefelbe principles lhal werc endurrngin pcople's livcs. Th^t is why theScvcn Decisions arc so powcrfil,why they work evety tinrc, becausethcy arc principlcs. I later put then'lin a slory in The Travcller's Gitl,bccaosc sloics nrc thc easiest waylbr mc to leam.('htislinc:,4put lhrn .\,orr nntcriulli \'0 t (ot cd\ dLt, \'l|i(h \\rtroht'ionlr vtt highlt tllAtik, hud\bi ht:.u \\'t iting d ull l)t it, tol'haAndy: I wtotc nMgazine articles,or short stories, but The Traveller'sGifl was the first novel I wrote.Chtislit(: Wt.t tht:.]!.]n c\'.r11ot o.\igni/kdnt h U)ening in Ytru lilcthut pnrnlcd rt) ta sktt t r,/ iti !:'l'he Tvt tll,:r \ Cili?Andy: For years, I had beenstLldying thosc Seven Dccisionsfiom thc time I had identified tbem,and evcn through to this moming,I continue to study them, to thinkabouthem, ^nd try to figurc outmorc cffective ways to relale themlo people. Through the Years, Ihad talked abouthem with certainpeople at certain times, and I wouldsearch for a really effective meansto put thosc seven things across.Essentially, it evolved over a peiodof time until about six Years ago,when I thought"l leam best withstories" - and so I came up with thestoly-The Seven Decisionsam able to see things in a clearcrmanner if somebody prcsents ideasI. HARRY S.TRUMAN to me in a story rather than in atext book. With a text book, I canT he Respo nsi b le Decis io n :remember the facts until it's timeThe buck stops here. to take the test; but with a story I'llI will noi l€l rny hislory controlmy oesnny.rcmembet the facts fotever, I wantedto present an effective way for2, KING SOLOMON somebody lo bc shown in the wontposition in their lives, and so DavidThe Gti.led Decisiofi:Ponder, the hero ofthe Traveller'sI will seek wisdonr. cift, his lile is in a shamblcs. HisGod moves mounlains to creat€ the job and his financial rneans haveoppoflunity ofHis choosing. Il is up to been laken away, his daughter isyor to be ready to move yourself. sick, his lif'e is in trouble. I put himin a situation where he is .ble 103, JOSHUA CHAMBERLAINtmvel through li)nc, and meet scvenThe Active Decision: hislorical figures who are each goingI an a person ofactionMany pcoplc move out ofthe waY for apcrson o thc run; others are caught up rnhis wake.through tough times in their ownl,vcs,FIc has corversations with each ofthesc scven peoplc, and then has the4, CHRISTOPHER opporlllnity to reccivo fro,n them aCOLUMBUS written decision. lf ho understandsand follows that decision, and putsThe Certuin DeciNion:it in his heart and makes it part olI havc a decided heart.Crilicism, condcmnalion, andcomplainthis Iifc, then each ofthese SevenDccisions will change his future.ar€ creaturcs ofthc wiud. Thcy come and There are troubled times when wego on thc wast€d brcath oflesscrbcings would all like to be able to go backand have no powcr over mc and get some advice tiom Sreat5. ANNE FRANK people, whether it is our fanilyor grcat leaders - and it was anThe Jolful Decisioh:intercsting device to be able to putToday I will choose lo be happy.into this situation and create a story.Our very lives are fashioned by choiceFhst we mak€ choiccs. Th€n our choic€sChrisline: Do rott lellsl(r'iet l0make usAndy: Yes, every night and several6. ABRAHAM LINCOLNtines during the day. I think thafsThe C ompassionale Decisio n : the best way to teach my boys,I will grcet this day with because that way they do listen.a forgiving spirit.Nobody wants to listen to a lecture,but ifsomebody says "Zet me lel/You willfind that God farely us€s ayou a stotT about a time..., therperson wlrose main concem js whatthat perks you up and grabs yourothers are thirking.interest. So with my children,l tell7. GABRIELthem stories about when I was aT he Pe6istenl D ecis ion : little boy, when I did such a thing,and what my daddy did.I will p€rsist without €xception.Rcason can only be stretclrcd so far butfailh has no hnits. The only limit to yourrealization of lomorrorv is th€ doubt youhold fast today.Christine: Hoi, has votn lilbchanged since w added being ahighl! su(:e\.{il authot to lol|tacconplish lents?

self developmentAndy: Writing is definitely noremy fbcus now than the other partsofmy carcer Howevet I'm ableto blend them together; I speak allover the world now, and most ofwhat I'm speaking about is theseprinciples. And even in my previousexistence as a comedian, I couldtakc the principles and lay themout in a palatable way for people,not too scriously, but in a way th^tpeoplc are able to laugh at certainsituations they recognise from theirown lives, and doing it in a fun andconver'sationalway,(htilititrc: Ilt^ &) pu t..t..;trfutllrl4in!u It ftlltttr IttLLtrr?Andy: I de6ne it as living my lifeir hannony wilh the dircction inwhich I bclicve I'm supposed 10 behcadcd. My persotal measure ofsucccss is thAt it is not a destiration- il is an ongoing process - theprocess ofbecoming a better t'ather,ofbccoming a bettcr husband,ofbecoming a wiser and morevaluable friend, and b€coming abetter communicator for the peoplewho might Iook forward to, or evendepend on the work that I do. So it isa proccss olbecoming rathcr than adcstination for me.Chrirtitlt: Whut t( ttu n)tli t)tlit)tlLtn t t h i ng,t tt ) .\'t ) i v nu. l i /c 1Andy: My fa,nily is most i,nportantto me - my family is my connectionChtistine: IYhdt en you tell ,teubot nt ec I i ng i n lhte n I i o I peop le.su(h 0.t pasid0tx and liliknt'Andyr One oithe things that Ialways try to do is ask questions,because it seems to me thatas adults, parents, supervisorsand suchlike we spend a lot oftrmc answering questions, andifI'm around people who haveaccomplished something, I try toremembel that the quality ofnlyanswers will be detennined by thequality ofmy questions. So I tryto ask things thal will allow me toleam something that's beyond them,something that's inside them. So Iask them questions like "ltlr.r/ s Ir?.t'irst thing you do when yu u'akep in the tnorning?" "What do youdo v,hen lou re depressed?" Howdo loa put lo|r children to bedal nighl, trhol do yo sa! Io them,tt,h.tl:t lhe larl lhing you want the]nto hear? l lo co ld go backto age l8 a1d change one thing inlotff lilb what i,ould )'ou change?"''Whal': lhe snartesthinglotr/hthet ever did?" 1a,intotry tobdng wisdom that is in there outinto a tbrm where I can understandand use it.Chtirti e: $ rhqt i.\ thc litst tlti r.r!)u,:lt) \,hu.\ou\dli( t) in th.)to where I comc from, it's my Andy: The first thing I do when Iconnection to where I'ln going, it's get up in the moming is to say amy connection to the legacy that prayer and ask God for his guidanceI'll leave - how I raise my children, for today. I look in on my little boys,how they turn out and what they and makc sur€ everyone is okay,will produce - that's part ofthe IfI'm out oftown, I pick up thelegacy I'm working for now. That'sphone and call, and then go aboutthe most inportant thing for me - [ scheduling what I'm doing. But Igauge my work, my books, and my spend some quiet time in between,speeches by what kind ofimpact where I settle myselfand figurethey will have on my family's lives where I'm going and what I'm100 years fiom now Will things that doing for the day and what I need toI produce still be wo*ing 100 years accomplish.from now, will they still be changinglives and influencing others and .t l.t L) clltLll\t ''ptrlling people out ofdespair - and Andy: Empathy. Leaders wirhwill they still be providing guidanceempathy arc pafiicularly effective.for my own family.The type ofl€ader who, when youlook into their eyes, show that theyunderstand you, and demonstratethat whether or not they have beenwherc you are, they can certainlyfeel what it is like. They haveempathy with the people they lead.Anotho chamcteristic I haveobserved which is very attractive ina leader is people who can acceptrcsponsibility for things that gowrong, and give credit for thethings that go right. We see a lotofleade$hip that does the exactopposite - they give all the blanre forthe things that go wrong, and takeall the credit for the things that gongnr,Chrirtin?: llhdtrot it lili?t),:.t lot t)ting /ir. Ih( |ru)f ?Andy: It has been great - ardpart ofthe reason for that is therealisation that the troops arc doingajob for our world, and that thcyaro not politiciscd. They are outthere, and they arc not Liberals orConservalives - they are peoplcdoing ajob that has been demandedofthem. Whcther we agree that theyshould be there or not, in a verydmstic scnse, the troops arc ,ls- theyare our neighbours, oltf sons anddaughters, our fathers and mothers,and that is a major part ofthc reasonwhy they deserye our support, andour love and praycrs, because theyare l/J, They represenl our nations- and they are not only us, theyare among the best ofus. Most ofthem could make morc money ilrprivate service, but these young menand women are choosing to givethemselves to us, to our nations.Christirre: In to.n: o/ro t.ncnhook, The l.\!.1nLl d Sainrs . tLhichfuLuscs on the po|,er o/lbrgivness,have you t)enonolt, /b nLl thdt/argiveness is wlrut nakes thc nostdillercnce itl yout'own li/a?, Andy: Yes.I believe so, because Imrny olus see forgiveness as anend, but it is huly a beginning. Onccyou understand forgiveness, andunderstand that it is something that

self developmentwe can gir?, and that it means moreto us than it does to tbe person beingforgiven, then it's a brcathing point.It's a new start for wherc we want togo, because most ofus do not rcalisehow stunted and stopped we haveI think it's important to rememberthat ifyou are still breathing, thereis morc ahead in your life. Thingsmay be bleak and bad personally,but we're all either in a crisis,coming out ofa crisis, or headingwork with them? No, you don't.Forgiveness and trust are twodiffer€nthings. Forgiveness isabouthe past, and trust is abouthefuture. Trust and resp€ct are eamed,and they arc not permanent,been by a )ack offorgiveness in our for a crisis. That'sjust part oflife, "Alrves.part ofbeing on this planet - so if man offear lives always onChristine: Th( rorl.l is (lelinitel.t you understand that whilst you're the edge ofinsanity. A man ofiI nlrLl d /otgirencss, ho\t,cdn $c still breathing, you're still herc, /aith lives in perpetual reward.tttttnrage ntctrc people b o.lopt the which means that you have notDo battle with the challenge;ttin(i)le o/ lbrgiwncrr to accomplished the purpose you were/ottct'pcu(e unLl ( ottltn nil.\,?sent here forofyour present, and yotr willAndy: A lot has to do with pcoplc Ifyou were through, ifyour purpose unlock the prizes of yourunderstanding forgiveness, and was f'ulfilled, you wouldn't be here..fiiure. "that's what I tried to do in "lsland So, you're still herc, that meansofsaints". I hid it out in a story thcre's morc to do - there's more - AndyAndrews, Thc Traveller's Gift.in a tbrm that people would enjoylaughter 10 enjoy, morc successreading and also understand theto experience, morc childrcD todifterent viewpoinl that forgiveness infiuence, ,norc friends to help @ 2005 Christine Millcrallows. I really believe that "lslaDd - ther€'s morc to your life. And itofSainls" is the bcsthing I've ever will gct better and better and bettcr,donc in my life - I think it's lhe best and to thc people of the UK, and ofstory and the most etTcctive and London in particular -Bio:we apprcciateAndyAndrewspowcrful principle 1br changing ouryour cxampre, we appreclareis the author ofltves,yollr couragc, we appreciatc yourthe New Yorkfriendship. And we appreciate the Times bestsellerChrislinc: lr thet? u ettuge.t,rtu r.l legacy you'vc laid out for us.litu to.)//Lt h thc t)eot)lc o/the UK,u ntl parr it u lu r h, Londo n, u/i c r t he Ch stine: ln k i.\(lli)tgi|anrs:, Gifi:SDenft.cnt hotnhingt?du.t\\t harc un), "^|ggaslk)nr us lahaw prople \ho haw hecn Ll,rcpl!Andy: The people oflhc UK and .r|/cdcL{ b.N thc holihins: und ht rhethe people ofLondon have always \ i I t kr I i (\1 ( a u I d pfttL t i L ! /ot gi 1,.!ncsscemed to be incredibly couragcousS,rccerr (HodderMobius,and discerning to me. I remembcr Andy: There is one thing toI had a friend who said 'i-!r'l Paperback - June 6,2005, €12.99).i/ remember - and thal is fiatHis most recent book is "Island ofotridzing that lhe people ofLondon forgiveness is a decision - it is not Saints" (Nelsoo Books Hardcoverdre going about their business an emotion. lf we try to ask for - June 2005, 110.99) He is a seasonednuch more quiclcly lhon the people lbrgiveness with our emotions, our performer, a prolific writet andin America did a/ier 9/11?' l s id emotions drag us the other way. a successful entrepreneur who isto him that the people ofthe UKForgiveness is something that we intemationally known for his utiquehave a history ofgoing aboutheir c?rn give - and the person we are combination of entertainment andbusiness. People don't realise that forgiving doesn't have to ask tbr it, inspiration.Andrews hasperformedduring the Blitz there were 59 nightsthey don't have to deserve it; they at rhe White House at the request ofin a row when London was bombed,don't even have to know that they four different United States Prcsidents,and 59 momings when the people are being forgiven. Forgiveness and has enteitained thousands ofoflondon got up and went to work. is a decision that we are able to audiences worldrvide. AndyAndrewsThis an extremely courageouswield, and if we forgive, and has achieved success and happinesscountry an extremely courageoLls understand that it is a decision, then by bringing lorth his owlr brand ofpeople, and I believe that the people our emotions follow the decision. dogged p€rsistence to quietly becomeofthe UK are our best friends - People sometimesay what they are one ofthe most sought alier sp€ak€rsjustthey are where many ofus comegoing to get way with it? No,from, and what a wonderful legacy that's not it at all. Do you forgive Contact:you guys have for us, a wonderful somebody who steals liom you? email andy@andyanahews.comexample for us.Yes, you do. Do you continue to website: wrnv.andyanahews.com