False Alarm

So we began football season at the hospital! Kelly had contractions all day yesterday and finally last night around 6:30 we went to the hospital. After checking in and hooking up to all the monitors I settled in to the rocking chair for SC v. Vandy college football game. The contractions began slowing and eventually faded away. All of this was puzzling to me because I was on the edge of my seat watching the game. If it had been me I would have had the baby about 5 mins into the second half. It is hilarious how Kelly does not care about football and I was getting emotional about 2 teams I have no allegiance or connection to. Ahhh, it has begun the season of football.
The false alarm lead me to believe that the scheduling piece of the birth was going to be perfect. A slow week for me (Nobody talks about switching insurance during a hurricane) going into a holiday would have been perfect. I guess God is further instilling in me his timing not mine. So for now we wait and pray for patience.

Cliche' Statements

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." William Shakespeare wrote this and people have used it and misused it in numerous situations. I categorize this in the Cliche' statement folder. This folder is used often in my everyday life and, much to my dismay, over used according to some. In order to sound intelligent we regurgitate quotes and cliche' remarks in our normal conversations. I want to understand why?

The need to feel intelligent and or prove our superiority to another comes into play often with out our knowing. I do it every day. I have been know to one up and seek to make myself greater at the expense of another. The Pride gene in every human cannot help but rear it's ugly head the moment we forget our purpose or our inequities. We often confuse the need to be liked with the thought that people will only like us if we are superhuman!

Pride cometh before the fall!... (I forgot) Yes, I love a good cliche' statement however I will examine my heart as to the motivation before I use. I will stop myself daily and ask: What is your purpose in this?

Do not be discouraged!

Every day that goes by without a sale is a day to potentially be discouraged. I will not be! I am going to attempt every day to be more effective than the last. Which brings me to a story....
After a fun night at the Library Kelly arranged for me to be dropped off at my condo by some friends. As we sit in the back seat and recap the evening I begin to be full of confidence. Our friend, Mary Ellis, pulls up to the condo and I open the door. As I open the door I lean back in for a kiss..... Shut down, the particulars of which I do not remember. Shame..... I swung for the fence and whiffed. I thought that it was going to be easy and was sorely mistaken. Being the resilient type, I scurried off to my room and examined my mistakes. Again, not sure what it was so I reasoned that she did not like me after all. Dejectced and confused I called her the next day and acted like nothing happened. The funniest thing, I tried the very next night and succeeded!
The moral to the story is simply do not over think the situation just continue to take cuts!

Healthy Conflict

Every day of the past almost 4 years Kelly and I have made decisions in our relationship. Decisions have fallen into 2 categories: Selfish and Unselfish. Unbegnoist to the other or ourselves every decision we make directly affects the other. The most difficult decisions are the ones that create conflict. The ones that create conflict typically start with "I want" indicating that these are selfish decisions. Conflicts will and do arise often, the manner in which it is handled determines the health.

The things that I tend to create conflict over come from over planning. I review my calendar determine my availability and make a decision. Unfortunately, my calendar is not always complete with Kelly and now Addison's activities. Therefore conflict arises around the priority of the schedule. As if we are lawyers on a tv show we make our case to each other in an effort to persuade the other side. If neither is willing to compromise that is when the conflict becomes unhealthy.  Huh, I just had a revaluation, the lack of system for decision is the source of the conflict. I love this blog.

Be Decisive!

Very few people have accused be of decision paralysis. In fact stubbornness to change my decision is a possible faw.
After dating for a few months I had a discussion with my Pop that went something like this:
Me- Pop, I can't wait for you to meet her. I love her.
Pop- Ok, well will she say yes?
Me- Yes.
Pop- Buy her a ring son.
Me: No money.
Pop: Christmas is soon.
At Christmas that year my grand parents liquidated there estate and gave each grandchild $$$. All of us had different needs but my mind was set on a ring.
So I bought one. It almost burned a hole in my pocket twice but my dads rule was that I had to have job before I could ask. It took me a few months to decide the first indications of a soft market was coming and I needed to get any job I could. After finding a job with BBG, doing what I grew up doing, I asked her. Although it took some time to get there my mind had never waivered from my resolve to marry Kelly. The timeline, meeting in September buying a ring in January, is proof of my resolve.

Things I learned during this time frame: persistence, decisiveness, and hard work. It took months to find an opportunity but it was all worth it when the plan came together.

Wheels in Motion

After riding for 2 and half hours we still had stuff to talk about. Amazing. So I continued to call and meet her out or invite her to come with me places. The boring details I won't go in to. Then it happened the seminal moment in our relationship. A friend of Kelly's family, who just so happened to be a pledge, came up to me and Kelly at the bid party. I rolled the dice not knowing that they already knew each other, I introduced Kelly as my girlfriend. Yeah, it was brash and the awkward moment followed as soon as the tool of my announcement walked away. Instead of asking her I simply stated what was happening.

Practical application.... Take a prospect to the limit. Announce your intentions and be clear about what the relationship is before you are too deep. I prefer not to waste time with beating around the bush. I also prefer to know the answer before I ask a relationship question. I admit I do not know everything so I ask informational questions but once I get a read on the situation it is time to fish or cut bait. Are you "hanging out" with too many people or are you announcing/protecting your current relationships.

This is my Girlfriend......

The setup

So like every good frat guy after the Memphis State game I went to Beale street. I had only been back in the country a few weeks and not seen many people so my best friend and I cruised up and down for what seemed like days. He decided that we would goto some club. Not sure why but he convinced me to wait in a 30 min line and pay $20 to get in to what seemed like a rave. (he is quite the salesman) While waiting in line this beautiful girl speaks to me..... So I see you riding your bike all over campus. That was it. I took over from there. I simply explained away the girl I was with and invited her to come and ride with me when we got back to Oxford. Thinking that I would not call she gave me her number. (I double checked it with one of our mutual friends) I of course called her on Monday and scheduled a Thursday bike ride.

The only lesson so far is right place right time and you get 0% of the business you don't ask for.

The Ask

What are you selling? That is the question I get a lot from people. The question is misguided because our society has a mental image of cheesy sales people who do nothing but make a transaction and move on. It is also misguided because they too are selling something. When was the last time you took some one to dinner? Was there a discussion about it? Did you go where you wanted to go? Although this is not a complicated sell you did persuade someone at some point to bend to your pick.
Sales is something that we all do all the time in many different ways, so check your approach. I am changing my selling approach so that I do not get that question as much.

The greatest sell, over the next few days I am going to pick apart my greatest sell. I convinced a sweet and beautiful young girl to marry me. How did that happen? Well, I am going to examine the keys aspects and write them down in order to duplicate..... This is gonna be great!

The plans of mice and men!

I was going to get in the bed after our Young Life meeting, wake up early and run, eat a great breakfast, and be fresh as a daisy for my boss to ride with me today. Addison Mae had other plans. I lay down and over the camera a whimper gets louder. Kelly sneaks in to see what is going on. Well, Addison is smoking, 101.4 fever! So naturally we take her to our bed, in which she always curls up on my side leaving little more than a sliver for me to sleep. At 3 a.m. the fun begins.. Vomit. This proceeds until 5 a.m.
The story comes to an end because it is an illustration for the nobody cares column. Harsh I know, but only your family will have sympathy(if them). Do not plan for optimum! It will not happen. Leave a cushion, some margin to allow yourself error. Nobody feels sorry for you because they are dealing with similar or greater circumstances. Push Through! Pray that God will give you strength!

Surprise Yourself!

Every day is filled with choices. Get up and run or stay in bed for a few more minutes? Everyone likes to talk about starting a new habit or quitting a bad one but often it does not happen. Why? I am weak. My internal monologue loves to tell me how great I am or how I deserve certain things..... I believe it. In order to correct my course instead of an internal monologue that is placating I must change it to one that is corrective and motivating.
Caution: I must proceed with caution as it is a fine line between motivation and depressing/overwhelming thought patterns. Continuous improvement is the goal not an obsession.
I have developed a few good habits over the past few weeks but neglected a few I need to get to. As I write my blog i have to recommit to my health and fitness. Time to cut the junk and get back on the running horse. Today I have committed to continually surprise myself. I will not reach some lofty goals I have set unless I am prepared to do some lofty things.
God it is your time that you allow me to use. Please allow me to make the most of it and bring glory to your name. Amen.

Mist on the Field.....

I remember the first Friday night on the field like yesterday. It was a steamy August night and the crowd was as loud as I have ever heard..... Boom everything goes quiet, all I can hear is the voice in my head asking if I am ready. Although, I was not starting that game I was going to see the field that night and my head was swimming. Steve Summers, my coach, whispered into my helmet "Don't blink this will all be over soon."  He was a prophet I this regard. Most of the details after that are blurry. I can remember fun situations and plays but it came and went so fast.
As much as I miss it the lesson of taking advantage of every "play" has ressinanted with me and helps me to make the most of every day. Never miss an opportunity to do more and make the most of everyday! Be more grateful, Pray hard, love your kids, forgive.....etc. Carpe Diem

Almost Cut My Hair Today....And She's. Buying a Stairway to Heaven

I love the poetry that is in modern music. Often times I listen to an entire album over and over because I like the story. Paying attention to what people are saying is a very difficult task add to that really catchy music and we often get lost in mood. How often is this true in every day conversations. The a/c is humming and tv/radio is on in the background allowing us to hear but not listen to what people are saying.
An exercise that I formerly did well was listening to songs and writing down the lyrics. Cutting through to the heart of the matter.... (that last sentence should ring a bell for Eagles fans) This exercise is one I will pick up again. Cleaning out the noise and reading stories. Should be fun for this pirate who looks forty....

Attitude

Today is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it! If I woke up this morning in a bad mood or didn't sleep just right it "ruin my whole day." Today is when that stops..... No more "Bad" days. My attitude will reflect a positive outlook upon every moment I am given. Push through to easier/more fun situations but never let it change your attitude.
I will continue to improve my situation and always have a positive attitude while doing it. I will stop letting things and other people control my daily outlook. I will attack every opportunity with compassion and thoughtfulness. Taking control of my attitude will enable me to set free discouragement in my life. I will simply have the attitude of Christ....

Interviewing

Who are you interviewing and who is interviewing you? When Shakespeare said life is a stage and we are all players he was right. We are always in front of people and people in front of us, how do we act?
When I was interviewing for my current opportunity I tried very hard to present the best Andrew B. Edwards I could. Do I do that all the time? No, and why not because it is hard. I am lazy just like most other people. In order to turn that around I have to slow down and begin making critical assessments of myself and the interactions I have with others. An interview can be as comfortable as you allow it to be, inversely it can be miserable. I am sharpening my interview skills, starting now!

Time......

I am continually fascinated with how the perception of the speed of time changes. Time moves fast when you don't want it to and slowly when it needs to go fast. Since I have started at Fox/Everett time  feels like it is moving very quickly in relation to the previous 6 months. I often look down and wonder what have I accomplished or am I really further along?
How do I spend my time?..... I wish that I could say " my time is super effective and efficient" but currently I am still spending time getting in a grove and searching for information.
Intimidation: The feeling of anxiety surrounding productivity often makes me further behind. Simply releasing the reigns of control allows me to refocus my energy. By not focusing on the constraints I can allow myself to make good use of the passing moments.
Time........ Something that I use no matter what might as well make the most of it.

Passionate

I love working at Fox/Everett. This morning we had the first sales meeting I could attend. It was awesome. People are ringing the bell left and right, everybody is fired up to be there! I could just feel the passion of everyone in the room coming through even when they had not closed a sale in the past 2 weeks.
When goals come alive it is so fun to watch and participate in the celebration. I know everyone in that room, shareholder or not, was genuinely proud of everyone's effort.
The Bell...... My goal fundamentals have not changed but the fruition and celebration has become so real I can physically feel, touch, and hear it reverberate in my body! Can't wait to ring the bell!!!!!

Frustration

Frustration arises when you miscommunicate or fail yourself. Miscommunication can often times be attributed to "Did you hear what I thought I said?" In our minds we have crystal clear thoughts that are sequenced correctly...... Your mouth sometimes takes the message and says things with important words missing. Remeber that most people do not have all the context clues in their minds that you have in yours.
Failing yourself is the product of lofty expectations and inactivity. Today, right now, this second is the only one you have don't waste it with laziness. Making realistic goals will help with this frustration. If your goals are too high for the given time period then failure and subsequent frustration will follow. Eat the elephant one bite at a time, understanding how this particular bite helps you reach your goal.

Consistency

Today I fought through. Normally when I hit my alarm and fall back asleep for 20 mins I let it turn into 45. This morning I found the motivation to dig deep and get out of bed. What is my motivation? I am not always sure because it changes day to day. Today it was losing weight. Tomorrow it maybe being healthy and living a long life in order to enjoy grandchildren. Unfortunately, the motivation to get out of bed has to be personal and hit close to home.
Challenge: find a motivation that is not of myself in order to have a deeper desire.
Yesterday was a good day great run, good diet, got a ton of work done..... But I still feel hollow sometimes as I sneak something here and cut a corner there. Jesus has to become the focus of my motivation. Weird sentence to write, right?
I struggle with the pray without ceasing and the submission part of Christianity. Sin creeps in and cuts away slivers of me to make my motivation selfish...... What is my motivation????
Question of contemplation: what motivates my/our actions and decisions everyday?

Goals Created

Breaking down huge goals into simple daily goals is the challenge to overcome. Everyone wants to make $$$ and drive x but the people who do broke those goals into daily functions. A few goals I have for myself is to make it back down to 200 pounds for the birth of #2. I also want to be validated as a producer by the end of 18 months. These things won't happen if I sit and wish about it. It is about hard work! With that being said #IGottaGoWork.

New Start

Monday's always start fresh. This one is particularly special because I have decided it was. This will be a day of building goals and putting incentives for myself out into the future. God has blessed me beyond measure and now I must become organized about giving back.
A brief period of laziness crept into my life and I am closing that chapter to start a fresh with renewed vigor. Things that I must take time on are my goals and what they should realistically be. Short term, medium term, and long term will all be fleshed out today!
Tomorrow will be about the results!

This is going to become my journal. Today, is starting off slower than past few days simply because I am not frantically trying to be in too many places. I love the pace of my new job but it will take some adjusting on my part to balance all the pulling and multi-tasking. Therefore this will be my sanity.
I am disappointed in my self because I did not run this morning. I have to put a marathon the calendar so I can actually focus and have a goal for which to use as motivation. I think that I can customize my own program to run one I just need a time table to work with.
Creating a list of people to start calling for work is a fun and arduous task as it unfolds. Turning over every stone and working every angle will take time and cunning, I hope that I am cut out for it. My fear of failing and drive to succeed is the overwhelming force pushing me but there are limits in that.

Stay Tuned....