Andy Andrews - The Noticer Returns: Sometimes You Find Perspective, and Sometimes Perspective Finds You

PRAISE FOR THE NOTICER RETURNS

The Noticer Returns is a magical story that will change how you look at life.

Winston Groom, New York

Times best-selling author of

Forrest Gump

I read everything he writes again and again. Andy Andrews is, quite simply, my favorite author.

Margaret Kelly, CEO, RE/MAX

The amazing principles Andy Andrews reveals in his books are a large part of the success we have been able to achieve as a hospital system. In The Noticer Returns be sure to pay particular attention to his Secret Philosophy of Extreme Achievement. That one nugget of wisdom continues to produce outstanding results for our employeespersonally and professionallyevery single day.

John Heer, president/CEO, North

Mississippi Health Services;

and the worlds only three-time

Baldrige Award recipient

Parenting... creating a profitable business from scratch... even a mind-blowing perspective on dealing with Alzheimers and death... The Noticer Returns is a book you and I will purchase by the case. Lets give this book to as many people as we can and begin changing the world right now!

Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves

pitcher

Andy Andrews is Americas greatest storyteller since Mark Twain and perhaps our most interesting teacher since Robin Williams played John Keating in the movie Dead Poets Society. The Noticer Returns is another in his long line of winners.

Robert Mayes, president, Columbia

Southern University

If Andy Andrews lived in England, the queen would have knighted him by now. Andys booksall of his books-are just that good!

Louie Anderson, comedian and

actor

The Noticer Returns is better than great and has the power to cement the direction of your family for generations. Andy Andrews has become the wise master of storytelling.

Paul Westphal, former Lakers

All-Star and NBA head coach

With The Noticer Returns it has become clear that Andy Andrews owns this genre. Once again he has created a satisfying blend of life-changing principles with a fantastic storyline. Andy has singlehandedly turned the inspirational novel into an art form.

Brenda Warner, best-selling author

and speaker

Parents, coaches, employers, and employees... drop what youre doing and read this book today! Andy Andrews reveals uncommon wisdom in a common sense kind of way. The Noticer Returns is a guide-book to the life youve always wanted for your family.

Kurt Warner, Super Bowl

champion quarterback and NFL

broadcaster

Andy Andrews is my favorite author... my very favorite.

Robert Morris, founding senior

pastor, Gateway Church

If C. S. Lewis were alive today, his favorite author would be Andy Andrews.

Sandi Patty, vocal artist, winner of

more than 25 Grammy and Dove

awards

The

NOTICER

RETURNS

2013 Andy Andrews

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by W Publishing Group. W Publishing is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Andrews, Andy, 1959

The noticer returns : sometimes you find perspective, and sometimes perspective finds you / Andy Andrews.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-7852-3145-5 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Conduct of life. 2. Perspective (Philosophy) 3. Insight. I. Title.

BJ1597.A527 2013

170'.44dc23 2013013479

Printed in the United States of America

13 14 15 16 17 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Dr. Wil Baker,

a college friend of my parents,

who now, decades later, has become a wise and trusted friend to me.

Dr. Baker is an important mentor to Polly as well and is a huge influence in the life of our family.

Contents

M y name is Andy Andrews. I am a daddy and a husband. I am a friend to somea good and loyal one, I like to thinkand a member of a small community on the Gulf Coast that boasts a population of around four thousand when the tourists arent using the beach.

I am also a writer and a speaker. As one who communicates as a profession, it is strangely uncomfortable to involve myself or incorporate details of my own life in a book or a presentation, but I understand that it is sometimes necessary. Occasionally, as much as I wish it were not so, the truth in full context simply cannot be achieved until all the factsincluding the intricacies of how those facts might be perceived now and in the futureare on the table.

As we begin this story, please allow me to admit I have found no other way around that reality. Therefore, as reluctant as I may be to cast myself as a character in this particular story, I have come to this conclusion: without knowing a few specifics about my own fears and struggles, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to fully understand Jones or the inestimable value his life and words hold foryou right now... today.

At this very moment, if you have ever read one of my books or listened to my audio recordings or seen me on stage, you probably feel as though you know me much better than you know the old man about whom this story will be told. Of course, my own human nature prompts me (even now) to simply shut up and allow you to continue thinking whatever nice things you might have decided about the written and spoken words for which I get credit.

Through the years and many hard lessons, I have found that no matter how long it takes or how desperately a person battles or denies, the truth alwaysalwaysmakes itself known. In addition, even those casual statements we commonly call half-truths, white lies, or exaggerations are costly and embarrassing when they come to light.

Therefore, for the record, allow me to begin with this particular truth: whatever good things you think of me, I believe a certain man named Jones to be responsible. He is also responsible for the daddy and husband I am still in the process of becoming. He deserves the credit. His is the life and wisdom and truth you should carefully examine with any time or connection that you possess. And now I am honored to be one of those connections...

As I mentioned earlier, I am a writer. I am not the best writer around here or even the only writer in town. Im just one of several. When I am away from Orange Beach and people ask what I do for a living, I usually hesitate to use the word author. For some reason I have always thought the phrase I am an author! sounds like someone who considers himself a big deal. I dont. And I am not. If you wanted me to prove it, you could ask what kind of books I write. Any person who has written a book should be able to answer that, right? Honestly, Im not even sure myself.

I am not attempting to sound humble or pull some aw, shucks routine in order to lure you into disagreeing with me about myself. Putting a label on the kind of books I write is like lassoing a bumblebee, and I know it. A mental run-through of traditional publishing labels will tell you very quickly that the task will not be easy. Trust me on this: the best minds in the book business have already tried.