“Let me introduce myself for those who have not met me before.
My name is Andrew, and I am a new ideas coach.”

Standing before the crowd, Andrew paused. He scanned the room.
His voice was steady but reflective, shaped by years of self-discovery.

“I coach people into believing they are about to get inspired by a new idea. This motivates me the most. I love the power of new ideas.”

The audience listened closely. Andrew had their attention.

“This is the story of how I got myself motivated. It took me more than three years. But here I am…inspired and motivated. Because I found the secret.”

He paused again.

“Well, it was a secret to me. The key to believing was what I looked for all my life.
It’s like losing your car keys and finding them again. I lost my way, and then I rediscovered the path.”

That path, Andrew explained, had started unexpectedly. When he turned fifty, he found himself in a crisis. It wasn’t dramatic; no single event triggered it. He bought a kayak, designed a sail, and spent his Sundays on the peaceful waters of Moreton Bay.
For a while, it worked. The early mornings were soothing.
The ocean stretched out before him, silent and still. But then, one day, that feeling left.

“I WAS LOSING INTEREST IN EVERYTHING,” Andrew said, raising his voice slightly to emphasize the depth of that moment. “WHAT AN ANTI-CLIMAX.”

The crowd nodded in understanding. He didn’t need to elaborate; they’d all been there at some point—when the things that once brought joy lost their spark.

“I realized I needed something more. A project. A purpose.”

He let those words hang in the air, then quietly added, “It only took me five years to figure out what that was.”

Chapter 2: The Turning Point

Andrew explained that it was February 2011 when everything began to shift. At fifty-five, he knew he had to change, to break free from the slight depression that had gripped him for too long. That was when the experiment began.

“I started waking up happy,” he said simply. “I realized that people around me were changing their circumstances by committing to something they believed in. They enrolled in university courses, studied hard, and emerged transformed—teachers, dentists, accountants. All because they believed.”

The audience leaned in. Andrew’s voice was calming but firm, as if each word was carefully chosen for impact.

“That’s when I decided I needed to find my ‘believing switch,’” he said, pausing. “And turn it on.”

He spoke about the plan he created. He watched a friend immerse himself in books during a university course and noticed how the act of reading transformed him. That’s when Andrew had his own epiphany: books and words had power.

“I thought, if universities can use books to change people into professionals, then I can use books to change myself.”

Chapter 3: The University of Believing

Andrew’s “university” was unconventional. There were no lecture halls or professors, just shelves filled with books on motivation, self-esteem, believing, wisdom, and relationships. He spent three years studying them religiously, reading the same ones over and over.

“I became a student again,” he said, smiling. “Except my classroom was my living room, and my lectures were the words on those pages.”

He shared how his plan was simple but powerful. He wasn’t just reading for the sake of it; he was absorbing each word, letting the ideas sink in. He treated every book like a stepping stone, every motivational speaker he listened to like a guide.

“For three years, I immersed myself in positivity. And something shifted inside me.”

The audience was quiet, the weight of his words settling in. They could see it—this wasn’t just a story; it was a blueprint for change.

“I found my believing switch, and once it was on, everything made sense.”

Chapter 4: A New Identity

By the time Andrew had finished his self-imposed three-year course, he was a new man.

“Alright, I admit,” he chuckled, “I’m a self-appointed ideas coach. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m happy, I’m motivated, and I’m helping people.”

He recounted the first time someone had reached out to thank him for his insights. An email from someone named Bobi Jo had landed in his inbox. It wasn’t long, but the impact was huge.

“She said my book, ‘I Love Your New Idea’ was invigorating. She said it removed all her doubts. It made her believe in herself again. And that, my friends, was when I realized something: I was no longer just a student. I was a teacher.”

The audience erupted in applause. Andrew stood tall, but he quickly motioned for silence.

“The reason I’m telling you this isn’t to boast. It’s to remind you that this power—this switch—it’s in all of us.”

Chapter 5: Believing and Becoming

As the applause died down, Andrew took a deep breath. He’d been waiting for this moment—the climax of his story.

“After three years, I learned that believing isn’t just an idea. It’s an action. It’s a choice. It’s a switch that we must turn on and keep on.”

He spoke about the importance of persistence. Just as a student doesn’t give up after the first difficult class, we can’t abandon our journey to believing after the first obstacle.

“Belief,” he said softly, “is the foundation of every new idea.”

And just like that, the path Andrew had walked became a map for others to follow.

“I hope you’ll join me,” he concluded. “In believing, in becoming, and in discovering that new idea waiting inside of you.”

The room was still. Everyone was captivated by Andrew’s wisdom, knowing they’d just witnessed a man who had not only found his way—but had unlocked the key for others to do the same.