The Day My Life Changed Forever

My name is Richard Matthews. I’m the founder of PushButtonPodcasts and the author of this here wonderful newsletter.

I want to take this opportunity to tell you a little story about how my life was dramatically changed in the span of a few moments.

Then share the secret about how those changes led me to growing a profitable online business and how you can do the same thing.

*****Short Story*****

“Are you ready?”

“What?” We both said in unison.

The doctors question struck me as odd considering she had just broken my wife’s water and told us we had about 6 more hours of active labor left to go.

“Are you ready to have this baby?” she said in a serious tone with a sly smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, barely hiding her excitement.

“Of course we are?” I answered questioningly as I felt my wife’s hand squeeze mine hard as she started to breathe through another contraction.

“Good! Cause this baby is coming now.”

“What!?” My wife breathed through clenched teeth. “Didn’t you just say we had six more hours?” Struggle obvious in her voice.

“Yeah, well breaking the water sped things up more than I had anticipated. You are now fully dilated and the baby’s head is becoming visible”

My wife and I turned and looked at each other and exchanged a look full of fear, wonder, excitement, and love. We were only moments away from becoming parents.

My heart skipped a beat as I peeled the tongue off the roof of my now very dry mouth to speak.

“Are you ready dear” I whispered. Leaning my head down to touch hers.

She nodded, closed her eyes, and pressed her teeth into her lower lip to help stave off the pain.

Time stood still for my wife and I. We barely noticed as the room around us had become a flurry of activity, filling with more nurses and doctors. Our doctor and several nurses had donned front capes and gloves. They were ready to catch my baby.

“It’s time to push dear” the doctor said.

The next five minutes were a blur. An eternity passing in the span of a moment.

Push. Squeeze. Breathe. Push. Squeeze. Breathe.

We were alone in a crowded room. Fighting together to bring a new life into this world. Totally oblivious to the well practiced dance our team of medical professionals was performing all around us.

Push. Squeeze. Breathe. Push. Squeeze. Breathe

“One more time time, dear”

A sharp inhale. Breath held. Knuckles white between interlaced fingers.

“AAAAHHHHH!”

The steady slow beat of my racing heart turned fast again as time snapped back to normal.

I kissed my wife gently on her forehead.

“You did it” I whispered as we both smile and looked up to see the doctor holding our new born baby.

“Congratulations. It’s a boy”

He was so small. So light. So beautiful.

As I took him in my arms for the first time, what I felt was not the weight of his tiny little body, but the responsibility and commitment I now had to this tiny little man.

The feelings started behind my eyes and moved as a tingle down my spine to twist up like a heavy lump in the pit of my stomach.

Was it fear? Excitement? Joy? Love? Something else?

I don’t know if the shockwave of reality that comes with holding your first child for the first time can ever be named, but I can tell you that more than anything else it’s a feeling that changes you forever.

In that moment, I knew that all I had, all I was, all I was ever going to be was wrapped up in a tiny little blanket, sleeping serenely in my arms; so tired from the work he had just done.

Up to that moment in my life I had started, built, made money with, and failed at more businesses and jobs than most people ever will and I knew that my biggest struggle in all of my endeavours was finally over.

I had a why.

If you’ve ever read or listened or mentored under anyone with any modicome of success they will tell you that you must have a why. A reason. Something worth fighting for. Something that you would cry or die for.

I never had that.

The best I had come up with previously was “I want more money” or “I want a better car” or “I wanna travel with my wife”.

There is nothing wrong with those, and it was enough for me to learn and try and step out of my comfort zone.

But in the first few moments of holding that little boy, I knew something was different.

I would stay up late. I would get up early. I would eat my pride. I would fight like a trapped and cornered dog. I would win.

All so I could be there for that little boy. So that I could be present when he took his first steps. So I could hear his first words with my own ears. So I could play catch with him in the middle of the day. So I could teach him to ride his bike. So I could show him what it means to be a man and bring real value into this world. So I could show him (not tell him), but really show him everything that is possible in this great big wonderful world we live in.

And I knew that none of that would be possible while I was still living like an addict waiting for the hit of my next paycheck to clear the bank account. A slave to the bills and the so-called security of a regular wage.

Today, that little boy is just over five years old. He’s got a very cute little sister and mom who’s more beautiful now than the day I married her.

But you know what the best part is?

I haven’t missed a thing.

I was there for his first steps taken in the middle of a weekday afternoon.

I got to hear his first words begging for breakfast on a beautiful spring morning.

This last summer I spent several afternoons teaching him to ride his bike. He’s totally a pro now.

In the last five years I have had nearly every breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner sitting right next to my little boy at home getting to be the dad that I knew I had to be on that day when he was first placed into my arms.

It was fight. It was a struggle. My wife & I shed tears. We spent money we didn’t have. We ate ramen noodle or crackers and peanut butter for dinner on more than one occasion. We drove old broken down cars. We played rock, paper, scissors to see which bills would get paid this month.

I tried a lot of things. I learned a lot things. I failed at a lot of things.

But there was no failure quite a big for me as the day a few years ago when I hit a wall in my business and had to make a truly tough decision.

A decision that turned out to be one of the best of my life in terms on getting my business on track and finally breaking through all the chains.

Keep an eye on your email tomorrow morning for the rest of the story.

SIncerely,

Richard “The Entrepreneur Dad” Matthews

PS – If you haven’t already, please check out the webinar I’m hosting where I break down my “7-Figures Social Sales Funnel Formula”. I’ve gotten rave reviews for the content I share in this free resource where I cover exactly how you can attract more sales, make more money, & experience more freedom in your business by implementing proven sales funnels. I really hope to see you there.

PPS – If you’re brand new to my list. Hi. It’s really great to have you here. I truly hope to share some inspiring stories and incredible value with you over the course of our time together. I believe there is no greater value we can bring than the memories we create together as we share stories with one another and weave them into the context of real world life and business.