Joel Osteen: Practice What You Preach

Tens of millions of people around the globe are inspired by Joel Osteen's weekly television broadcast from Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Joel has been on Barbara Walter’s 10 Most Fascinating People list, has had two New York Times bestselling books, a weekly top ten podcast, as well as sold-out speaking tours across the country. Joel has written several well received books. In October 2007, his book, Become a Better You, was published by Free Press and debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at number 1. The book remained on the list for 29 weeks. Most recently, Joel wrote a companion book to that bestseller; the title is Daily Readings from Become A Better You: 90 Devotions for Improving Your Life Every Day. The 90-day devotional book focuses on the seven key principles of Osteen's text, but condenses them into easy-to-grasp concepts and couples them with scriptures for daily readings. SEVEN PRINCIPLES The seven principles in Become a Better You are: Keep pressing forward: Shake off the past, let go of negative mindsets and recognize that God has good things in store for you. Recognize your “royal bloodline” and be aware that the decisions you make today will affect future generations as well as your own life. Be positive toward yourself: Don’t be trapped by past mistakes; instead, start fresh by repeating positive affirmations and faith-filled words and maintaining a positive inner dialogue. Develop better relationships: Help other people by encouraging them and looking for ways to be a blessing to others. Be determined to keep strife out of your home, invest in personal relationships and make all those you encounter feel important. Form better habits: Create a routine that includes exercise and daily reading of the Bible. Become aware of negative habits and replace them with positive habits. Don’t let others distract you from your goals, and realize that you are not responsible for everyone’s happiness. Embrace the place where you are: Turn your situation over to God, and look for glimpses of His goodness in everyday life. Develop your inner life: Become aware of the people you spend your time with, and how they influence your life. Listen to the voice inside yourself; don’t make excuses —get down to the root of your problems. Stay passionate about life: Look for ways to stay passionate about life, maintain your positivity and appreciation for God’s blessings. Do the right thing with the right motives, constantly look for ways to improve your life, and choose to go from believing to expecting. (Seven Principles, Courtesy of Simon and Schuster)