Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day (Hardcover)

by Joel Osteen (Author)
Key Phrases: handling criticism, stay passionate about life, positive toward yourself, The Scripture, Almighty God, The Bible (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Book Description
Joel Osteen reaches one of the largest audiences in the U.S. and across the globe--more than 42,000 people attend his church every week, and millions more tune in by television to hear his words of inspiration and wisdom. His first book, Your Best Life Now, has sold over 4 million copies and is available worldwide in 17 languages. His message of hope is helping people find a closer connection with God by learning to apply the principles of Scripture to their everyday lives.

In this new book, Become a Better You, Joel Osteen offers seven simple yet profound action steps that will help readers discover the better things they were born for... their individual purpose and destiny. As charming and passionate on the page as he is in person, Osteen incorporates key biblical principles, devotions, and personal testimonies that will uplift and enlighten readers. He speaks directly to the hearts and concerns of people from every walk of life. People love Joel Osteen--they love to be in his presence, to hear him speak, and to read what he's written--they just can't get enough of him.

Become a Better You will encourage and inspire readers to reach their full, unique and God given potential.

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A Word from Joel Osteen

Dear Amazon Customer,

I am very excited to be working with Amazon.com as an online bookseller and partner for the publication of my new book, Become a Better You. As a leader in e-commerce, Amazon.com is an informative and innovative online resource. Get ready to embark on a remarkable journey. One that will help you break free from the past and realize your full potential as a spouse, parent, or friend. Whether you realize it or not, miracles are happening all around you. I'm confident that reading this book will lead you to accept the gift of who you were meant to be and live a life filled with more hope, joy, and victory.

Believing for God's Best,

Joel Osteen

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An Interview with Joel Osteen

Q: Do you have a hero?

A: Of course, my greatest hero is Jesus Christ. He should be everyone's greatest hero. However, among men, I have two real heroes. My father, John Osteen, was not only the best father anyone could ever have, but was my best friend as well. He was a man of great integrity, and he taught me how important it was to incorporate Jesus Christ into every part of my life. Another of my heroes is Billy Graham who throughout the years has remained true to that which God called him to do and has done so with the utmost dedication, humility, and integrity.

Q: In today's conflicted world, how do you encourage people to maintain their faith?

A: As believers we should be assured that Jesus said He would never leave us nor forsake us. We should adopt a mindset that God wants to be involved in our everyday lives, through good times and difficult times. We should communicate with God throughout our day (to pray without ceasing), not just when we are in crisis. He cares about our lives even in the small things. There is no part of our lives that are insignificant to Him.

Q: What did working behind the scenes at Lakewood during your father's ministry inform how you preach today?

A: Really it all started for me when I was born. Our family never missed church; Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, week in and week out. However, for 17 years I did produce and edit my father’s sermons for television. I often joke that I attended one year of college and 17 years of seminary. For those 17 years, I would have to study my father's weekly sermons and then cut them down to a 28-minute TV program while maintaining the message. I guess I've listened to at least 1,500 of my father’s messages.

Q: Your ministry reaches millions each week through television and the Internet. How has technology changed how people worship today?

A: Through telecommunications technology, especially the web, more Christian programming is available than ever before. Not only do people have more choices in Christian programming, but they can get as much as they want whenever they want it. I think that our use of technology results in people spending more of their time thinking about the things of God. However, I don't see technology replacing worship in the traditional sense--that is worshipping with other believers in a church. Everyone should belong to a good Bible-based church.

Q: In our busy lives, what is your advice for how we can slow things down and find peaceful moments?

A: Personally, I take time each morning to spend with God. I have a quiet place in my home or I find a quiet place if I am traveling where I pray and seek guidance from God. I think that is the best way for anyone to start their day; it really sets the tone for each day.

Q: As a father, what advice would you share with parents struggling with our fast-paced culture?

A: Victoria and I decided a long time ago that our family takes priority over most everything else. I tell people all the time that their families should be their first mission field. Today, it takes a great deal of our time and energy to make a living. We need to make sure our families don't get the short end of the stick and we need to make time for them. And, I am talking about "quality time"; no cell phones, no business calls, no outside distractions, just family.

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More to Explore

Your Best Life Now

Become a Better You [Abridged Audio CD]

Scriptures and Meditations for Your Best Life Now

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From Publishers Weekly
Megachurch pastor and bestselling author Osteen follows up Your Best Life Now with this disappointingly unoriginal Christian self-help book. The seven subtitular steps to improvement include instructions to develop good habits, better relationships and an inner life. Osteen balances mind-over-matter pep talks with claims that God wants to bless faithful people with successes. The future is always promising, because God never performs His greatest feats in your yesterdays. At the same time, in order to receive God's blessing, one must back up prayers with action, obey, maintain a positive attitude toward life and do the right thing with the right motives. Some of Osteen's advice is sound; for example, he suggests that if you are forgiving and kind to colleagues and friends, they'll cut you slack when you have crabby days. Other suggestions—like writing down a big goal and posting it on your mirror or desk—are unremarkable. Laced throughout are anodyne first-person vignettes; Osteen struggled with frustration when his favorite restaurant announced a 45-minute wait. The hurried Osteen went to a nearby burger joint, only to have a brief encounter that changed another customer's life. Voilà—God turned Osteen's disappointment into blessing! Though this book is destined for strong sales, it offers nothing innovative. (Oct. 15)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 379 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1 edition (October 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743296885
• ISBN-13: 978-0743296885
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (206 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,097 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fulfill Your Destiny, November 8, 2007

By	Rebecca Johnson "SeasonedwithLove.com" (Washington State) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"You have something to offer that nobody else has." ~ Joel Osteen

Joel Osteen presents a message of hope. Through his experience as a pastor he has encountered problems people have struggled with since the beginning of time. No matter what situation you find yourself in, Joel Osteen has a spiritual solution. He draws on biblical references and his own inner wisdom and life experiences.

One of the major points in "Becoming a Better You," is the issue of how to change defeating messages into life-changing affirmations. Instead of focusing on weaknesses and faults, you learn to speak to yourself in more positive ways.

"Becoming a better you is all in how you choose to view life." ~ Joel Osteen

The section on overcoming hereditary problems with a positive mindset is enlightening and very helpful. Some very convincing stories show how humans have the ability to overcome illness just by thinking differently about the problem.

Joel Osteen encourages you to stop dwelling on negative thoughts so you can reach your full potential. In order to fulfill your destiny you have to leave your past mistakes behind you as you reach into the future by following spiritual wisdom.

Some of the areas covered in this book include: divorce, parenting, marriage, addictions, relationships, illness, lifestyle choices, goals, happiness, habits, handling criticism, peace, dreams, kindness, success, God's love, blessings, career choices, health, aging, forgiveness of sin, compassion, challenges, miracles and self-improvement through a deeper relationship with God. Each section ends with "Action Points."

"Today I will reach for something beyond where I am presently. I will actively pursue new goals, keeping them out in front of me, and expecting to meet them." ~ pg. 376, Action Point 3

The most powerful idea in this book is about how you can change your life through remembering that you are a child of Almighty God. With God's help you can overcome your problems and live the life you have imagined.

~The Rebecca Review

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Advanced Lessons about Sancification for Christian Believers, October 24, 2007

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "a Practical Optimi... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

One of the great pleasures of this book for me was to re-read many of my favorite sermons by Pastor Joel Osteen. No matter how many times I've listened to a sermon that's included here, the Holy Spirit helped me to draw new meaning from reading it in Become a Better You.

Another great benefit was to see the structure that Pastor Osteen used to organize these sermons relative to one another. Just by seeing that structure and thinking about it after finishing the book, I better understood the process of sanctification (the way that Christian believers go about becoming more like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit).

People who don't know Jesus as their Lord and Savior often think that Christianity is simply about accepting or rejecting Jesus. That's the first step, the step of salvation from our sins. But our relationship with Jesus builds from there through sanctification.

Those who aren't Christians often don't know what large impacts becoming saved and sanctified have. This book is eloquent testimony of how much Christianity does for you here on Earth, long before you die.

Through the many stories (many of them based on his own experiences and those of his family) in the sermons, Pastor Osteen does a marvelous job of showing that transforming experience and potential for even more improvements.

The 31 sermons are organized around seven steps which I have paraphrased as follows:

1. Seek continual improvement and larger challenges.
2. Use your faith to have a positive view of yourself.
3. Improve your relationships with others.
4. Eliminate bad habits and form better ones.
5. Accept your situation.
6. Listen more carefully to and act on God's directions.
7. Embrace life with Godly passion.

Each step concludes with a few action points that allow you to refocus and redirect your life. These are good habits.

The book concludes with a call to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Some would argue that this book is only for Christians. But if you are not a Christian and wonder what the Christian life is like, I think you'll find this book to be interesting and valuable as well.

I was struck that some people think this is a self-help book that should be filled with novel ideas. Pastor Joel Osteen is drawing on the timeless words of the Bible. I'm glad he didn't vary from what God has directed for us.

May God bless you!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book--Interesting, Practical, Biblical, January 16, 2008

By	Karen Zemek "Author of 'My Funny Dad, Harry'" (Parma, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was so impressed with this book because of the many practical and Biblical suggestions contained in it. I highly recommend this to anyone! I found myself taking notes as I read to make a list of specific things I want to do right away to become a "better me." I have been a born-again Christian for 47 years of my 54 and still feel like I learned much from reading this book.

I was also relieved to find it wasn't at all boring. A few chapters in the beginning went slow for me because they didn't really apply to my life, but others may find them to be very useful and helpful. I truly enjoyed reading this book in less than a week. I can honestly say there was nothing in it that I disagreed with.

I haven't read many self-help books, but this one is GREAT! I was very encouraged by some of the things he mentioned such as:

1) Keep stretching because my best days are yet to come. Your best days are not behind you, they're in front of you. (I am 54 so this is very encouraging to me)

2) Develop a Habit of Happiness. Choose to put a positive spin on things and be happy-even in bad circumstances.

3) Remember who you are and act accordingly--child of God Almighty, redeemed, talented, creative, have potential to fulfill your destiny.

4) Find work you are passionate about.

5) Relationships are more important than accomplishments. Build others up--compliment someone each day. Be the head cheerleader and encourager for your spouse.

6) Leave places better off than they were before I came by.

7) Celebrate other people's victories.

8) Keep a running record of the good things God has done for you.

9) Keep a tender conscience by listening to and obeying the small voice that nudges you to do or not to do something so you can keep hearing God's voice.

10) Plan on a long and healthy life!

11) Keep a song of praise in your heart all through the day.

12) Smile on purpose.

13) Believe expecting--put actions with your faith.

Although I knew some of these things and even used to do them at one time, it was good to be reminded of them. My husband was right when he said Joel uses good illustrations. I'm pretty sure he had a real-life illustration for every main point in this book.

I also liked at the very end, Joel gives concise and clear instructions how the reader can begin a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. I was glad to see he included this.

--Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"