Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential [ABRIDGED] [AUDIOBOOK] (Audio CD)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Houston televangelist Joel Osteen is well qualified to write this book, having used the seven principles he shares to achieve his own "rags-to-riches" story. At the heart of Osteen’s message is that achieving a successful, prosperous life of fulfillment can only occur when we stop worrying about the past or future to make the most of each present moment by using our God-given strengths and talents to achieve our goals. The key to doing so are the seven steps Osteen outlines: Enlarge Your Vision, Develop a Healthy Self-Image, Discover the Power of Your Thoughts and Words, Let go of the Past, Find Strength Through Adversity, Live to Give, and Choose to Be Happy. Mixing biblical teachings with his own personal experiences, Osteen explains each of these seven steps in an encouraging, optimistic manner that makes them accessible to anyone interested in principles of personal growth. Although written with a Christian slant, the seven steps Osteen shares will have value to anyone wanting to know more about practical steps of self-betterment, regardless of their denomination.--Larry Trivieri Jr. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Houston megachurch pastor and inspirational TV host Osteen offers an overblown and redundant self-help debut. Many Christian readers will undoubtedly be put off by the book’s shallow name-it-and-claim-it theology; although the first chapter claims that "we serve the God that created the universe," the book as a rule suggests the reverse: it’s a treatise on how to get God to serve the demands of self-centered individuals. Osteen tells readers that God wants them to prosper, offering examples of obtaining an elegant mansion or a larger salary ("don’t ever get satisfied with where you are," he cautions). In seven parts, he details how readers should enlarge their vision, develop self-esteem, discover the power of thought, let go of the past, find strength through adversity, give back to others and choose to be happy. The section on giving comes as too little, too late—Osteen’s message to remember others and "get your mind off yourself" flies in the face of the previous 200 pages. There are some good pockets of advice, such as letting go of past hurts and avoiding bitterness. Editorially, the book would have packed more of a punch if a third of its repetitive slogans and stories had been pruned. Theologically, its materialism and superficial portrayal of God as the granter of earthly wishes will alienate many Christian readers who can imagine a much bigger God.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hachette Audio; Abridged edition (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586216554
• ISBN-13: 978-1586216559
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (513 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,954 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fine Line, October 23, 2004

By	Pete Smith (Springfield, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential (Hardcover)

What I think many people miss about Joel Osteen's message (as well as the spelling of his name) is the fine line between a name-it and claim-it theology and the simple message of the Bible that God loves you. If God loves you and sent His Son to die for you (the Christian Gospel), then why would He just want Christian ministers to focus on suffering and sin instead of having a postive attitude of faith and trusting God for more. "If a earthly father gives good gifts..."

I think Joel believes that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, that there is only one way to heaven and that sin and the battle of the flesh is important, but just doesn't focus on those things - Lord knows there are plenty of hell fire and damnation preachers out there.

Joel doesn't say that if you claim something in Jesus name you'll get it. Instead, he says to have faith that God will bring you through your circumstances and wants good things for you. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for..." We've lost the hope that we should get from God's love. It is after all GOOD news.

Many people (and several reviewers) criticize Joel for not being overtly evangelistic to save souls or not preaching more on sin. Funny how few ministries are seeing the thousands come to the Christian faith like are coming through Joel's church, television programs and events and even more find the encouragement to change their lives for the better. Perhaps honey does work better than vinegar?

As far as being applicable to people of other faiths or no faith at all, truth is truth. If I don't touch the flame, I don't get burned whether I'm a Christian or not.

In a world full of uncertainty, it is good to have a messenger who will inspire us to Live Our Best Lives Now! A nation in the war on terror needs it.

39 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The World needs a little Positive Thinking, November 18, 2004

By	Betsy Hoyt (Arizona) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential (Hardcover)

When my daughter died 3 months ago, I read "A Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. Since my daughter's life was rich and purposeful, if brief, I initially felt comforted by Warren's words. Then slowly, a disquieting awareness set in as I realized Warren reveals a punishing God who sets trials, sometimes painful, horrible trials to test our faith...and I began to wonder...Then I was given Joel Osteen's "Your Best Life Now." I went from despair to hope. My mother has said what is absent from the world is plain old fashioned commonsense. While rooted in scripture, Osteen gives us a simple guide to old truisms. Expect good things, have positive self-esteem, have enthusiasm for your life, let go of old hurts and bitterness, and help others. This is a negative world...filled with angry, bitter and self-defeated people. Olsteens simple lessons for tapping into our own potential resonate with hope, and joy. In a world where too many people are into the blame game, Joel tells us clearly we are responsible for our own success and happiness. We can choose self fullfilling, and destructive negative thoughts or positive uplifting ones. I choose to believe in a God of hope and love, and to spread seeds of kindness instead of focusing on my own needs. I choose to live my best life now.

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The pastor who forgot Jesus, August 30, 2007

By	Jack Zavada "published author & web site owner" (Streator, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential (Paperback)

Two things stood out for me after I finished reading Your Best Life Now.

First, you'll find very few references to Jesus Christ in this book. Why is that? Isn't Christianity supposed to be about Jesus? Certainly Joel Osteen uses the term God throughout YBLN, but mentions of Jesus are rare. Maybe that's because millions of people today are turned off by that name. They want a bland, vanilla god who never brings up the issue of sin. Yes, Pastor Osteen does give an altar call at the end of every sermon, yet he never talks about the need for salvation or man's inability to save himself.

For a Christian minister to give such little attention to Jesus is odd indeed. Lakewood Church and Joel Osteen use sophisticated marketing techniques, and I wouldn't be surprised if focus groups told them any mention of Jesus or sin makes people uncomfortable.

The second thing I noticed in YBLN is the amount of repetition. A conscientious editor could have cut this book down to 75 pages. Much of it was padding. I don't know whether this book was ghost written (hiring an anonymous professional writer to write it), but much of it sounds like transcriptions of Joel's sermons over the years, patched together. I've seen him turn pages of notes as he preaches. Maybe he pulled paragraphs out of there verbatim, but if you listen to him over a couple months, you'll hear the same phrases over and over.

There's much good in YBLN, but this "positive thinking" ministry seems rather shallow. I hadn't watched Joel on TV for a few years. I tuned him in recently and he was preaching exactly the same things as three years ago, using the same phrases. It makes me wonder how long he can keep juggling these same balls in the air.

You'll find much greater depth and biblical truth in any Charles Stanley's books. If you're looking for a Christian, life-changing book, I heartily recommend John Orberg's, If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. I can attribute my improved relationship to Christ and deeper contentment to things I learned in Ortberg's book.