:: eric michael bryant ::

I haven’t had a chance to read through the entire book, but I have enjoyed The One Minute Entrepreneur so far!Here are some insights:In the US, 1 million businesses started each year. 40% fail within one year. 80% fail by the fifth year. 96% have failed by year 10.Primary reason for failure: “they are started by technicians - people who are skilled at something and who enjoy doing that thing…. They make the fatal mistake of continuing to do the work they’re skilled at while ignoring other vital parts of the business.” - Michael Gerber”We are becoming the average of the five people with whom we are most closely associated…. [We should] associate with people we admire and can learn from.”"You can get what you want in life if you help other people get what they want.”"Success occurs when opportunity and preparation meet.”"Profit is the applause you get for taking care of your customers and creating a motivating environment for your people.”"The best management includes day-to-day coaching that catches people doing things right and redirects their efforts when they are off base.”"The wrong leaders can send you off in directions you don’t want to go. The right leader at the right time can help steer things in the right direction.”"You can’t predict the good that can come from helping or forgiving someone.”To determine your aptitude as an entrepreneur, take a free assessment at www.estrengths.com (the site mentions a cost, but it still appears to be free until the end of August)For books about entrepreneurial leadership, check out Erwin’s books An Unstoppable Force and Chasing Daylight as well as Mark Batterson’s book In a Pit With A Lion on a Snowy Day.

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I would love to connect with you personally on Wednesday, September 10th at 10am (Pacific Standard Time) in our next Teleseminar.The topic: “Moving People from Brokenness to Wholeness” - based on Uprising (a.k.a. The Character Matrix) We’ll also interact and I’ll try to answer as many of your questions as I can.To Register, email your name and location to: teleseminar@ericbryant.orgA reply will be sent to you via email with call details and dial in instructions.A recording of the call will be made available 48 hours after the live call is complete.If you have specific questions you would like to ask during the call, please email those to eric@ericbryant.org.Be sure to click the “Share This” icon below and invite a friend to join in on this call as well.You can listen to recordings from previous teleseminars here.

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I wanted to re-post this previous post since there was so much good conversation before, so many asking about this topic, and with the elections on the horizon.Originally I had given one of the chapters in Peppermint-Filled Pinatas this title, but my editor encouraged me to broaden the topic and discuss serving, loving, and reaching out to all people no matter how the live their life morally - not just those who are living a homosexual lifestyle. The chapter is now called “Lots of Sex in the City: Engaging Others in a Post-Sexual Revolution World.”As we all know by now, same sex marriage is a hot topic in California .  With friends on both sides of this issue, and with my own personal convictions, I thought I would offer a few thoughts to consider as the dialogue heats up:It is possible and in fact imperative to love people - even those with whom we disagree.We can involve and include people in our lives and in our churches - even those with whom we may disagree. (Anyone can be a part of our community at Mosaic - no matter who they are or what they believe. To become a part of our volunteer staff requires going through a mentoring process).Christians should not expect non-Christians to act as if they have the same standards, especially since even Christians have a hard time living up to them.The Spirit of God can truly change people when people want to be transformed.Those opposed to same sex marriage should share reasons for a ban based on a broad rationale rather than simply spiritual reasons.We cannot influence others we have pushed away. This includes those who are struggling to figure out what to do with their sexual desires while growing up.Christians are known for who we hate rather than how we love. This moves us out of the conversation and polarizes those involved so quickly no progress can be made.Most of us already feel like God will judge us. Too often, we don’t realize that God offers to love and forgive us.For more on this controversial topic, listen to my message on Religion, Sex, and Politics and Erwin’s talk on “What About Sex?” during the “Life’s Toughest Questions Series.”Another thought on politics and faith: “Changing Laws or Changing People?”

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Several people around me have been sharing about their involvement with Foster Care. I am so impressed and grateful for people who have the calling and capacity to open their homes to kids in need.

Here is an update on the First Annual iCare Foundation 5K Walk/Run For Foster Care:

1,500 people attended the iCare 5K Walk/Run

102 attendees signed up to become MENTORS to youth in foster care

35 attendees signed up to become FOSTER PARENTS

5 attendees signed up to ADOPT one or more children

Over 150 VOLUNTEERS donated their time to help

If interested, also check out the National Forum on Church and Foster Care which is coming up in Southern California Sept. 22-24.

Another way to serve kids in tough situations:  volunteer with Big Brothers and Big Sisters or your local Boys and Girls Club.

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If you aren’t yet a part of the Colbert Nation, you need to be! Colbert does a great job of lampooning our culture from a Bill O’Reilly-esque perspective. In many ways, his book I Am American (And So Can You)
has the exact opposite goal of Peppermint-Filled Pinatas. My book is about embracing the people Christians “love to hate” whereas Colbert’s goal is help us do a better job at moving backwards as a society.

Some fun quotes from Stephen Colbert:

“Nature is a far bigger threat to us than we are to it. Nature has bears, twisters, lava, and daddy long legs. What do we got? Styrofoam cups? Nothing!”

“No polar bears were hurt in the making of this segment. They were killed instantly.”

“Eliminating poverty? Who’s going to pay for that? Not the poor. They don’t have any cash.”

“Bad leadership is better than no leadership at all.” - Stephen Colbert to Wesley Clark about President Bush

Fun articles:

Stephen Colbert: A New American Hero

Stephen Colbert: Comedy Rambo

Interviews:

Stephen Colbert out of character on Charlie Rose

Stephen out of character at Harvard

Great clips:

Colbert at the Washington Press Corps

Dance Off vs. Korean Popstar Rain

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Are you enjoying the Olympics as much as we are?!  I forget how caught up I get into it.

I have been struck more than ever by how diverse and how wealthy we really are.  We are dominating in so many sports, and in many cases it is a direct result of our inclusion of immigrants from around the world.

Shawn Johnson’s coach is from China

Nastia Luikin’s parents were both from Russia

Lopez Lomong is from the Sudan (and carried the American flag in the opening ceremonies)

I could go on and on.

Have you also noticed that many of the best sprinters and swimmers from other countries actually train in the United States?

If you are opposed to immigration, be sure to at least let us import the best talent from around the world in time for London in 2012! 

More thoughts on the value of diversity, check out the post “Ethnic Diversity” and the other previous posts in the “Diversity” category.

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I had intended on recording the Saddleback Civil Forum last weekend, but somehow I missed it.  Instead, I have been reading about it, and last night I watched the Larry King interview of Rick Warren. I felt Rick Warren did a great job bringing these two men together and even asking questions that gave us insights into who the candidates are.

All in all, John McCain seemed to have the best results at Saddleback, a church in a very conservative Orange County.

As someone who likes to advocate for those who do not get a chance to advocate for themselves, I am truly concerned with the rights of the unborn. I have to admit though, I have become disillusioned by what politicians are able to actually do to help. As McCain promised to be a pro-life president, I felt a bit discouraged. Even when there was a pro-life president (Bush) and Republican Congress and Senate, it didn’t seem that any progress was made. Even still, rumors are swirling that McCain is going to pick a pro-choice VP candidate.

In an interview with Time Magazine, even Rick Warren suggested this view when he said: “I have never been considered a part of the religious right, because I don’t believe politics is the most effective way to change the world.” “Although public service can be a noble profession, and I believe it is our responsibility to vote, I don’t have much faith in government solutions, given the track record. It’s why I am a pastor, not a politician.”

Abortions are the result of unwanted pregnancies so we need to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies by not only teaching abstinence but by educating those who are sexually active, providing better medical care for pregnant mothers, creating a better situation for newborns and their parents, providing better access to adoption agencies, and giving people hope that this child can have a better future than his or her parents. There are so many more effective ways to reduce the number of abortions other than through legislation.

In PFP I mentioned in the chapter called “Compassionate Conservatives and Loving Liberals: Reaching across the Ideological Aisle”:

Often, whether we realize it or not, we assume real issues can only be solved politically. As we study our history books we hear of the Emancipation Proclamation, Civil War, and the 13th Amendment assuming Abraham Lincoln and other politicians ended slavery. Ironically, the goal of the Civil War remained bringing back secessionist states while allowing slavery to continue in these states. As the war took it’s staggering toll, public sentiment in the North and the border states shifted. Slavery’s end was no longer just a concern for abolitionists. The public accepted the idea before laws ever went into effect.

Lincoln understood and proclaimed, “With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed…Consequently, he who holds public sentiment goes deeper than he who erects statutes or pronounces decisions.” (Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin, p.206)

Overall, the abortion rate has dropped to the lowest rate in 30 years, but that still includes 1.2 million babies that were aborted. It appears that the political approach is not the solution.

For more on my thoughts on politics, check out Faith in Politics?, False Hope? and Changing Laws or Changing People?

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I found a couple of unique sites I have enjoyed exploring:

The Trend Watching Briefing

Endless Innovation blog which mentions these following four trends to watch:

(1) Social Data
(2) Micro-Payments for Online Social Experiences
(3) Content Mashups
(4) “Live” experiences (that really aren’t “live”)

Seth Godin’s blog has become a real favorite lately. Check out this ingenius idea on tribes (I got in before it was closed. Stay tuned because I bet they will open it again soon).

Squidoo where everyone shares their knowledge and passions since everyone can be an expert in something.

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Did you know that one American dies from cancer every minute?

Did you know that 1/3 of all cancers are related to smoking and another 1/3 are connected to obesity/diet/exercise? Recently I read a horrifying article which predicts if trends continue as they are, all U.S. adults will be overweight in the year 2048.

Without research breakthroughs, cancer will be an even more deadly disease than it already is.

Are you like me? Do you ever wonder what common, everyday item we are using now that will later become banned or avoided because of its harmful affects? So many of our grandparents smoked because everyone smoked without realizing the damage they were doing. Will we be struggling to overcome our addiction to fried foods, preservatives, trans fats, Doritos, or even wireless Internet connections?

Stand Up 2 Cancer is a big fundraiser airing on all of the network television channels on Sept. 5th with the goal of raising funds for cancer research.

One of the celebrities featured during the fundraiser is Christina Applegate, the 36 year old actress who just underwent a double mastectomy to beat breast cancer.

All of us have been affected by cancer in some way. This effort seems to be a great way for us to work together for a cure.

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Thanks to our friends in Australia and a new “shipment” from Neil Nakamoto, Debbie and I have been enjoying an occasional Tim Tam Slam.

Biting an end off of diagonal corners of a Tim Tam, you then drink your coffee through it creating a most delicious chocolate experience.

Mmmmm Mmmm good!

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