The definition of the word “muse” is: To think.

Add the letter “a”, creating “amuse,” and you get the opposite:  To not think.

So what does it really mean to be “amused“?

We have amusement parks, where you can go “not think” for a day, or two, or three.  Not so bad…unless…

Unless you live in what I like to call a “Constant State of Amusement.”

We live in a world filled with deception, constantly selling lies and misdirecting us from the stuff that really matters.  And we too often buy those lies, simply because we choose to turn off our minds and let the world do our thinking for us.  

Maybe the best goal you can set for 2012 is simply to learn to think for yourself.  If you don’t, there are plenty of media and entertainment executives that will gladly do that for you.

How about you?  What do you do to participate in activities that keep you from living your life only on Facebook, in front of a television, or behind a People magazine?  Do you or your family have any systems in place that encourage engaging activities that actually promote thinking?

I’m sure you have plenty of things you’d love to do this new year.  But what would you like to do less of in 2012? Maybe “being amused” should be on that list.

Because it’s way too easy to be deceived…

In my last post, I told you how much I loved Inception, and how I believe that real “inception” actually happens every day.

Last night, my wife and I enjoyed another incredible film, Book of Eli.  I didn’t get to enjoy it on a massive digitally projected screen or with state of the art surround sound, but I still liked it.  Not only did I like it, I found it convicting.

There’s a scene in the movie where Denzel Washington’s character gets asked about the “old world”, which in case you haven’t seen the film, would be in reference to the current world that you and I live in today.  His response was simple, yet profound:  

“People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious and what wasn’t.  We threw away things people kill each other over now.”

Do you have more than you need?  Do you know what is precious, and what isn’t?  Chances are pretty good that you throw away things that people kill each other over in other parts of the world.  How do you feel about that?

If you’re like me, the natural tendency is to think, “Have more than I need?  Ha!  I’m barely getting by!!”  Well, turns out I’m filthy rich.  And…

And so are you.  Want to see how rich YOU are?   Find out now. ——>  Global Rich List

QUESTION: Maybe it’s hard for you to imagine a world in which people fight and kill over things that you throw away.  But what if it were true?  And better yet, what if you could see it coming, and could do something about it before the fighting and killing began?  What would you do about it, and how might you live differently?  Best of all, what would you do RIGHT NOW?

The film Inception? Incredible. Loved it! One of the best movies I’ve ever seen, and one of my favorites of all time. BUT…

What if I told you that “inception” actually happens? To you? Every. Single. Day.  

It’s every where you look, and a steady stream of ideas are being planted in your brain daily. The dangerous part?  You don’t realize it, because you take these ideas in subconsciously.  And when you act on those ideas, you don’t really take the time to stop and think, “Hmmm…I bet I did that because I heard that ad on the radio, or saw that commercial on TV.”

Here’s an obvious example.  There are plenty more where this came from, and they aren’t anywhere near as noticeable…

[Note: Facebook Note readers click here to watch the video. Facebook does not embed videos when automatically importing these posts from my blog.]

Laugh if you want. You may think I’m crazy, but that’s exactly what makes it so easy for you to be cleverly tricked and deceived.  If you let your guard down, it makes planting ideas in your brain that much easier.

And you thought “Inception” was just a fun movie?

- An Unnamed American Pastor, speaking at a European Conference

Thank you Stuart McAllister, and the team at RZIM for your podcasts.  They are challenging, thought-provoking, and needed.

Sometimes America is more of a market, than a nation. Hopefully, we can turn that around…

Today, on Memorial Day, everyone speaks of honor. Well, many do. It’s true that regardless of how you feel politically about any war we’ve ever been involved in, the soldiers who have fought and served deserve our honor. But while today might be a day to honor our troops, the whole idea of honoring someone is so much bigger.

Last week, I was catching up on some podcasts and I listened to an interview with Steven Furtick. He’s the pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. I heard Steven speak briefly at Catalyst back in ‘08, and really enjoyed him. I also loved hearing him tell a story in this interview about a pastor he previously served under.

He explained that there was a difference between honor, and respect. And while he couldn’t respect the leader he was serving under, the leader still deserved to be honored, because he was his pastor, and a good man. The honor Steven gave him had a profound impact later on in this man’s life. It was memorable. It was humbling. It was transforming. And that doesn’t even include the additional character built up and displayed in Steven, the one giving honor. His ability and willingness to honor someone who deserved to be honored impacted them both.

It kind of got me thinking…

Why don’t other people my age, (and younger), honor others? And why have we lost that ability? What happened? And what could happen if we learned to do it once again? What if we created a culture of honor?

I agree with Steven, (whom his church calls “Pastor Steven” by the way, simply in an effort to honor him), that there really is a difference between honor and respect. Someone who deserves to be honored can lose my respect. For example…

There are magicians who haven’t earned my respect, both now and from the past, but some of them need to be honored. It’s easy to poke fun at the “old guys” because they had rabbits and top hats, along with matching tuxedos. It’s easy for my generation to label it “cheesy”, but while I don’t respect each of them, I believe they deserve to be honored for their contribution to my art, and for keeping magic alive. Of course we see it as cheesy now. It’s 2010. Tuxes were hot in 1920. But who am I, and who are you to judge?? Why not honor them, even if you don’t respect them? If labeling it cheesy is your way of saying, “Look how cool I am”, personally, I think you need to get over yourself.

And what about our parents? I know, I know. We get older, gain perspective, and become increasingly aware of their mistakes. Maybe it’s hard for you now to respect your mom or dad. But they still deserve to be honored. It may not make sense to you right now, but your decision to do so could change their lives, and yours in the process. Think I’m crazy? I dare you to try it. You might be the first and only person to ever honor them, and I bet you’ll gain their respect in the process.

If you’re struggling with honoring someone because you don’t think they deserve it, why? Because they weren’t perfect? C’mon…look in the mirror.

A question…

What would happen if you honored your wife? Or your girlfriend? Like, really honored her?

What would happen if you honored your husband? What would honoring him actually look like?

What kind of people would your children grow up to be if they grew up watching two people consistently honor each other?

George W. Bush supposedly wore a suit every single day of his stay at the White House, because he “wanted to bring honor to the presidency”.

Honoring my wife is a privilege. The same is true for my parents. And my grandparents. And honoring those who have gone before me, from magicians to leaders to soldiers is a privilege as well. One I hope and pray my generation doesn’t completely lose as we continue to rip apart everything we disagree with. There’s nothing wrong with discussion and debate, and respect is most definitely something that has to be earned. But in the process of re-envisioning our futures, I hope we don’t forget to honor those in our past. And our present. If we do, I fear that we may lose our honor as well.

Let’s honor those who need to be honored. Before they’re dead.

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What do YOU think?  

What is freedom anyway??

I know this for sure: A lot of people believe they live in freedom, when in reality, they’re in a straight-jacket. How do I know? Because it happens to everyone…including me.  

For years, banks have been loaning people piles and piles of money, and then those people feel the freedom to go buy the stuff they want.  Yet most just end up trapped by debt, and now struggle to pay their bills. What happened to the feeling of freedom? Was it real or just an illusion?

What about lust? Every day we look at things we wish we could have, and many times end up dwelling on how we can get it. But why? And what does it mean? The author of a great little book called Sex God wrote, “If I want something to the point that I can’t conceive of being content without it, then it owns me.” We all lust of things we wish could have, but we are not free.

Lust is slavery.

And what about our careers? We want the right jobs so we can make the right money and be free to live out the American Dream. Is that wrong? Is it true freedom?  It’s a valid question and likely depends on our motives.

Tim Keller, in his book, The Reason for God, wrote, “In our society many people have worked extremely hard to pursue careers that pay well rather than meet their talents and interests. Such careers are straight jackets that in the long run stifle and dehumanize us.”

I have friends who have currently decided not to live out the lives God created them to live, all because they want the “freedom” to live the “way they want to live.” But are they really free? Or, are they merely trapped in a lie, and have succumbed to the pressure to perform for the rest of the world? They aren’t living for freedom. They’re living for acceptance by the world around them.

That’s just counterfeit freedom.

There was a season of my life where I thought I had freedom, mainly because I was deceived into thinking that I was finally free to do whatever I wanted.  I grew up in a small town with no money. Then I started traveling the world doing magic shows, and started making friends and making money.  I got to live where I wanted to, in the sized house I wanted to live in.  I got to drive the cars I wanted, eat where and what I wanted, have whatever sized TV I wanted, and on and on and on.  But was I really free? Not at all.  I was trapped, and the result was a vicious circle of meaninglessness.

I was living in a straight-jacket, and my freedom was just an illusion.

Let’s be honest…I wasn’t living for myself. That may have been the desire and intent, but really?  Was I really living a certain way because I wanted what was best for me? Or do we live the way we live because we fall into the pressure to perform?

To be seen driving that car. Wearing those clothes. To be seen with that girl. For people to know we live in that house.

We’re just putting on a show, but really, we’re stuck in straight-jackets. Because the freedom we’re chasing is not only an illusion, it traps us, and we become slaves to our desires.

So let’s go back to our original question: What is freedom?

What does it mean to be truly free? What is the truth? And is there truth that can set us free?

What is freedom? And if it exists, how do we get it?