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?

I figured she’d offer the best perspective than I would, so I let her run with it.  And it just so happens that I happen to run a blog about deception, and I’ve probably said “It’s easy to be deceived,” at least 10,000 times in the past 10-15 years.  To date, it’s been my life’s message.  So enjoy this guest post, written by her, conveniently located here.  Here’s Kate…  

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It’s one of the biggest buzzwords of the last 18 months: Detox.

Thousands of programs and regiments that are designed to “rid your body of toxins”.  And you know what?  It’s one of the biggest hoaxes that has hit the public since the Atkins Diet craze. But, as my husband often says, “It’s easy to be deceived.”

The word detox, according to Webster’s Dictionary, means the following:

“To undergo treatment to rid the body of poisonous substances, especially alcohol and drugs”.

It’s origin is 1972. Most people who detox are people in rehab (we’ve all seen Intervention) who are coming down off years of abuse of drugs and alcohol.  They are ridding their body of a literal “poison”.  But somewhere along the way, someone realized that the word “detox”  could be used for an entirely different purpose: marketing.

If you were to get on Google (or Bing or Yahoo or whatever engine you use), and type in the word “detox”, you would find over 12.5 million pages of cleanses, diets, plans, blogs, and other various opinions on the subject. You would find things like the Acai Cleanse, the Master Cleanse (or lemon cleanse), Evercleanse, the Cabbage Soup Diet, the ColoThin, and Colonics.  Each one claims to detoxify your body in the most effective, and fast, way.
I’m pretty sure that even though you may not have participated in one of these programs, you know someone who has, or you’ve heard of them.  But the thing that so many people have failed to realize is that they are just a fad.  Go ahead and hate me for saying it, but they are no better or different then weight loss programs like the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, or my personal favorite, the What Would Jesus Eat? Diet.

We have bought into the fad hook, line, and sinker all over again.  Especially us women.  We want to be thin…and would do just about anything to get to that point quickly.  Everything except give up our Starbucks Frappuccinos with extra whip and the Wendy’s at 11pm.  We want a quick-fix to our poor eating habits and have believed that the only way to a healthy life is through not eating for 10 days and drinking a concoction of maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice.

When I searched for a scientific perspective on these cleanses, I consulted a doctor, Wikipedia, and WebMD among others.  The opinion was repeated across the board:

“…Symptoms may improve with a detox diet, but there is no evidence that this [detox diets/cleanses] is due to clearing toxins from the body…As it turns out, a balanced, proper diet is more helpful than a detox diet.” WebMD also stated that, “Perhaps one of the biggest dangers of detox diets is the fear they instill in the public…The good news is that your body has its own natural detoxifying process that works quite well.  The liver and kidneys do a good job of processing chemicals and eliminating them…”  WebMD goes on to make the statement that, “fasting can be addictive because it causes a kind of ‘high’.”

(I am putting this statement in there based on the fact that the Master Cleanse is one of the most popular cleanses out there, and it requires a 10-day fast.)  There was also a statement in Self magazine that said that women who don’t eat (fast) during a cleanse or diet are, on average, 8 pounds heavier than women who just ate right and exercised!  Is anybody getting this?

ARE WE OUT OF OUR MINDS??

In all honesty, I am just wondering when we stopped paying attention.  We believe just about anything, more specifically when it comes to shedding those pounds and that other buzzword: wellness.  If we really look deeper into it, we aren’t really interested in a lifestyle change, or being healthy for that matter.  Instead, we want to do what we want, when we want, but don’t want the consequences that come along with it.

I have read status update after status update on Facebook and Twitter from friends of mine that have decided to “get clean” by choosing one of these diets.  The irony, however, is that when all is said and done, they “celebrate” their success and their new-found energy by hitting up their favorite drink at Starbucks and noshing on a cupcake or ice cream.  And even more commonly, they just go back to their old food and drink routine, thinking about the next time that they’ll “clean out”.  I’m not kidding!  Just think about how ridiculous that is!  You’ve “rid” the toxins from your body only to put them right back in. the dangers of detox diets and cleanses is right in front of our faces, yet we remain blind.  Especially us as women.  There’s a lie that’s easy to miss, but it’s there nevertheless.  It’s that nasty lie that tells us over and over that we aren’t good enough, and God and his design are not enough. We take products like these because we find ourselves 25 pounds overweight, lazy, and sometimes even subconsciously blame God for making us with a faulty system. No…we are faulty because we live in a broken world. We don’t want to work hard, eat right, or exercise.  We find ourselves caught up in fad diets and quick-fixes because we need to experience that we are enough.  We want to feel like we are doing something…anything. But we are left unhappy and empty, cheeseburger still in hand.

DO NOT BUY THE LIE.  It’s that simple.  (For real…it really is).  Understand that we all are left with a choice to be healthy or just pretend to be healthy.  I would challenge any person, fad-cleanser or non-fad-cleanser, to make a lifestyle change for the better.  Just eat healthy. And then, go get some excercise…

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Be sure to check out Kate’s blog, I AM KATE. You’ll love reading her thoughts!

QUESTION: What do you think? Have you done a detox, and what was your experience? Is Kate crazy, or have a lot of people been cleverly tricked and deceived?

But…

But, the world has a tendency to reprogram our minds, and make women think you have to look a certain way to feel beautiful. The pictures are everywhere, and so many of them are fake. So next time you see a photo on a billboard, or on a magazine cover while waiting in line at the grocery store, remind yourself that even the most beautiful women in the world still just aren’t beautiful enough.

If this photo of Faith Hill wasn’t good enough for the Redbook Magazine cover, and… if the images you see every day impact you on a deeper level than you probably realize… well, you can begin to imagine why my wife doesn’t always feel pretty. (And why you a lot of times don’t feel pretty either.)

Before:

Faith Hill Unedited Redbook Cover Photo

After:

Faith Hill Edited Redbook Cover Photo

Or, in case you couldn’t see just how dramatic the changes actually are, check it out this way:

As if Faith’s arm was just WAY too fat. Ugh.

Remember, you are beautiful, and you are enough, just as you are. Don’t let Photoshop and it’s shallow users tell you otherwise. Do not be deceived.

You could read more of this issue of Redbook Magazine and learn everything from make up tricks to “how to show your sexy side.” But if you can’t even trust the cover, why even open it’s pages??  Look at the photos, then read the headlines printed on the cover. Am I the only one that finds the advertised articles utterly ridiculous, considering the irony of the over-editted photo??

QUESTION: Am I the only one who thinks this is ridiculously sad, and incredibly unhealthy for our culture?  As a girl, does it impact your ability to feel beautiful?

If you’ve seen me perform live, you may have heard me talk about how easy it is to be deceived, and one of the ways it happens is how the world attempts to define what true beauty is.  Every day you drive by billboards, see ads on TV, and look at pictures as you flip through magazines, and it’s everything inside of you to feel pretty.  Does the world and it’s blurred messages of self-image impact how you see yourself in the mirror?  

Eating disorders, thoughts about ideal weight, affording the right clothes, and questions of how to feel beautiful are asked every single day by millions of people who live in a photoshopped world.

Imagine the pressure felt by three sisters who signed a major record deal with Hollywood Records, toured with national acts like Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and the Cheetah Girls.  Glitz, make-up, lights, photo shoots, (and a massive machine called Disney), certainly has high standards to say the least, and I could imagine it’d be hard to deal with the constant pressure to look a certain way, weigh a certain amount, and fit certain expectations, all while being teenagers.

Well, now those girls have grown up a bit, (and their music and sound has matured), and they’re speaking up about one of the issues almost all women face.  It seems like the issue doesn’t go away, regardless of how old you are.  Find out what my friends and recording artists, Everlife, have to say about what it means to feel beautiful, and hear their brand-new song, “What’s Beautiful.”  If you really listen to the lyrics of this song, I think you’ll be as blown away as I was!  And I’m not even a girl!  ;-)

After you check out this video and hear the song, you’ll want to do 3 things:

1. Buy “What’s Beautiful” on iTunes, and enjoy the positive message…you need it!

2. Come see the girls play live on my tour, “Sens de Vie“ in a city near you this Spring!

3. Spread the word!  You and I both know that you know someone who needs to hear this song! Forward a link to this post to your friends, girlfriends, and daughters, encouraging them to watch the interview, start following Everlife by checking out their website, and getting the song.

Enjoy!  This is one of the world’s first chances to see a recording of this song played live…

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Remember, buy the song, and spread the word!

Do YOU feel beautiful?  If not, remind yourself that God created you in his image, and in his eyes, you are perfectly beautiful and wonderfully made.

How do you fight the temptation each day to tune out the lies around you that scream you have to look a certain way in order to feel pretty? Share your comments, questions, frustrations, experiences, whatever.  Others might need to hear them, or you might just need to hear from them…

Total time to find a deceptive ad on YouTube: 60 seconds. 15 seconds to search, and 45 more to watch the commercial.  Of course, the ad being deceptive is just my opinion. To me, the promise they make is just an illusion.

Watch, paying careful attention to the end of the commercial, then continue reading…  (Facebook Note readers can find the video here, because FB doesn’t import the embedded video from my blog.)

Joy. According to BMW, that’s what you receive by driving one of their cars. You aren’t just buying a car, you’re purchasing joy.  And let’s not just pick on BMW. The list of car-makers who use their ads to appeal to our emotions, rather than explain why they make the best car, is endless.

Instead of me rambling about deception here, I’m way more curious what YOU think.  As you share your opinions and comments, please keep in mind these few final questions from me:

1. One of the highest rates of suicide is among wealthy business men. Does that mean that you can’t purchase true happiness no matter how much money you have?  Or is there a link between your level of income and your state of happiness?

2. BMW makes excellence cars, and therefore, some argue that more expensive, luxury cards are simply a better investment of your resources. Does that sometimes justify the purchase of a more expensive car like a Mercedes, Lexus, or BMW?

3. Driving a luxury car makes you feel good about yourself, and therefore provides a moment of happiness. It also changes the way people look at you. Is there anything wrong with that?

4. In the short 3 minutes it took to read this post, over 30 children died because their families couldn’t afford to buy food. Is this relevant at all to this conversation?

5. Does this kind of advertising really affect our decision-making, the way we think about ourselves, and how we choose to live? Or am I just making a big deal out of nothing?

What do you think? I’d be honored if you took the time to share…

That was just last night, and already one of my crew guys asked me today in the process of choosing our lunch spot, “Have you seen the Taco Bell commercial about the new healthy menu?”  Wow…word travels fast! Advertising works, huh?

Or does it?

Watch for yourself, then continue reading…

It doesn’t take a lot of thought to find the craziness of this commercial.  Last night after we saw it, and my friend started talking about it, I immediately asked him if he saw any of the fine print at the bottom of the screen. Thanks to DVR, we simply rewound the commercial and read each word.  It’s easy to catch…if you’re paying attention.  Feel free to go back and watch it again and read for yourself.

Besides, if you’re interested in losing weight, why not do a little research and put together a plan?  The purpose of this commercial was not for Taco Bell to try to change your order when you visit their restaurant.  The agenda is to get you to consider them as an option when you’re making your restaurant choices.  If you’re looking for healthy food and trying to get in shape, Taco Bell would now like to be included in your options.  But if you’re really trying to get in shape, it won’t take much research to discover that Taco Bell probably shouldn’t be in the running.  If that commercial inspired you to eat more healthy, that’s awesome, but don’t let the people who just want your money do your thinking for you.  She lost 54 lbs. in two years, (according to the fine print).  54 lbs? That’s about 2 lbs. a month! How is that so amazing??

I could go on and on…

Every day the average mind, (including yours), takes in an average of over 3,000 messages and advertisements.  That’d be cool if they were healthy and added value to our lives.  Or if we were all decently aware of how easy it is to be deceived.  The problem is, we aren’t.  We don’t question. We don’t search.  We don’t even pay attention.  And over and over again we believe lies, and ended up wasting money, or way worse, harming ourselves.

I know, some of you think I’m being ridiculous and am making a big deal out of nothing. Is all of this deception really dangerous?  Or at the end of the day, does it end up not mattering?  I think it does matter.  Maybe if you’re in good shape, splurging at Taco Bell on a Fresco Burrito won’t have much of an impact.  But what if someone’s doctor told them they seriously need to get in shape to improve their health? What if that same person got home, sat on the couch, turned on the TV, and watched this ad?  What if that person then changed their daily lunch choice to the menu in the commercial?  What if that person’s doctor was right, and this person’s unhealthy eating habits posed serious threats to their well-being?  All of a sudden, it’s a big deal.

But the big deal isn’t Taco Bell.  Ultimately, you can’t hold them responsible.  The big deal is that you and I make stupid decisions every day, all because we let someone else do our thinking for us, and influence the way we spend our time and our money. I know that ordering a taco is a small decision, but 5 or 6 small decisions a day make up the way we live our lives, and how we live matters.

Discovering the lies hidden in advertising simply scratches the surface when it comes to how we’re deceived.  But let’s spend some time in future posts looking at some other ads, and seriously considering the impact they have on you, your friends, and your world.

Have you been deceived?  Wait, let me try again…

How have you been deceived?