Osteen's ways to 'Become A Better You'

By: Jeremy Desel/ 11 News


Deep breath moments seem to be few and far between these days for Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen.

Even when there is a break, he is on the phone.

But given the time to reflect?

"I just try to take the pressure off and say this is the best that I have to offer and hopefully people will respond to it,” said Osteen.

Respond they have.

His first book, “Your Best Life Now," was a bestseller for two years. The next hits stores Monday.

"It's exciting. I told my kids and said this is going to be one of the biggest weeks of my life,” said Osteen. “I looked at the schedule and all that is going on. It is just amazing. I can't believe it is here."

“Become a Better You,” is essentially a collection of thoughts from Pastor Osteen's messages over the last three years.
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Read an excerpt from 'Become a Better You'

A collection of familiar themes.

Questions like, "Who told you something was wrong with you?"

And statements, "Other people do not determine your potential."

Potential is not something Osteen lacks, but attempting to follow that success is a challenge.

"You know, it was difficult. I felt a little bit of the pressure. Especially when the offers started coming in and when they told me how many (books) they were going to print."

The bar is high.

Most books have an initial press run of 150,000 copies.

This one has 3 million.

One of the largest from any publisher this year. But pressure is something Osteen is used to.

Jeremy Desel: It there a burden attached to all of this?

Osteen: “I don't think that would be a burden. But I think that I feel the responsibility of the influence that God has given us. You know it makes you think twice about what you are going to say. Preparing your messages knowing that some people are making life decisions over this."

No pressure there.

But one reason Joel is sitting down with 60 minutes Sunday.

But Osteen has plenty of critics too.

Those who say his message is simply Christian light.

"It doesn't really bother me,” said Osteen. “I guess in one sense, it does just being real, but I really don't dwell on it very much because I believe that I am doing what I'm supposed to do.”

And people are listening. Three sold out events at New York's Madison Square Garden next week prove that.

"People are hungry. And that goes back to some of the criticism. But if you touch people something is working and I feel like we are making a difference,” said Osteen.