1. The Mind of Christ: I Corinthians 2:16: “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

Edward Bernays

We think up to 60,000 thoughts a day. The Internet exposes us to more diverse views, information, ideas, and connections than any generation in the history. “We are not in Kansas anymore.” When we write and speak to others, we are attempting to shape minds that have consumed more information, been influenced by more marketing, and subjected to more snippets of viral content than any individuals in history. So how do we make an impact?

When we speak to persuade and convince, it is important to understand how popular opinion is shaped. Speaking spiritually–reflecting the Mind of Christ (MOC) is, ultimately, the power of behind spiritual enlightenment or transformation. But knowing the competition is the first step.
Someone who studied and mastered the art of persuasion was Edward Bernays. His long life was spent studying, influencing and shaping public opinion. Interestingly, his ideas evolved from those of earlier social psychologists and the work of his uncle, Sigmund Freud. 

2. Sins to the third or fourth generation, love to thousands of generations

“I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected–even children in the third and fourth generations.” New Living Translation
“According to epigenetics…our life experiences may be passed on to our children and our children’s children.” Let that sink in.

3. We give people too much information and our presentations can be too long.

TED talks are 18 minutes long. And yet people are capable of simultaneous change. Tony Robbins and others argue for immersive experiences. Here is the latest research on achieving simultaneous multiple changes.

4. The 1% has been a hot topic over the past year.

Here is another 1% statistic: Half of the world’s population lives on 1% of the 

land. How strategic are our outreach programs? There is something to be said for scattering seed, but planting is more focused and produces measurable results. Studies show people clustering more. What can we learn from this? 

via metrocosm.com

5. Does money buy happiness? 

Studies show that a certain amount of income (around $75,000 in the US) brings a measure of happiness. But beyond that, the satisfaction curve levels off. Here’s the challenge with having more money: “Researchers argue that because wealth allows people to experience the best that life has to offer, it ultimately undermines their ability to savor life’s little pleasures.” 

6. Do we understand the culture enough to create language for it? Narraphors for this Youniverse anyone? (Sweet-isms)

7. Unlearning is as important (or more important) than learning.

Easy to write or say, but more difficult to do. It takes about 60 days to form a new habit. How much information do we dispense without observing (modeling and measuring) if any change is taking place?