I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in America. I have a wife that is just as dumbfounded by the Twilight hysteria as I am, and believes “The Dark Knight” is a far better movie. However it seems that there are millions of other women out there that have differing opinions.

So “New Moon” did it, it broke the pre-sale record and crushed “The Dark Knight” on opening day ($72 million compared to $67 million). However “The Dark Knight” still remains supreme for opening weekends, and had more staying power that “New Moon” will have.

So what we have now is “The Dark Knight” in between Star Wars prequels and a Twilight sequel for best opening days. What this says is that women go to the movies, and they go in droves together. Unfortunately the top grossing films that appeal to women is “Sex and the City” and the Twilight films. I don’t believe that all women love these films, but I believe a majority of women that are going to watch these films are lonely or hungry for love. They can escape into a fantasy with Edward on the big screen.

I have talked this obsession over with my wife and we both believe that the obsession over Twilight and Edward is quite ridiculous. The other fact that I find ridiculous is married women’s obsession with Edward. They are going to the Twilight films because, let’s face it, they “love” Edward. I think it’s hypocritical. I asked my wife if I was to go to a movie just because Sandra Bullock was in it, and I was completely infatuated with her, would it be ok. Of course the answer was no, but it seems to be ok in the case of Edward in the Twilight series.

Men you are just as guilty. Let’s be honest, you didn’t go to see Transformers II because it was a great movie. (There was a certain actress that all the men wanted to see)

Let’s admit it. We American’s can be pretty stupid at times. I will go as far to say that the phrase “#1 Film in America” should never be used again. With Transformers II, Sex and The City, Twilight, etc. claiming those titles it really has undervalued that phrase. We are all a bunch of American idiots sometimes. That is the only reason you can explain that “New Moon” has the best opening day and “Two and a Half Men” get 18 million viewers every Monday.

I posted this 4 months ago, but I think it bears repeating. We are living in exponential times. . .

A year ago the industry I am in was talking about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). A year later we are fighting the media which is bashing our industry because of the current state of the economy. It seems that CSR has taken a back seat, but it hasn’t. I believe now more than ever CSR will be at the forefront of the Meetings, Events, and Travel Industries. As Tim Sanders said last year at MeetDifferent in Houston, Texas, there is a business revolution coming. Whether you are a strong environmentalist or not, it is coming.  When this storm in our current economy passes, the CSR Revolution will be there staring us in the face.

We live in a Capitalist society and a Capitalist Economy is one of the best motivations in the world. You either make yourself marketable, you make customers want to do business with you, or you fail. We saw this coming on strong about a year ago with Corporate Social Responsibility. Going green will be one of the most important business tools right now and in the future.

I am a Capitalist and I believe the way to make change is through our system. I have seen hotels, convention centers, airlines, meeting supply companies, etc. make a change to green. They didn’t make the change to green because of the government, they made the change because they need to be green to be marketable. The companies that will survive are those that can make the change and put Corporate Social Responsibility at the top of their list.

The generation currently entering the workforce and those that follow value Corporate Social Responsibility. Take Apple, Inc. for example. One of the main marketing points for their new laptop is that it is the “greenest” computer on the market. Apple knows it has to be green to make money. The Meetings and Events industry realized that it needs to be green to thrive and to grow.

If you want to still be in business 10 years from now, it is time you start thinking about going green. As I stated earlier, the CSR Revolution will still be there when the recession is over. I do not care if you are an environmentalist, capitalist, or if you believe in manmade Global Warming or not, CSR will still be there. The change starts with you. I am excited to see the new innovations that will come to produce cleaner more efficient energy. I am excited to see innovations that will clean our air and I am excited that I will be able to walk through L.A. on a summer day without SMOG. “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow, shinning at the end of everyday.” (Carousel of Progress, Disneyland and Walt Disney World).

Find out more about Tim Sanders at http://www.timsanders.com/

Find out more about CSR and the Meetings and Events Industry http://www.mpiweb.org/cms/mpiweb/mpicontent.aspx?id=11458

Lately we have been seeing a lot of changes in the world around us. Most of the changes that we have been experiencing are completely unexpected. Some of the unexpected changes has left many people jobless.

The unexpected changes that are occurring today are leaving a lot of people feeling like they have “failed.” Are you really a failure? In Batman Begins Thomas Wayne tells young Bruce Wayne, “Why do we fall? To learn to pick ourselves up.” I think that falling down is a necessary evil to get to success. Walt Disney had many “failures” or set-backs before he was successful and became a household name. Hank Aaron struck-out may times on his way to breaking the Babe’s record. Apple had set-backs before iPod, iMac, OS X and its current success. Do we find the perfect career path without set-backs or even firings/layoffs?

We need to change the definition of “failure.” When we fall down or find ourselves in a valley, that does not mean that we are to loose hope. When silver is being refined the temperature is raised at every step during the process until the refiner can see his reflection like a mirror. Can we learn to embrace “failures” and see them as necessary steps in the process towards success? Napoleon Hill once said: “Failure seems to be nature’s plan for preparing us for great responsibilities.”

“Failure is good. It's fertilizer. Everything I've learned about coaching, I've learned from making mistakes.” -- Rick Patino

Part one of “Hopes, Expectations, a New Direction” was written on Inauguration Day. That day is probably the most non-partisan day of the year. It’s a day when everyone celebrates our republic and celebrates our political process. Now we have come to the second day of a Presidency. The non-partisan talk has been put aside.

For those who have known me for a long time you know that I have always been interested in politics and you have known where I have stood on many issues. For those who know me, you know that my faith is a big part of my life.

Every four years we come to a wonderful tradition in America called the General Election. For the past decade I come to a point in the voting booth where I find myself pausing and rethinking my vote. The reason is very complicated. Mainly because of social issues. For those who believe in God the same issue should probably face you too.

There is a conflict that stirs every four years in me. A lot of that has to do with the attitude of the church as I was growing up. As a kid, you learn that the only way to vote is a certain way. If you do not vote a certain way then people question your faith. This weekend at church, our pastor said that he had heard a statistic that 40% of America wants President Obama to fail and he went on to say that he hopes that that statistic is not true. Why would we want the leader of our nation to fail? I disagree with some of his policies, I agree with others. I disagreed with some of Bush’s policies, and agreed with some. We should never wish our President to be a failure.

A man said on the radio the other day that people had sold out their faith and their country by voting for President Obama. That comment nearly made me sick at my stomach. I am sick an tired of people using their faith as a political tool. I am sick and tired of politicians using faith to get elected. You believe in God, then show us by the way you lead not your rhetoric. I’m tired of people leading us that are not authentic. “Nothing is more transparent than inauthentic expressions of faith. . . some politicians come and clap -- off rhythm -- to the choir. We don't need that.” (President Obama).

“So we all have some work to do here. But I a  m hopeful that we can bridge the gaps that exist and overcome the prejudices each of us bring to this debate. And I have faith that millions of believing Americans want that to happen. No matter how religious they may or may not be, people are tired of seeing faith used as a tool of attack. They don't want faith used to belittle or to divide. They're tired of hearing folks deliver more screed than sermon. Because in the end, that's not how they think about faith in their own lives.” (President Obama).

On the night of the election I could not help but feel a since of pride when the results came in. No matter what your political affiliation or who you voted for, a mile stone had been hit in the United States of America. America had elected its first African American President. A dream that had been fulfilled only a handful of decades after Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. I have believed that we had hit that point outside of politics, but the election of Obama proved that we had hit that bench mark.

Almost a year ago I was at the MPI MeetDifferent Conference in Houston, Texas. It was February and here we are talking about Meeting Different. Here our industry was talking about breaking the mold and changing the world at work. Almost a foretelling of things to come in 2008 and 2009.

While I was at the conference I had a conversation with two dear friends from the Tennessee Chapter of MPI. We talked about how my generation and younger generations see the world. We do not really look at someone and think about their color, we look at someone and see a person. The cultural melting pot has always been part of our life. Now, the future generations, will never know a world where we do not have an African American president.

I am not saying that there are not people in my generation or younger generations that do not feel feel or promote racial tension. There are many places in our country that still teach hate, they do not accept the differences and the creativity of a wonderful God.

Today our nation has something to celebrate. We have elected the first African American President, we have a peaceful exchange of power. We can have 1.8 million people gather on the National Mall in peace. I celebrate with America for that fact. I pray for the success of President Obama and I pray for his family. I thank former President Bush for his service. I cannot imagine leading a country under the circumstances he faced. I cannot imagine taking on the responsibility of president during these times either. No one should want President Obama to fail. We need him to be a successful President. He is my President, I will stand with him when I agree with him and I will disagree with him when I believe differently. We are Americans, not Democrats or Republicans.

I think that we all know someone who is jobless or who has lost their job, especially in this economy. Some of those people who have lost their jobs get right back on track while others stay down with their spirits broken. When an individual stays down and goes without a job for a long amount of time there is usually an underlying issue. Yes, even during this difficult time in our economy.

That underlying issue is our spirit or attitude. Our spirit and attitude make a huge difference in our relationships, careers and life. We have to be careful in watching all the areas in our lives when a painful event knocks us off course. If we pay too much attention to that one area all of the areas of our lives begin to suffer.
I know from personal experience that when a door closes in your career another one opens. When you fall down you have to learn to pick yourself up.

Here are some tips that may help if you find yourself jobless and with a broken spirit:

- Now is a good time for you to start a workout routine. Go for a long walk or run. Ollie Johnston, one of Walt Disney’s top animators, used to walk to spark creativity. This will help you also get anger out and increase your creativity. Take time to enjoy the simple things.

- Volunteer your time. You will be making a positive impact and you will making a difference. It will do wonders for your attitude.

- Stop watching the TV and don’t spend so much time on the computer. Begin reading inspirational material for an hour or more each day. Too much TV and internet will do nothing but depress you and keep you from getting out of your slump.

- Invest in your personal relationships. If there is ever a time you need the support of those around you it is now. You never know who may be looking for a great employee like you.

- Get a job. It may not be your dream job or the next big step in your career, but it will get you moving in a positive direction while you are searching. Today I looked on a career site and they listed 1,643 jobs in the Nashville area. So if the statistic is true that only 12% of what’s available is listed, that means there is about 13,600 jobs in the Nashville area.

- Use the tools that you have. Use MPI’s job bank, use your MPI Network. There are so many opportunities out there. Do not limit yourself.

Only you are ultimately responsible for your life. Charles Swindoll said it best, “I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.”