One hundred years ago today, so many things were happening back then:

• The first aerial photograph was taken in the U.S. (it was of San Diego).
• 1st shipboard landing of a plane ( Tanforan Park to USS Pennsylvania).
• 1st old-age home opened in Prescott, Ariz.
• US sent 20,000 troops to Mexican border.
• 1st International Woman's Day.
• NY Giant Fred Merkle is 1st to get 6 RBIs in an inning (1st).
• 1st Indianapolis 500 auto race is run.
• Tabulating Computing Recording Corporation ( IBM) is incorporated.
• King George V of England crowned.
• Ty Cobb hits in his 40th straight game. Does not get a hit next day.
• Mona Lisa stolen from Louvre (Recovered in 1913).
• Marie Curie receives her 2nd Nobel Prize.

And in 1906 (just over 100 years ago):

• The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
• There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
• The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
• The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!
• Two out of every 10 U.S. adults could not read or write.
• Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
• Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then the pharmacist said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health."

So much happened back then, and so much MORE has happened since then. And while is seems like a lot, how much (really) is 100 years? The truth of the matter is, in 100 years everyone you know and very likely yourself – will be dead. While our history is important, it is equally important (perhaps even more so) that we do not lose touch with the here and NOW. Keep perspective of the important things. If you are a parent, you know the hardest job in all the world (and it’s not your 9-5!). 100 years from now, even if your name is on a list much like you see above, will it really matter to those reading it? Our children are our legacy… they need to understand that, and be given the tools to carry it with pride and honor.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard

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Sabotage; if you look it up in a thesaurus, you’ll find: attack, block, bollix, break up, cripple, deep six, destroy, disable, disrupt, do in, foul up, frustrate, hamper, hinder, louse up, mess up, obstruct, put out of action, put out of commission, screw up, subvert, take out, throw a monkey wrench into, torpedo, undermine, vandalize, and wreck

As bad as that looks, sabotage is much much worse when you attach “self” to the front of it. Self-sabotage is as common the air we breathe. If you’ve never been the victim of self-sabotage, then you are in a huge amount of denial.

Our self-sabotage hides deep within our shadow, and like the infamous Mr. Hyde, bringing ruin to Dr. Jeykll, our personal Mr. Hyde will do anything to screw us over.

How do you kill your Mr. Hyde? The same way you overcome any problem; plan for it. When you are working on your goals never ever try to succeed without planning for the obstacles, and your personal Mr. Hyde is the biggest obstacle you have!

First you have to acknowledge and accept that your shadow exists. Become aware of your projections (often this is your Mr. Hyde aching to escape). Once you recognize this you can better plan for it. If you are on a diet, and you know your personal Mr. Hyde loves chocolate, then you can PLAN to stay away from the candy aisle when you are shopping. Oh, your Mr. Hyde will probably still find a way to get the better of you, but if you plan, he will be far less, and you’ll be much more likely to overcome him in the end.

It’s when we have no knowledge of our personal Mr. Hyde that trouble really starts. When it comes to violent crime, I wonder how many people would be of the opinion; “I just didn’t know I had it in me”, since many crimes are crimes of passion. Also, a larger number of violent crimes are being committed by children.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard

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I remember an old riddle: “My circle circles your circle; ever flying never free – what am I? The answer, of course, is the moon. The moon experiences different phases as it circles the Earth. The Earth experiences different seasons at it circles the Sun. And the Sun experiences changes when it circles around the center of the Galaxy (yes the Sun has its own orbit).

Regardless of the all the changes however everything tends to come back to where it started. While no full moon may be exactly alike, we can pretty much expect a full moon every month. While no spring is exactly alike, we have come to count on those warmer months to sow whatever “seeds” we need to sow. And while the sun spots may be different when the Sun is in different locations, we know the Sun will be active in those locations. So, why are we so surprised that events in our life seem to continue to happen?

We too – like the moon, the Earth, and the sun – cycle through life. Everything moves in such a pattern. Missed opportunities will come again; it just depends on how big their ‘orbit’ is. We should be aware and prepared for these events. At the very least we should not be totally surprised. Get to know your orbit… your circle of life... if you want to know where you’ve been and where you’re going.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard

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“You do not exist to impress the world. You exist to live your life in a way that will make you happy.” Richard Bach wrote this and it’s true. So many people angst over the question “why am I here?”, or “what is my life all about?”, thinking that they must leave a mark on the world… I’ll tell you right now, we cannot all be the first to walk on the moon.

No, the goal is to be happy, and God – like any loving mother and father – want us to be happy. If fact God has set it up so that we CAN be happy. The trick is God also gave us freedom of choice, and we make a lot of friggin bad choices.

We have to learn to get out of our own way. Happiness is a state of mind; it’s not only a reaction to events. But we get hung up on trying to find happiness outside of us. Eckhart Tolle writes in his wonderful book, “The Power of Now”, “… they are looking outside for scraps of pleasure or fulfillment, for validation, security, or love, while they have a treasure within that not only includes all those things but is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer.” The problem is we confuse the power of now with WANTING it right now. That’s not what Tolle is talking about.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard

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Failure: How many of us have that word tattooed behind our eyes. Everything we see ourselves doing equates to failure in some way shape or form, “I’m a failure”. Have you ever whispered those words to yourself, sitting alone in a dark room? Have you ever looked into someone elses eyes only to see your failures (and their disappointment) glaring back at you?

If you havn’t then you’re not human. We all experience failure, and I swear if you have not experienced failure, you are either still a child, or as protected as a child. To know failure is to know growth if you allow it.

One of the hardest things in life is living up to what you perceive to be someone else’s expectations. We see this often in the parent – child relationship; “I’m never good enough for you”, we hear all too often (and not always spoken by the child by the way). Yes, try as we might, not to judge or expect; we do. But here’s the deal … I like what Eleanor Roosevelt said ... “ No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

So be who you are meant to be. And to those that look at you in judgment or with the look of failed expectation in their eye, you simply have to reply as Shakespeare did; “Expectation is the root of all heartache.”, and that heartache truly belongs to those who have the expectations of you - not YOU.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard

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“Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart, and your story will touch and heal people's souls.” Melody Beattie, author of Codependent No More, wrote that, and it’s so true.

You might find these words strange coming from an expert on codependence, but I really must point out the semantics. Please note she said, “Share from your heart…” She did not say, “Love more than you love yourself”, nor did she say, “Give 100% of your love” and she didn’t say, “you have to give 50/50 to make any relationship work”.

No, Melody Beattie said, “Share from your heart...” That mean you are open with your love. If you give 100% of yourself what do you have left for yourself? And when you have nothing else to give what happens then? I’ve seen the results when that happens and it’s not pretty. To be honest, I’ve lived that part.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard

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“That which most concerns and worries you – your survival – it the only certainty you have”. Richard Bach wrote that and isn’t it lovely? It’s a great thought anyway, right? If you’ve read Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch, you would have read pretty much the same thing. Come to think of it, if you’ve read Nietzsche you would have read, “That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger”. And if you’ve read the Bible, the teachings of Jesus, and any number of other spiritual leaders, you would have read the same thing, over and over again.

So why is it that little bit of wisdom is so hard to deal with? We’ve all read the words, some of us even try our hardest to buy into them, but at the end of the day we get down on our knees and pray, “why me?” It’s because our ability to experience pain and suffering is always bigger than our ability to remember. We know the truth, but we forget it because our pain and suffering occupies our mind, our every breath sometimes.

Well, the best way to remember something is with repetition. So repeat after me – “the odds that I will survive are definitely in my favor!” – keep saying that until the pain subsides.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard

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They don’t need you forever. While our children will always be our children, they will not always be children. And trust me they grow up a lot sooner than we did. If 40 is the new 30, then it’s working the other way around on the younger side. Hopefully not by a full decade, but I’ll say it - 15 is the new 20.

When I say that I mean, today’s 15 year olds are experiencing as much life if not more than when I was 20. The young have forever tried to be older than they really are, and now I think they may have succeeded. So, what’s a parent to do? THEY think they are 20, but we parents know better! (or do we?)

As a parent we cannot give our minor children the autonomy they crave, it’s just not safe, not to mention probably against the law! That will not stop them craving it, and doing everything within their power to get it too.

There will be screaming!

So we give them some independence with boundaries and consequences if the boundaries are broken. The top consequence in most families today – the confiscation of electronics – that hits em here it hurts.

The thing we parents have to remember is that we too were doing the same thing in different ways when we were their age. The struggle for independence, when a teen, is age old; even my dad was a rebel without a cause. So it is with our teens. They will not give up the struggle for independence until they get it. And trust me they have far more energy than you do mom and dad. It’s our duty to make sure they grow up independent. The only way to do that is to give them the space to make their own mistakes, and to be close enough to help them pick up the pieces and let them know they are loved beyond any shadow of a doubt.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard

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While the computer and technological advances have reshaped the look and feel of this world, and has brought to us many many good things, some of it’s gifts are perhaps not all they are cracked up to be. One might even say they are an illusion.

Why would I say this, after all – were it not for these advances you’d probably not be reading this right now! Of course I am grateful to reach so many, so quickly, but I still have my concerns. I am a teacher of oneness and connection. We are all connected, we are all one. I mean this in a very spiritual way. This is not just an awareness of your own wholeness, but the connection and wholeness of everyone and everything around you.

The world is much smaller because of technology. In 1951, the Giants won the pennant with “the shot heard round the world”. Well, in 1951 no one "heard" that shot unless you were sitting in the stadium or listening to the radio. Today something like that would have a couple million hits on YouTube by the end of the week from everyone, literally, around the world.

Now we have all the various social websites, dating websites, shopping websites and work at home websites; no one really has to leave the house anymore. Our technology brings us together, but it’s a virtual togetherness… the illusion of being together. What is actually happening is a widening of the gap that is the individual. So while the human soul longs for togetherness… technology drives us apart.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard

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We live in a dualistic world; a world of hot and cold, dark and light, right and wrong. So it’s no surprise really that we have a choice in terms of our personal well being or success and that is, are we moving forward or are we moving backward? Those are really the only two choices we have; forward or backward. I know some of you will say that doing nothing, or staying in the same place is a third choice, but I challenge you to open your eyes and watch everything pass you by… the effect is that of moving backward as they pass by.

So, when faced with the decision to move, your actions are guided by either fear or faith. Fear is ego designed to keep you safe: you don’t take the promotion because you don’t really know the job, and you’ll end up looking the fool. Or you do the promotion because you have faith you can learn the job and bring much more to the table from your experience. While fear will protect you, it will keep you rooted where you are in most cases. Faith is an act of courage. Martin Luther King Jr. said; “ Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

Faith is far more than believing in something. Faith starts with belief, and grows into something deeper. My ancestors called this the Awen, or Knowing. We all have a personal awen… use it. Faith will always move us forward. Even if missteps happen we’re still moving forward, and at the end of the day it’s almost always better to be moving forward than moving backward.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard

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