Richard G. Riccardi

For those who prefer to think rather than be told, weekly messages crafted to spur thought, broaden perspective, and foster growth.

Be prepared to reexamine your views on subjects like hypocrisy, generosity, fear, forgiveness, sex, faith, and any other area warranting sincere reflection.

Join the list:

Susan O’Brien
    Susan O’Brien

    Founder, Hail Merry

    I encourage everyone to read Richard's purposeful words. His writing reminds me of Ekhart Tolle. Richard is becoming his own master of contemporary contemplation.

    Chi Nguyen
      Chi Nguyen

      Founder, Purpose Tea

      There have been so many times Richard's words...have gotten me through the toughest days along this entrepreneurial journey. If you're looking for weekly inspiration, sign up for 52 Steps Forward. You'll thank me later!

      Robb Ziegler
        Robb Ziegler

        Founder, curiate

        Richard crafts a rare combination of gentle, purposeful, meaningful, and incisive thought within each of these pages. I'm left not only with different ways of looking at things, but with means to be a better me.

        William Bigelow
          William Bigelow

          COO, Blount Fine Foods

          Richard’s subject matter and writing style are the perfect combination to provoke and inspire new ways of thinking. I encourage you to read 52 Steps Forward so you can become similarly inspired.

          Recent Posts

          With a Little Help from My Friends

          Their Part The lyrics from a 1967 Beatles song remain true today, “Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends.”   We are born with less knowledge than a turtle that intuitively knows to crawl out of its sandy nest and use moonlight to find its ocean home.  Someone taught us everything we know; your mother had to

          Read More »

          Be Careful with Your Tribe

          Magnetism and Metamorphosis Our moms told us not to hang out with troublemakers because she feared us becoming one.  My dad told me, “If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.” Noted author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn stated, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.“ We naturally gravitate to

          Read More »

          Yes, Even When I Have Been the SOB

          Me? You may expect the person you need to forgive most is the parent who misshaped you during your formative years or the school bully who gave you wedgies and an inferiority complex.  Yes, you need to forgive them, but you need self-forgiveness, as an absence impedes the pursuit of a fulfilling life.     Please note the use of “have been”

          Read More »

          Yes, Even the SOB

          No Way! You often hear, “I will not forgive her until she apologizes.”  When we make forgiveness contingent on the offender expressing remorse, offering an apology, and making amends, we do not appreciate the purpose of forgiveness or the consequences of unforgiveness. The forgiver is forgiveness’s first beneficiary.  The act of forgiving releases the wounded from the emotional burden inevitably

          Read More »

          With Us or Against Us?

          Don’t Throw the Baby out with the Bathwater It seems like we must answer every issue with a binary choice: yes or no.  The all-or-nothing standard leads us to believe that disagreement over part is disagreement over the whole, leading to unnecessary alienation.   You either approve of the political party’s entire platform or are labeled a RINO (Republican in name

          Read More »

          Father Time’s Reality Check

          For my 60th birthday last year, I wrote the typical, funny, “I can’t believe I’m here” stories about reaching a milestone birthday.  Some harsh reality set in in the past twelve months, but it also validated last year’s message.  Reality Sets In Rather than hearing I looked too good to be 60, I endured abundant episodes indicating my appearance was

          Read More »