Psychological Inheritance

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Russell V. Richard

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“What better measure of what you were doing here
Then what you can leave behind
All the children of your children’s children
Do you ever think what they’re going to find” Peter Gabriel

When we think of inheritance we often think of material possessions handed down from generation to generation. Varying degrees of inheritance exist from great windfalls of money to sentimental objects holding no monetary value. It is probably fair to say that many receive no form of inheritance…at least of monetary value.

But we all receive a psychological inheritance – the mental, emotional, and behavioral possessions of our family members and ancestors. Contrary to inheritance in the traditional sense, we begin receiving our psychological inheritance at birth, not death. We internalize these possessions throughout our formative years, mostly outside of awareness, and pass them on to later generations.

With enough exploration, various behavioral and relational patterns can be identified in any family, often through multiple generations. Patterns such as addiction, abuse, incarceration, divorce, poverty and tragic deaths are often described as generational curses…

…But what do we place in the category of generational blessings? Surely if our families curse us, they bless us as well. I believe family traditions, vacations, weekend visits and the funny peculiarities of certain family members are the aspects of family life that bless us. These are the stories of lineage that bring joy, laughter and warmth.

Just as we seek to avoid what plagues individual functioning, we do the same on the familial level. Yet, the negativity we seek to avoid often holds the blessings we seek to find. Carl Jung states, “There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own Soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”

Exploring inner darkness is not only a pathway to light but the mechanism by which the energies of darkness are harnessed and used for good if one so chooses. All that we consider darkness, evil or bad is just energy channeled in a particular way. It is all just energy; energy that possesses us or energy that we learn to control and use any way we choose.

We must have the courage to embrace what may be fearful, ugly or shameful and engage the necessary healing processes to break the curses of lineage. I believe all curses are blessings in disguise, calling us to take some action to bring light where there is darkness. What better legacy to leave behind. What better inheritance to pass on to the children of your children’s children.

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Living with Intention

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Russell V. Richard

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“I am reflecting upon the past year sourcing the wisdom it continues to bring, even in this late hour. I move toward the New Year with ambitious intentions for what I wish to manifest and how I wish to evolve. I am always amazed by all that happens in a year’s time and the growth that comes. Equally significant is the awareness of areas of growth requiring continued attention in the days ahead. I leave behind all that must be of 2012 and take with me all that will serve me. I welcome 2013 ready to work, grow, play, laugh, create, expand, serve, and most important of all, love genuinely and authentically.”

Those words were written in the quiet, reflective solitude of New Year’s Eve shortly before the stroke of midnight. Five months later I find myself in awe of what can occur within a few months.

This story about intention actually begins in June of last year. I reached a point in life where I was not where I wanted to be and not sure where I wanted to go. From that place I set a very simple intention for clarity.

The first step in this process was reconnecting with a group of friends actively involved in deep psycho-spiritual work. As the saying goes, “long story short”, I ended the year not only with clarity but momentum. In the initial days of the New Year I created a list of clear goals and intentions for 2013.

An important distinction exists between the two. I view intentions as desires one seeks to manifest without evidence or knowledge of how it will or can occur; a want with no identifiable means of achieving it. Goals, in contrast, are desires we pursue with the knowledge and means to achieve them. Having experienced the power of intention in years past and having moved from confusion to clarity within a relatively short period of time, I entered this year with many desires and few identifiable means of achieving them.

With newfound clarity and direction I began writing my first book and co-created another circle of support with a specific focus on professional endeavors. As May draws to a close, I am nearly half way through writing the initial draft of the book and have an outline for a second. Educational opportunities requiring travel and significant time and expense became possible. I built a spaceship and created this blog. The spaceship I refer to is my website. Not being very tech savvy and building the site myself, I imagine building a spaceship to be comparable; perhaps easier.

I welcomed 2013 ready to work, grow, play, laugh, create, expand, serve, and love. Not even half way through the year each of these intentions have manifested in profound ways.

It is quite amazing all that occurs in a year’s time. Even more amazing is what can occur when choosing to live with intention. After completing the third chapter of my book I had something of an epiphany. I began with a simple desire for clarity and arrived at a profound realization…

Live with intention, act with humility and genuine love, surrender self will to the will of the Highest Source and experience the miraculous.

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