Richard Rohr

Franciscan author and teacher, founder of the Center for Action & Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM.

Richard Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher whose work is grounded in Christian mysticism, practices of contemplation and self-emptying, and compassion for the marginalized. He is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, where he also serves as academic dean of the Living School for Action and Contemplation. The Center publishes his “Daily Meditations,” free reflections emailed to hundreds of thousands around the world. Fr. Richard is the author of many books, including the bestsellers Falling Upward, The Naked Now, and, most recently, The Divine Dance. His work has been featured on Oprah’s SuperSoul Sunday, Krista Tippett’s On Being, and in the New York Times.

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Falling Upward

A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

by Richard Rohr, OFM

Alexandra got this book for me after I told her how much I loved David Brooks’ The Second Mountain. Apparently it is recommended alongside that book on Amazon. With 1,400+ reviews, Alexandra thought I might like it. Not only did I like the book, I loved it. And, I fell in love with Richard Rohr. Father Rohr is a Franciscan priest who beautifully integrates his faith with wisdom from various perspectives. Big Ideas we explore include our main Job in life (remembering that we're light bulbs and staying screwed in!), life's two major tasks, the fact that the way UP is DOWN (hence, the title of the book: Falling Upward), the hero and the heroine and their journeys, the paradox of the ego ("You ironically need a very strong ego structure to let go of your ego"), and how to become a Serene Disciple (let God drive).

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We’re Only the Light Bulbs
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Our Job Is to Remain Screwed In!

Richard Rohr is one of my new favorite teachers. Alexandra got me his book called Falling Upward after I told her how much I loved David Brooks’ The Second Mountain. Apparently it’s recommended alongside that book on Amazon. With 1,400+ reviews, Alexandra thought I might like it. And, well, Y...

+1 inspired by Note: Falling Upward

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A Screwed-In Light Bulb

The other day I was out on the Trail doing my normal warm up. As I warmed up, I was reflecting on Richard Rohr’s GREAT book Falling Upward and this GREAT line within it: “As Desmond Tutu once told me on a recent trip to Cape Town, ‘We are only the light bulbs, Richard, and our job is ju...

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The Paradox of the Ego
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Ironically: We Need a Strong Ego to Let Go of Our Ego

Let’s spend another moment or three with Franciscan mystic-monk Richard Rohr. In Falling Upward, he integrates his Catholic faith with ancient myths and modern wisdom. His book is all about the “two halves of life” / “the two tasks of life.” (Note: David Brooks‘ “...

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How to Fall Upward
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Embrace “Necessary Suffering”

Let’s go back to Richard Rohr and his wisdom from Falling Upward. We haven’t talked about the title of the book yet. “Falling UPWARD.” Isn’t that odd? Don’t we usually fall DOWN? Yes. Except when we fall UP. 🤓 The primary thesis of the book is that life involves FAL...

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Legitimate Suffering
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Let’s Allow It and Stop Multiplying It

In our last +1, we talked about falling UPWARD and the fact that life will (hate to continue to break the news to you) involve suffering. I mentioned the phrase Richard Rohr uses to capture the power of this. He calls it “necessary suffering.” That’s actually a play on some Carl Jung wi...

+1 inspired by Note: Falling Upward

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Antifragility & Conquering Perfectionism

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How to Be a Perfect Person
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Hint: Embrace the Imperfections

As I typed out the title for this +1—”How to Be a Perfect Person”—I laughed. A perfect person? HAH!!! As we’ve discussed so many times, THERE ARE NO PERFECT PEOPLE. And, alas, (sigh), you and I won’t be the first. But… Good news. Richard Rohr tells us: “If there is...

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Meet My New Favorite Bird
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Can You Guess What It Is?

As we’ve discussed countless times, I start my days with at least a minute or three of journaling. These days it’s a super-quick sketch of our Optimize Virtue Compass then a quick trip through the Big 3 x 2 +1. So… The other day I sat down to begin my Deep Work session with the quick sketch of ...

+1 inspired by Note: Falling Upward

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Cardinals, Campbell, Rohr and You

In our last +1, we talked about my new favorite bird: the cardinal. I smile every time I see one these days—which is often—as I appreciate their beauty AND get a wonderful reminder of our four cardinal virtues. When I learned that the bird-cardinal was named after the Roman Catholic cardinals, I thou...

+1 inspired by Note: Falling Upward

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Richard Rohr

Franciscan author and teacher, founder of the Center for Action & Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM.

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The Paradox of the Ego
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How to Fall Upward
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Legitimate Suffering
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How to Be a Perfect Person
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Opening Hero Doors
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