Meet Richard London
Richard London endured nine surgeries following a life changing automobile accident when he was 19. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2003, and two years later was told that he had Parkinson’s disease. Richard has not let any of these challenges dampen his enthusiasm for life or his commitment to making a difference in the world.
He’s an accomplished businessman, entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker who travels the US and Canada inspiring others to enjoy every day and overcome obstacles in their lives.
He leads by example — he is a third degree black belt, has his commercial pilot’s license and recently began scuba diving. Most importantly he cherishes his relationships with everyone he comes in contact with, and it shows.
Check out Richard’s Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/AHandbookForLife.
Check out Richard’s website here:http://www.ahandbookforlife.com
A Sample of Richard’s Writing
An excerpt from
A Handbook for Happiness
by
Richard London
What is Happiness?
In my opinion, happiness is an attitude. You can choose to be happy in any situation. I believe that you can adopt a general philosophy of happiness in your life.
Abraham Lincoln endured several crushing blows in his life including the death of his mother when he was nine, being foreclosed on by the sheriff, and more. President Lincoln said, “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Helen Keller had plenty of reasons to be bitter about life. She said, “Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.”
The influential Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy that makes happiness.”
Your Gratitude List
You might have heard the philosophy, “Happiness is not what happens to you. It’s how you react to what happens to you.” Happiness is a decision. What can you do to help yourself be happy in the face of life’s pressures and challenges? One tool is a gratitude list. Have you ever made one? Do you know how to?
A gratitude list is a list of all the things that you can think of that you are grateful for in your life. The items on your gratitude list can include your health, loved ones, your home, your job, or even the fact that you had one good meal today.
I find it helpful to remember that there is always someone worse off than me and someone better off than me.
Why don’t you take ten minutes right now and write down all of the things you have to be thankful for in your life? I think you’ll be amazed at how a little thing like making a list can fill you with an attitude of thankfulness.
Once you make your gratitude list read it out loud at least once a day. Update it often to keep the feelings fresh.
What Richard says about WordPlay
“In 2001 I decided to put my life experiences and philosophies into words. I wrote the rough draft of a book, but didn’t follow through with it and filed it away. Several years later I started reworking the book on my own, but made no real progress.
In 2009 I attended a writing clinic that Maureen Ryan Griffin was conducting. I had known Maureen for years as my wife’s writing mentor and was always impressed with how involved she became with her students’ goals and dreams. Shortly after attending the writing clinic I asked Maureen if she would be willing to edit my first book. Her sincere involvement in my writing mission have helped me craft A Handbook for Life: A Practical Guide to Success and Happiness and get it published.
Maureen’s guidance and suggestions during the editing process of my book were invaluable. When I first asked her to edit the book I knew she had the experience to help me. What I didn’t know was how involved she would become in the meaning and vision behind my story. The more I work with her the more I see that she is a true friend and champion to all of her students.
Maureen and I remain friends to this day.”