Everyone Should Read at Least One Richard Bach Book in an Afternoon — My Top 2

Stories to empower and inspire greatness

There is a beauty that comes from reading a life-changing message wrapped up in a magical story — all the better when you can read it all in an afternoon.

Richard Bach has managed this rare feat in both of his 1970s best sellers: Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah.

Both books have been timeless masterpieces in the personal development field.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Page Count: 112 Rating on Goodreads: 3.85

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a young gull who doesn’t fit in with his Flock. While other birds are only surviving, Jonathan has a love for flying.

Jonathan experiments and pushes his boundaries. He flies faster and higher than the other seagulls. But his parents put pressure on him to conform to how Flock behaves.

After crashing hard one day during a practice session, Jonathan gave up hope of seeing how far he could extend himself when flying.

However, after an epiphany, by flying on only his wingtips, he exceeded a speed of over 200 miles per hour!

This was unheard of and he was excited to return to the Flock and share his teachings

But to his shock, instead of his achievement being celebrated, he was ridiculed and forced to be an outcast.

A pair of luminous seagulls visit Jonathan while living alone and continuing to hone his flying craft. They invite Jonathan to join their Flock.

They take Jonathan to what seems like a new realm. He studies flying under an elder gull called Chiang. Who teaches Jonathan not only about flying but about himself. Jonathan learns his true nature is infinite. It’s beyond time and space. That the basis of all flying is love.

Jonathan returns to earth and finds several young gulls that had been made outcasts from his old Flock. He teaches them how to fly beyond what they thought was possible and who they are in their nature.

Jonathan returns to his old flock with his students. He displays his newly found skills and shares his insights.

Fletcher, Jonathan’s senior student, avoids a near-death experience and transcends to a new plane of consciousness. When Jonathon brings him back to the earthly plane, the Flock considers Jonathan the devil.

Jonathan moves back to the other realm to teach other gulls. Fletcher stays on earth to preserve and expand the teachings for other outcasts.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

• “Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look at your understanding. Find out what you already know and you will see the way to fly.”
• “You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way.”
• “You don’t love hatred and evil, of course. You have to practice and see the real gull, the good in every one of them, and help them see it in themselves. That’s what I mean by love.”
• “Jonathan sighed. The price of being misunderstood, he thought. They call you the devil or they call you god.”

Why you should read it

This read provides a shift in perception if you feel you don’t fit in with societal norms.

The story will empower you with the courage to make those decisions that, while not popular, will lead to being true to your heart’s desire.

Ultimately, if you follow this path, you will find those that resonate with you. But this will not happen until you take the first step.

Illusions The adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

Page Count: 144 Rating on Goodreads: 4.5

This semi-autobiographical story from Richard Bach is about two barnstorming pilots in a field in the Midwest of America. They enter into a teacher-student relationship.

The teacher, Donald Shimoda, is a messiah who becomes disheartened with people’s preoccupation with miracles, rather than the underlying nature of reality.

He meets Richard, who also provides short flights in vintage biplanes to passengers from farmers’ fields.

Before one flight, Richard is present too. Shimoda explains to a girl that is scared of flying that the fear comes from a traumatic experience in a past life.

This comment intrigues Richard. Shimoda passes on to Richard’s teachings from the Messiah’s Handbook. The page numbers aren’t numbered. The reader has to hold a question in their mind and when opening the book, it will provide the answer.

Shimoda goes on to say that this can be done with any book!

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

• “Your conscience is the measure of the honesty of your selfishness. Listen to it carefully.”
• “I do not exist to impress the world. I exist to live my life in a way that will make me happy. ”
• “Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself.”
• “You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. Don’t turn away from possible futures before you’re certain you don’t have anything to learn from them.
• You’re always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past.”

Why you should read it

Seeing beyond what you see with your eyes can be a test of faith. But not faith in something outside of yourself.

It’s trusting your intuition. Know that you possess all the knowledge that you need. Believe and trust in yourself.

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