BRUCE LICHT
FOUNDER OF MY ELEVATOR PITCH FOR GOD, ENTREPRENEUR, AND AUTHOR
Bruce grew up in Lafayette, California, and later received a B.A. in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles, as well as a Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America in Los Angeles. After graduating, Bruce operated his family’s century-old retail fine jewelry business for twenty-two years before selling his share of the company in 2001.
Bruce had a passion for computers and graphic arts, so he went into business with his friend at a national technical publishing company. He served as the company’s publisher for seventeen years. The company pioneered the modern labor law poster industry, including inventing the first “all-on-one labor law poster” and “labor law poster compliance plan” before Bruce and his partner sold the company in 2018.
In addition to being the founder of the website, My Elevator Pitch for God, Bruce was the co-editor of Elevator Pitches for God: Volume 1and author of the cookbook Immediate Chef: No Previous Experience Required.
Visitors to My Elevator Pitch for God(www.mepfg.com) can read many wonderful, inspirational, and thought-provoking one-page essays by thought leaders with the widest breadth of backgrounds and experiences from all around the world.
Bruce’s mission is to introduce more people to God and strengthen the faith of those who already believe. He aims to bring people together, find common ground between different faiths, create meaning in people’s lives, and start to move the world in a better direction.
You can help by sending this website to friends and family and posting it on social media!
You can also connect with the website project’s LinkedIn page by clicking the link below:
Longing for the Transcendental
BRUCE LICHT
Many human beings have an intense inner drive and desire to be “a level above.”(1) That is why so many people are willing to do such incredible feats like climb Mount Everest, run ultramarathons, walk across the Sahara Desert, swim the English Channel, cross the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat, or jump out of an airplane.
But why do people go to such great lengths and expense—whether through extreme feats or material accumulation—to have the longest boat, the fastest car, the biggest diamond, the most expansive mansion, or the best story to tell at the next social gathering? The actual reasons could vary. It could be for the sake of personal vanity, a desperate need to impress others, a desire to worship “false gods,” or just for the feeling of excitement of being “at the top.” In this “chase,” we usually end up misdirecting our hunger toward vanity, status, or idols that promise, but in the end rarely deliver, ultimate satisfaction.
Alternatively, many people have a different kind of yearning. They have a longing for transcendental pleasure—a true, lasting, spiritual pleasure that exceeds everyday physical experiences and the often empty material pursuits. Transcendental pleasure is often associated with spiritual practices or the feeling of having a connection with a higher power. Transcendental pleasure usually leads to a sense of deep joy and fulfillment beyond what is achievable through typical “surface” or “fleeting” pleasures.
If that is the case, then why are so many people afraid of, and actually shy away from, trying to connect and have a meaningful relationship with God? Is it because it will make them feel vulnerable, accountable, or stifle them?
Where is a good place to start unveiling the divine? The more that we are able to understand the intricacies and miracles of the human body, the strength and balance of nature, or the precision and impossible mathematical odds of our universe coming to be, the more we are able to begin to “see” our loving God, and the more we become astonished, drawn towards, and enamored with His greatness.
Begin by looking at God’s “love notes,” like a sunset, a newborn baby, or the eyeball. Look at your hands, feet, the power of speech, and more. The list is endless.
Every day, God gives you a morning, an afternoon, and an evening to enjoy. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner to eat. Water to drink and air to breathe. Why does God make such a serious investment in each and every one of us? Ask yourself: Did you pay for your ability to see? Did you pay for your capability to smell a rose or listen to music? The obvious answer is no. Every pleasure you have can be traced back to God as the source.
Moment by moment, recognize that God continually showers us with goodness. If you just look at one day of your life and all the unearned miracles that transpire, it should be easy to say, “Wow! Thank You, God!”