Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
October 27, 2026
Spiritual Psychologist Dr. Bruce Davis: Love More, Not Give Up Everything
TLDR
- Dr. Bruce Davis offers retreats and a book to help high achievers refocus on love for deeper fulfillment.
- Davis teaches that prioritizing love over material pursuits transforms life by reducing the hold of worldly desires.
- Davis's work encourages prioritizing love to create a more fulfilling and compassionate world.
- St. Francis renounced wealth for love, and Dr. Davis explains how that choice brought lasting joy.
Impact - Why it Matters
In a world increasingly dominated by materialism and the relentless pursuit of success, Dr. Bruce Davis's message offers a countercultural perspective that resonates deeply. His call to prioritize love over possessions challenges the prevailing narrative that happiness comes from external achievements. By drawing on the example of St. Francis, Davis provides a timeless model for finding fulfillment through inner transformation rather than external acquisition. This news matters because it reminds us that true contentment is not found in what we own but in the love we cultivate. In an era marked by rising rates of anxiety, burnout, and loneliness, Davis's insights encourage a shift toward deeper connection and spiritual well-being, which can lead to more meaningful and satisfying lives.
Summary
In a culture that often equates success with wealth, possessions, and achievement, spiritual psychologist Dr. Bruce Davis, Ph.D., believes we have lost sight of what makes life truly fulfilling: love. Davis, an international retreat guide at both Silent Stay Retreats in Montecito, CA and Assisi Retreats in Assisi, Italy, and a nine-time author, draws inspiration from St. Francis of Assisi, who famously renounced his wealth and privilege in pursuit of a deeper connection with life. Davis's book, The Love Letters of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi, explores the saints' enduring messages of love, simplicity, and inner peace.
Davis argues that people often chase material comforts to distract themselves from a deeper sense of emptiness. "Most of us spend our lives running from this love, keeping ourselves busy in pursuit of the small pleasures and comforts of this world," he says. "We use them to numb and distract ourselves from the uncomfortable feeling that something essential is missing." However, Davis emphasizes that the answer isn't necessarily to give up possessions or worldly comforts; it's to make more room for love. "Do not focus so much on what you think you should give up. Love more instead!" he advises. "Giving up everything is no guarantee of finding the soul. Instead, love first, second, and third." When we discover that deeper love, as Francis did, the things of this world inevitably begin to lose their hold on us, and we find less need to chase material pleasures and a growing desire to live for love and love alone.
Davis holds a doctorate from Saybrook University and has guided retreats worldwide since 1983. His 1977 book, "The Magical Child Within You," was one of the earliest books devoted to nurturing the inner child. Bruce and his wife, Ruth, later lived for 12 years in Assisi, Italy, where they founded the Assisi Retreat Center, ranked among the top 10 meditation retreats in the world by CNN and Travel & Leisure magazine. For more information, visit SilentStay.com and AssisiRetreats.org.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content distributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, Spiritual Psychologist Dr. Bruce Davis: Love More, Not Give Up Everything
