Q&A with Ricardo Santa Cruz

  

Photo by Mary Sasso

 

 

Ricardo Santa Cruz is the author of the new children's picture book The Boy and His Higher Self. He also has written the picture book My First Day of School. He is an entrepreneur, and he lives in Xala, Mexico.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Boy and His Higher Self?

 

A: Honestly, I never set out to write a children’s book. This story came to life in the most unexpected way. My mentor at the time had given me an open-ended writing exercise — no rules, no format, just an invitation to explore and get to know my true self more deeply.

 

One evening, I sat down, and the words simply poured out of me. Thirty minutes later, the book was written. It wasn’t planned or plotted — it was felt. Looking back, I believe it came through me rather than from me.

 

That experience alone taught me something profound: when you’re connected to your higher self, creativity flows in ways you never imagined possible.

 

Q: What do you think Yuko Kondo’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: Yuko’s illustrations are nothing short of magical. The higher self is an abstract, deeply personal concept — even adults struggle to grasp it. What Yuko managed to do was give it a face, a warmth, and a presence that children can immediately feel and relate to.

 

His art doesn’t just decorate the story — it completes it. When a child looks at those pages, they don’t need to intellectually understand what the higher self is. They feel it. And that feeling is everything.

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between the boy and his higher self?

 

A: It mirrors what most of us experience in real life. In the beginning, the boy feels alone — disconnected from something he can’t quite name but somehow senses is there. That quiet inner voice feels distant, even foreign.

 

But as he begins to slow down, listen, and tune inward, he discovers something remarkable: his higher self was never gone. It had been with him all along, patiently waiting.

 

That relationship becomes the ultimate friendship — one built on trust, guidance, and unconditional care. The higher self isn’t a judge or a critic. It’s the wisest, most loving part of who we are, always pointing us toward our best path.

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?

 

A: I want every child who reads this book to walk away knowing one simple but life-changing truth: that voice inside of you is real. Don’t ignore it. Don’t let the noise of the world drown it out. Nurture it. Pay attention to it every single day.

 

Because no matter how lost or alone you might feel at any point in your life, your higher self is always there — always in your corner, always guiding you home. You are never truly alone. If children can hold onto that truth, it will serve them for the rest of their lives.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m putting the finishing touches on my first adult book, and I’m genuinely excited and a little vulnerable about it. It’s a deeply personal story about reaching what the world would call the pinnacle of success — and realizing it wasn’t enough.

 

At the height of my career, I had built companies, developed world-class real estate projects, and achieved financial freedom. And yet something was profoundly missing. Through years of inner work, I came to understand that my life had been running on an invisible program — beliefs, patterns, and conditioning I had never chosen consciously.

 

The book is about the journey of seeing that program clearly for the first time, breaking free from it, and discovering what real fulfillment actually feels like. It’s the book I wish someone had handed me earlier on in my life.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: For most of my life, I defined myself by my achievements. I built a healthcare company at 25, pivoted into luxury real estate development, and poured everything I had into building things of significance.

 

But in chasing success, I lost touch with the most important thing — myself. It took years of dedicated inner work with a mentor I deeply trust to find my way back.

 

Writing these children’s books has been both joyful and meaningful. I believe that the messages in these stories — about self-worth, inner guidance, and knowing you are never alone — are things every child needs to hear.

 

And what makes this even more special is that every single dollar from the sale of these books goes directly to charity, supporting programs that help underprivileged children build self-esteem, confidence, and a strong sense of who they are.

 

Success taught me a lot. But coming home to myself taught me everything.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was prepared in collaboration with Ricardo Santa Cruz. Readers who follow along on this virtual book tour will have the chance to win one of three book sets, each featuring both The Boy and His Higher Self and My First Day of School.