Author: D. Paul Graham

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Taken …..

... while chasing fast cars around the track with my fast glass, sitting in the rain, enjoying some real poutine, and flying back to welcomed humidity here in the south, this morning’s M5T considers and questions things that we can take in our lives.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Contrails …..

Contrails became a metaphor of life for me; of where I have come from, of where I am today, and of where I am headed. This morning’s M5T is etched with questions I’ve asked myself from observing contrails.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Your Five …..

Jim Rohn was quoted to have said “you are the average of the five people you send the most time with.” I’ve always been fascinated by how the people in our lives, the relationships we have, and the choice of who we spend our time with will directly influence our decisions, our direction, and the quality of our life. This morning’s M5T considers our best Five people in our lives.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Of a Cross, a Tomb, and Hymns …..

Easter is once again here. I have found myself subtly humming, and not so subtly (translated – at the top of my lungs) singing some of my favorite hymns that have been a part of my life for these 60 years. This morning’s M5T shares some of those hymns and the stories behind them.

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“Monday 5 Things”™  ….. Clarity from Chaos …..

Messy. Confused. Cluttered. Sloppy. Disordered. Unruly. Hectic. Frenzied. If a word can sum up what is going on in the world right now, it’s chaotic. This morning's M5T looks at the reciprocal bonds of chaos, change, and constancy.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Double Dare Ya …..

Three words that never failed to get hearts pumping, adrenaline flowing, and the perceived fear of bodily harm or worse if any such challenge was accepted. This morning’s M5T leaves you with some double dares for life.

105 Years Young….

Retired Colonel Bill Wheeler celebrated his 105th birthday Friday at Wileys Championship BBQ.

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“Monday 5 Things”™  ….. More More’s…..

I had the track to myself as I stepped out of the elevator onto the roof of the grandstand. I took pause to appreciate the simplicity and beauty of the moment, to center my mind, and to thank God for such a gift as this.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Epic ….

Cleaning up some images in storage this last week took me down a long road of reminiscing over epic memories and moments that surpassed the usual or ordinary in my life. This morning’s M5T shares some epic moments that still feel larger than life.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Power Moves …..

We’ve all been confronted with the good, the bad and ugly of uses of power by others. We’ve all used the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of power for ourselves. This morning’s M5T considers Power Moves that enable us to live better, love better, and to simply be better, if only for ourselves first.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Tapestries …..

The beauty, the color, and the texture of a tapestry as seen from the front is juxtaposed by the back of a tapestry that looks disjointed, hectic, frayed, frantic and knotted. In a word, chaotic.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. A Man and His Dream …..

Martin Luther King, Jr., was only 39 years old when he was assassinated almost 55 years ago on the balcony outside of room 306 of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. King spent less than 13 years campaigning for civil rights and racial equality and was arrested 30 times for his work. This morning’s M5T shares some quotes from the man who had a dream.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. 5 D’s for a New Year …..

If you’ve read M5T over the years, you’ll know that I don’t believe in resolutions. Rather, I start each new year with 5 words that I will try to incorporate and internalize into my life for the year. So, with thanks for the inspiration from King João V, bats, and to you for taking the time to read these words, this morning’s M5T shares my 5 words for 2023.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Of Lists …..

With one week left in 2022, in between travel, family, friends, food, and libations, I have once again begun to make lists to start 2023. This morning’s M5T lists some of my lists. What and who is on yours?

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Novembers …..

Today M5T considers the wisdom that can only be garnered from the passage of time, from all the Novembers and the other months of each year, and a willingness to fully embrace and experience all that life unfolds for us each and every day.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Press On …..

As we start this week leading up to Thanksgiving, I have spent a lot of time being just that. Thankful. Thankful for so many and so much in my life and yet I have this sense of restlessness as the end of the year approaches. A restlessness that, I think, is a healthy state of state. A state of mind of pressing on. Pressing on to affirmative attitudes, constructive changes, elevated expectations, and fearless faith. And so, this morning’s M5T Presses On.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. 5 by 12 for 60 …..

So, it's the dawn of my sixth decade. I spent some time these past few weeks considering the most important things in my life. The people that I love. The work that I do. The ways in which I spend my time. This morning’s M5T, if you will bear with me, shares 60 snippets, personal perspectives on life if you would, all wrapped up in 5 Things.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Patience …..

And so, my fellow M5Ters, with an attitude of forbearance, this morning we consider the virtue of patience as October draws to a close and we head into November. And why is that damn car in front of me going so slow??? Don’t you know I have places to go, people to see, and things to get done???

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. If You Only…..

I recalled a coffee shop conversation that I had interloped on a few years ago, as one friend asked the other; ‘What would you do if you only had a month to live?’ I remembered a previous M5T missive that I had written. This morning’s M5T asks, “If You Only…..?”.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Of Ayn and John …..

The US government has taken over the economy, instituted heavy regulation and socialism, and the country is moving toward economic and social collapse. Hmmm. Sound familiar? Sixty-five years ago, on October 10th actually, Ayn Rand released her final and seminal book, “Atlas Shrugged”.

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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Oh Canada …..

I took a trip down memory lane in my car listening to the Canadian band ‘The Northern Pikes’. Fond memories flooded my mind of friends and places from that time in my life north of the 49th parallel. As Canada sits down for thanksgiving dinner today, or perhaps is still full of dinner from last night, this morning’s M5T gives homage to all things Canadian, all whilst wishing I had a sandwich with leftover turkey, mayo, and cranberry in hand.

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