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The rain stopped and then held off for the two hours that we wandered through the “Illuminights Chinese Lantern” exhibit at the Atlanta Zoo. The upside of the poor weather was that we had the zoo almost to ourselves. With her birthday week being well celebrated and only two weeks to go until Christmas, the four-year-old we had in tow was already primed with excitement. As we rounded each corner, with no puddle left unsplashed and each lantern animal became bigger and better, her squeals of delight were infectious. Watching her alternating holding hands between her grand-ma-ma, mom, dad and auntie, as they skipped and meandered along the zoo’s pathways I began to reflect on the word delight. Somewhere around the glowing ladybug, the t-rex dinosaur and a large Canadian moose, this morning’s M5T took shape and reflects on finding delight as an adult.
Call them epiphanies, kismet, destiny, revelation, or providence. Moments that we've all had. Moments that awaken us. Moments that shake us into action. Moments of indecision. Moments that we chose to ignore. Moments that we treasure. Moments of elation. Moments of pride. Moments we don’t ever want to forget. Moments that we wish we could forget. Moments of revelation of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Moments of ignominy. Moments that we embrace. Today’s M5T shares some of my moments. What have some of your moments been?
Driving through the pouring rain in Atlanta this weekend, we listened to short Tim Ferris podcasts from his book ‘Tools of Titans’. Each segment focused on the routines and habits of successful men and women. It’s a book I haven’t read in some time and will pick it up again when I get home. The podcasts sparked thoughts on defining success in life. No matter how you personally define it, there are terms and conditions that will apply. Today M5T ruminates on the T&C’s of success.
Uncharacteristically sleeping in this weekend, I hadn’t felt this good in weeks, quite possibly months. Much needed rest has been well taken, literally and figuratively, cherished for the gift it is. A renewed focus of late on each ‘today’, resolute to not lose sight of what is right in front of me. To be fully engaged in the moment. Determined to take my thoughts and actions captive, decisive, relevant, and meaningful. M5T is focused on Today.
It was a day of ‘Much More’ as I suspect it was for most of you. Much more food. Much more wine. Much more love. Much more than last year during Covid. So very much more to be thankful for. We took a much-needed stroll on the quiet end of Tybee to avoid slipping into a post-turkey coma. Our last-minute decision to walk the beach was rewarded with a most stunning Thanksgiving sunset. As we slowly strolled along the sand avoiding gentle lapping waves, we were in quiet awe as the sun set into the horizon, the colors becoming more intense, more vibrant, and more spectacular with each passing minute. A crisp star filled November evening followed, and I found myself thinking about ‘Much More’ I would like in my life and thus, this morning’s M5T considers ‘Much More’.
Yesterday was an important anniversary for me. I quietly celebrated 522 weeks, 2,610 things, over 17,000 lines, and almost 217,000 words. Innumerable hours of thinking, countless cups of coffee, and copious amounts of wine, single malt scotch or bourbon have all been part of the process. The latter libations were consumed in the evenings, often trying to push through, climb over, or wander around writer’s block that I have experienced from time to time. Yesterday, Monday 5 Things marked its 10th year of publication.
So. Here we are again. It’s Monday morning… the start of a new week. What will today, and this week look like for you? Will it be the same old same old? Or will today be the start of something fresh and new? Did you hit the snooze button again… and again and again and again? Or did you bound out of bed as soon as your eyes opened, ready to embrace a new day? Today’s M5T reconnoiters the positive and radical – and at times seemingly messy and chaotic – facets of making bold moves in life.
I struggled on Saturday to keep my camera gear dry in sideways pouring rain and near gale-force winds, but I still had a big smile on my face. I was once again in my happy place getting to photograph some of the world’s most beautiful automobiles. While strolling the drenched grounds of the Hilton Head Island Concours d ’Elegance, I spent some time thinking about guilty pleasures. In a not so tongue-in-cheek start to our week, M5T shares some non-guilty pleasures that I make no excuses for.
Thin strands of brilliant orange and yellow integrated with the opulent indigo of a cool Georgian fall sunrise, gradually changing the starry night sky, filled my rear-view mirror to start the morn. I added to the chromatic eruption of color by singing along at the top of my lungs with Bowie on Spotify whilst driving from SAV to ATL. "Strange fascinations fascinate me / Ah, changes are taking / The pace I’m goin’ through / ch-ch-ch-ch changes / Turn and face the strange / ch-ch changes” ~ A guy named Tom, Ziggy, or simply, Bowie. ‘Changes’. I challenge you to not have this song in your head all day as M5T considers positive changes in our lives.
Since being immersed a couple of weeks ago within a virtual stroll through French countryside’s with Vinnie, I have been inspired with the notion of artists who created with perseverance and passion, with angst and anger, and with ebullience and exuberance. Above all, they created and persevered without monetary gain or fame…. at the time. This morning’s M5T considers but five artists who persevered with their art simply because they had no choice but to create.
Our eyes needed to adjust to the dark anteroom. Then, the short brush strokes and bold contrasting colors were immediately recognized. Flowers and fields. The bedroom. The hospital. Snippets of information of the man and artist that left me wondering what I would have asked him if we could have shared a table and coffee on a Parisian promenade. Harvests and irises. Cafes and boulevards. Starry nights and full moons. Cypress trees and tree roots. Portraits of others. Portraits of self that revealed the old, troubled soul of a much younger man. Benches and chairs to sit within his paintings. Space designed to allow one to slow down from a hectic week and simply be immersed in the brilliance of his art.
One of my favorite breakfast places to start a day in Atlanta is the iconic OK Café. After a late Saturday brunch, belly’s full and in the pain zone from indulging in some great southern cooking, we walked past the sign that shows the amount of ‘short minutes’ of time needed to wait in line for a table. From today, there are 81 days left in 2021. Each day filled with 1,440 short minutes. This morning’s M5T uses some of those minutes to once again reflect on the 1,440 unique opportunities that we have today. 1,440 short occasions to recognize and seize upon the moments that we will encounter today.
Four different conversations with four different people last week all brought up the ‘lack of common sense’. We all agreed that, today it seems, common sense is anything but common. Once again culling my collection of quotes and some prior M5T’s, I humbly offer up some quotes about sensical matters.
There are moments when M5T’s come together quickly, almost spur of the moment. This week presented one of those moments that found its genesis at the end of my Sunday morning yoga session. Whilst prone on my yoga mat, I was pondering my back issues that continue to plague me, yet thankful, that for the second week in a row, I didn’t topple over at any point in the hour-long class. I opened my eyes to take in a brilliant cerulean Georgian morning sky with nary a cloud to be seen; my ears attuned to the gurgles of the Savannah River flowing along with other early risers walking or running about at the waterfront as the sun rose over the city. Our instructor read a quote that used alliteration emphasizing renewal. As I reflected on that passage through the day, this morning’s M5T was realized.
These past couple of weeks have lent themselves to some late-night reflection and I chose some literary relaxation and distraction. During these moments, one of my go-to books is Saint-Exupéry’s 'Le Petit Prince'. The first edition was released in 1943 and weaves the tale of a pilot who crashes in the Sahara and meets a young prince. The prince, who was from Planet B 612, shares his anecdotes of wanderlust as he travelled through the universe to other planets in search of answers to wisdom, loneliness, love, pain, friendship, beauty, and his beloved rose. If you haven’t read this incredible book, give yourself the gift of a few hours to read it. I can assure you it won’t be the last time that you open it up. This morning’s M5T shares some of my favorite quotes from a well-worn copy that resides on my bookshelf.
.....our “So That” is the reason we purposefully follow particular paths in life. Choices and definitive decisions are made, “So That” you live your life a certain way, for a specific, often-times, higher purpose. To this day, when facing major decisions in life, whether personal or in business, I ask myself these questions to get to my “So That”.
As we wake up on this Labo(u)r day Monday, it’s hard to believe it’s September already. Today is a day to celebrate our work, to relax, to take a breath and get ready for Thanksgiving. This morning’s M5T pops open a cold one, gets the grill ready and, with a somewhat tongue in cheek missive, gives a nod to the first holiday of the fall.
Monday 5 Things” ™ …..5 D’s for a Monday….. I screamed a two-word expletive at the radio and wanted to pound my head against a wall. I had reached a point of abject annoyance listening to the media talking heads skreiching over themselves.
FOX Nation will debut a new five-episode series presented by FOX & Friends host Ainsley Earhardt, on Sunday, August 29th.
