Photo: D. Paul Graham, “Assistant US Attorney Skater”, Savannah circa 2020

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

I hear the clatter of the skateboards in the drive-through of the bank every night on my way to the parking deck.  On a warm spring evening last week there was twice the usual number of skaters trying 180’s, airwalks, and other various skater tricks. I heard three words that immediately transported me back to my childhood. 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.

1. Dare to Reveal Your Passions.

Illuminating your passions empowers and liberates for a richer life. Embrace your own unique super-power, your unique story, the things that make your heart thump and give you confidence. Channel your passions that move you to affect positive change in the lives of others. Amplify what makes you happy. Be audacious and unapologetic, acting on what you are you prepared to devote the remainder of your life to.

2. Dare to Start Fresh.

Dare yourself to change. Give yourself permission to put your past behind you. Be specific with your goals and prioritize the most important things in your life. Dare to be brazen. Reboot, redesign your beta version, and release You 2.0. Dare to unleash your strengths and celebrate your new beginning.

3. Dare to Ask.

Never be afraid to question your beliefs. Confront illogic. Dare to expose contradictions and to push for the truth. Understand your world view and challenge your assumptions. Be ruthless in questioning what and who you are listening to, watching, reading. Especially from the media. Any media. Be Socratic, disciplined, and thoughtful. Dare to engage, nurture, and learn. Questions lead to change, innovation, and growth. Ask questions that expose your edge of uncertainty to confirm what you are correct about, to correct what you are wrong about, and to reveal what you don’t know.

4. Dare to Pay the Cost.

Taking a dare will often have a cost. Taking chances can lead to failure, or success. Both of which have a cost to you and those closest to you. There is a price to saying no and a different price to saying yes. Many will not understand or accept why you have to remove yourself from toxic people and situations. Some won’t like you; others will love you more. Invest in the latter. Defy mediocrity, procrastination, and boredom. Be honest enough with yourself to demand that you need to be authentic. Dare yourself to be the real you. Refuse to compromise your values but admit when you are wrong. Deal with the stress of moving out of your comfort zone, of getting out of the box that you’ve created for yourself; or the box you’ve allowed others to put you in.

5. Dare to Live.

Embrace all that you have in life. With gratitude. Don’t just survive or exist. Find meaning in your life to thrive and flourish. Be fearless and fear less. Trust, love and give of yourself. Freely, generously, and without strings attached. Foster your imagination. Unbridle yourself to dream and dream big. Revel in the joy of spontaneity. Find ways to be inspired, to generate inertia, and defined progress. Understand your mission, your ‘so that’. Dare, in fact double dare yourself, to live you. To your fullest.

Here’s to a week of taking double dares.

© 2023 D. Paul Graham, all rights reserved.

For over 11 years, D. Paul Graham has published “Monday 5 Things” ™, also known to readers as M5T. You can reach Paul by email at dpg@imagegraham.com