Photo: D. Paul Graham, Turkey Day Sunset 2021

“Monday 5 Things”™….. Much More …..

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’.

1. Much More Transparency

I want much more clarity and openness. Much more of living an authentic life, without pretense. Of not selling an image or trying to project that I have everything figured out. Much more of boldly living my faith and beliefs, and being consistent with my core values, without apology. Much more transparency to reduce misunderstanding in my relationships. Better decisions. Respect for yourself.

2. Much More Confidence

Much more acceptance and acknowledgement of my quirks, my foibles, and the uniqueness of me. Much more willingness to confront my fears, to embrace my imperfections. Much more confidence to demand excellence and refusing to accept just good enough. Much more engagement to see the positive with all who cross my path each day. Much more understanding perceived limitations verses actual constraints. Much more audaciousness through perspective.

3. Much More Freedom

Structuring my life with much more freedom to choose. For found freedom that comes from caring less about what others think of me. To envelop the expectations I put on myself, not the expectations of others. To consciously shift to a positive mindset to avoid my internal negative critic. To indulge in healthy impulses. Much more freedom by being honesty, by smiling, and laughing a lot more; to crying when I’m moved deeply. To learning to love myself first and being wholly responsible for my happiness. Much more freedom to fully live my moments; whether good, bad, or ugly. Much more freedom to accept nothing is perfect, including myself. To focus on my strengths not my weaknesses. Indulge a healthy impulse.

4. Much More Creativity

Much more creativity by shaking up my routines. To let my curiosity guide me to start something new. By fashioning much more physical, emotional, and spiritual space to create. To look for new possibilities, discoveries, experiments, self-expression, and invention. To connect the dots of thought and ideas. To create much more opportunities to make a journey; to see the extraordinary in the simplest of things around me. To create by focusing much more on the process not the product, by turning off distractions and by constantly changing my perspective.

5. Much More Inspiration

I want to pursue much more inspiration by keenly observing, by actively listening, and by asking dynamic questions. By reading more biographies. Being much more inspired by daring to live my higher purpose, my ‘so that’ in life. To finding the inspiration to wake up 30 minutes earlier each morning to devote to praying, and thinking. To finding much more inspiration to serve, to connect, to learn something new, every day. To be much more inspired to move out of my comfort zones and to change my environment. To reach out to those that I admire and respect. To much more inspiration through spontaneity. To accept that there will be seasons that I won’t feel inspired and finding the source within to not give up on my dreams.

Here’s to so much more to be found in this week.

© 2021 D. Paul Graham, all rights reserved.

D. Paul Graham is passionate about people, culture, photography and business. He has embraced his wanderlust with his travels around the globe and is at peace with his need for spirited drives in all things automotive.

You can find M5T each Monday in the Health & Wellness section at www.southmag.com/blog/  and by friending D. Paul Graham on Facebook. Paul is also a contributing photographer to South Magazine. His photographic work can be found on Instagram @dpgraham and at www.imageGRAHAM.com . Your feedback is always welcome. Email Paul at dpg@imagegraham.com