Sunrise from the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. Photo by D. Paul Graham

“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Parkway Inspired …..

Looking at images of the destruction by Helene of the Blue Ridge Parkway took my breath away. The BRP is/was a most incredible and inspiring part of the earth. A number of photoshoots over the years brought me there. Each BRP drive enroute to the peak of 6,000 feet never failed to inspire. Inspired by breathing deeply, slowly, and deliberately, filling my lungs with the fresh scent of pine mixed with the cool mountain air. Inspired to tears as the rising sun illuminated soft-rolling valley fog between the majestic mountains. God revealing a palette of subtle colors of red, azure, and purple across the horizon, transitioning to a stratum of golden yellow and orange hues. Inspired by beautiful people I’ve met on the Parkway: A couple who had been married the day before, starting their first morning as husband and wife holding hands and praying in the mountains. A man meditating in a yoga pose on the roof of his car. Driving with 50 very cool pilotos of air-cooled Porches through the dappled light and shadows of the tree canopied isolated twists and turns of this most amazing ribbon of road. A mother and daughter who were taking their last trip together before Alzheimer’s completely plundered mom’s memory. A solitary man at the far end of an overview, who seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, sipping from a bottle of beer as he stared silently out at the mountains.  A large group of historic motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the country who gathered for a one-week multi-state drive, finishing on the BRP. Bird watchers who taught me more than I needed to know about Carolina Wren’s and Dark-Eyed Junco’s. Various kids who would run to the edge of the overlook squealing with delight as mom and dad, caught unexpectedly, yelled with panicked voices for them to be careful. And on multiple trips, college kids who were smoking the strangest smelling of cigarettes who seemed inspired in a different way. Following Helene, I am inspired by the determination of the people of this part of North Carolina that are literally picking up the pieces of their lives and are starting all over again. And this morning, M5T takes pause to consider being inspired.

1. SLOW DOWN. The busyness of life has a way of extracting our emotions, energy, time and focus. Find inspiration by stopping. Count your blessings. Discover some space and clear the distractions of this week, even if just for a fleeting moment. Inspiration can be found by simply being quiet, by taking a breath, or by reflecting on the blessings you have in life.

2. BE OPEN. Start the day with a mindset that seeks inspiration. Look at the light. Look at what is revealed in the shadows, and what is hidden in the highlights. Run your fingertips over the finish of a wall that you walk by every day. Bathe your eyes and mind in the dominant design features, the façades, the lines, and the scale of buildings you rarely even notice any more. Whether man-made or divinely created everything around us has texture, shape, space, color and form. Allow yourself to feel. You can tap into that genesis of inspiration simply by being open to the moment.

3. BE PROACTIVE. Read biographies. Inspiration can be found by realizing the struggles and failures that others have experienced in their journey to fulfil their dreams Seek out those you admire. Find a mentor. Be a mentor. Listen, watch, question, study, and learn from them. Talk to people – those you know, those you’ve lost touch with, and those you haven’t yet met. Understand the power of asking ‘why’? Everyone has a story that goes far deeper than what they show the world every day. Reconnect. Connect. Travel to a place you’ve always wanted to go… near or far.

4. ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE MOVED. Fill a rut with inspiration. Write down your passions and inspirations that you have today. Write down what inspired you at the start of each decade of your life. What is different? What is the same? Seek out both. Sing any song that touches your heart at the top of your lungs… even if you don’t know the words. Laugh deeply and cry freely; until both hurt for different reasons. Revitalize your soul by embracing the unknown, by taking one step out in faith, and by pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone.

5. CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE. Change your thinking. Change your environment. Plan an adventure. Go to an art gallery. Take a different route. Be inspired by who you meet and by what you see, hear, smell and taste. Take more than selfies and food pictures with your phone. Widen the lens of not just your camera. Widen the lens of your eyes, your heart, your soul. Turn around, look up, look down; climb up and crouch down. Let the inspiration of a changed perspective renew the unapologetic curiosity you had as a child.

Here’s to a week of continued prayer for NC, Georgia, and Florida following Helene and Milton, and for your own inspired thoughts, words, and deeds.

For over 12 years, D. Paul Graham has published “Monday 5 Things” ™, also known to readers as M5T™.  He hopes to drive the BRP once again.

© 2024 D. Paul Graham.

You can reach Paul by email at dpg@imagegraham.com

“Monday 5 Things” ™ and M5T™ are trademarks of D. Paul Graham