Photo: D. Paul Graham: Tight into T3, Homestead 2021

“Monday 5 Things”™…..Pursuits…..

The droning drive down highway 95 to MIA a couple of weeks ago gave me plenty of windshield time to simply think. A few hours of some Canadian rock from the 70’s and 80’s pushed the limits of my vocal cords for quite a few hours. Just before I turned Spotify off, I sang along to ‘I’m An Adult Now’ by The Pursuit of Happiness.  The song brought me back to the 80’s and 90’s in Toronto. Decades of decadent spending. Motorola brick phones, flip-phones, and Microsoft. Years that I learned to see light and then developed a passion and hunger for deals. Years that I began exploring parts of the world that up until then were just the dreams of a child and pins on a map. Years of collecting trophies of success and trinkets of status, and somewhere along the way, literally at the top of a mountain, figuring out the difference between being driven and being called in life.  This morning’s M5T chases down some higher pursuits.

1. Pursuit of Wisdom.

Wisdom strips away the dross, the superficial, the petty, and the negative. Wisdom can’t exist with selfishness, cynicism, intolerance, and disregard for others. Wisdom is never a final destination. The pursuit of wisdom is most definitely a life-time journey. Wisdom is inexhaustible. It’s about contemplating the big questions in life and being comfortable with not having the answers. It’s about applying knowledge, not simply acquiring knowledge. Seeking wisdom is about feeding our inner need for purpose, for meaning.

2. Pursuit of Holiness.

Pursuing holiness is not about being perfect, working harder, or giving more. In fact, in this world, it is simply not attainable. It’s a state of mind, a state of heart, a state of our soul. It’s a desire to be righteous, faithful, and at times turning our back on what the world says is right and living what we believe is true. And more often than I care to admit even to myself, I fail miserably at this, and I’m ok with that, but that does not keep me from the pursuit.

3. Pursuit of Peace.

Peace comes through grace, compassion, and humility. Peace allows you to recognize meaning and to find joy. Pursuing peace helps you understand yourself and your dreams, un-swayed by the misdirection of others. Peace allows you to hold back when needed, to practice forbearance from the ignorance of others and at other times allows you to take direction that you know is right for you, despite what others may say.

4. Pursuit of Light.

Light is a wave. It disrupts, revealing what is cloaked in darkness. Light can spark creativity; it can warm our skin and our minds and bring with it a feeling of safety. Light can reflect, illuminating with a new fresh perspective that we haven’t seen before. The pursuit of light focuses, clarifies, and defines. Light is the start of a new day that brings with it new possibilities, new perceptions, and renewed hope.

5. Pursuit of Excellence.

Excellence is about separating from the crowd, being outstanding and going beyond the expectations of others. Pursuing excellence is a state of mind, of being intentional, and about building a legacy. It is about taking calculated risks, conquering fears, and finding ways around or through obstacles and failures on the path of a commitment to a vision, a dream. Pursuing excellence is not comfortable and at times can be exhausting and seemingly overwhelming. Excellence demands being positive, being brutally honest with yourself, and being adaptable, tenacious and focused in all that you do.

Here’s to a week of pursuits that build your life and contribute to the lives of all you meet.

© 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 here on www.southmag.com 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