“Monday 5 Things” ….. Essentials …..
April 07, 2025 by D. Paul Graham
“Choose Your Road.” Contemplating the essentials of life at sunrise on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Photo by D. Paul Graham
Eavesdropping. One of my favorite sports. K. Roger’s. Weekday midafternoon. Check-out line. Two women in front of me excitedly discussing recent episodes of both 1923 and Severance. I won’t mention one woman’s take on what she would do with Harrison Ford if she was given the chance. Apparently, she shared details with her husband. The other woman said that both shows were “absolute essentials” in her life and felt like she was living both an “innie and outie” life. (of which, a future M5T has been in the works for a few weeks now) I think that statement jarred me more than her friend’s take on Harrison. I pondered their excitement about the shows and the word essential. How many lives are centered around binge-watching shows? Life should be about thriving, evolving, and embracing a full spectrum of experiences. How often do we get so caught up in the daily grind that we often forget what truly matters? This morning’s M5T takes a step back to focus on essentials as a foundation for a life well-lived.
1. LIVE YOUR JOURNEY, NOT SOMEONE ELSE’S. Too often, we measure success by someone else’s definition. We scroll through social media, see someone traveling the world, launching a new business, or achieving milestones, and suddenly, we feel behind. But the ugly truth is that comparison is a distraction, a thief of joy. The world will always have opinions on how you should live, but at the end of the day, it’s your road to walk. Other people’s timelines have nothing to do with yours. Your journey is uniquely yours. Stay true to your values, chase what excites you, and don’t measure your success by someone else’s standards. The dreams, passions, and aspirations that stir in your heart are there for a reason. If you spend too much time looking sideways, you’ll miss the opportunities right in front of you. Stay focused on what fulfills you, make decisions that align with your purpose, and trust that your path is unfolding exactly as it should. "A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms." ~ Zen Shin. A Monday question: Am I making choices based on what I truly want, or am I influenced by external expectations?
2. PRAYER IS AN ANCHOR. Life is loud. The world bombards us with distractions, obligations, and pressures from all angles. If you’re not intentional about carving out quiet moments, you’ll find yourself drowning in the noise. Call it prayer, meditation, or deep reflection, taking time to step away from the noise of the world to connect with something greater than yourself provides clarity and peace. It centers your soul, realigns your heart, strengthens your faith, and reminds you that you’re not navigating this life alone. It’s in these quiet moments that purpose and direction reveal themselves. When you don’t know what to do next, when uncertainty clouds your vision, when you feel like life is overwhelming, pause, breathe, and listen. The answers you seek often come from that still small voice from within that can only be found in solitude. “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." ~ Anne Lamott. A Monday question: Do I give myself enough time to be still, reflect, and realign with my purpose?
3. EVALUATE OFTEN, ADJUST AS NEEDED. Autopilot is great for long flights, but terrible for life. It’s easy to get comfortable in routines and habits, even when they no longer serve us. But growth requires regular self-check-ins. Evaluate your mindset, your goals, and your progress. Are you where you want to be? Are the people around you helping or hindering your growth? Are your daily habits moving you closer to your dreams or keeping you stuck? Don’t be afraid to make adjustments. Life is a metaphorical winding road full of bumps, detours, potholes, and course corrections. Be flexible. Growth isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. The most successful people aren’t the ones who have it all figured out. They’re the ones who can and will adapt as needed. "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." ~ Nelson Mandela. A Monday question: What’s one area of my life that needs a realignment or adjustment?
4. RESET WITHOUT GUILT. We live in a culture that glorifies busyness, but exhaustion is not a success strategy. Burnout isn’t a badge of honor. Burnout makes you less effective and susceptible to mistakes. Sometimes, the best way to move forward is to stop. Take a break. Step back. Reset. It’s what allows you to return with fresh energy, clear vision, and renewed motivation. Give yourself permission to rest without guilt. You don’t have to earn rest. Resting isn’t weakness or laziness. It’s wisdom and strategy. It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity. The most successful people know that clarity comes in the quiet and that the biggest breakthroughs happen when you allow yourself space to breathe, think, and recalibrate. "Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work." ~ Ralph Marston. A Monday question: Am I prioritizing rest and renewal, or am I running on empty?
5. EXPECT THE EXTRAORDINARY. NOTHING great comes from playing it safe. Be ready for disruption. Life is unpredictable, and the most extraordinary opportunities often come disguised as challenges or detours. Be open to the unexpected, welcome disruption, and embrace the extraordinary. If you’re too rigid in your plans, you’ll miss the magic of unexpected possibilities. Disruption isn’t always bad. It’s often the very thing that propels you forward. That job loss might be the push you needed to start your own business. That unexpected move might open doors you never imagined. That rejection might be redirecting you to something better. Stay open. Embrace the unexpected. Shift your mindset. Instead of fearing change, start looking at it as an opportunity to level up. "The moment you’re ready to quit is usually the moment right before the miracle happens. Don’t give up." ~ Unknown. A Monday question: Am I open to the unexpected, or am I resisting change out of fear?
Here’s to a week of taking charge of your journey, staying grounded, reflecting, resetting when needed, and being open to the essential, wild, unpredictable beauty of life.
For over 13 years, D. Paul Graham has published “Monday 5 Things” ™, also known to readers as M5T™. He continues to seek the true essentials in life.
© 2025 D. Paul Graham
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