The 5 am club

my boots on the ground. Epictetus, one of my favorite philosophers, wrote: “But neither a bull nor
a noble-spirited man comes to be what he is all at once; he must undertake hard winter training
and prepare himself and not propel himself rashly into what is not appropriate to him.”
Voluntary discomfort, whether by dressing as I did or by fasting once a week or by sleeping on
the floor once a month, keeps me strong, disciplined and focused on the central few priorities my
life’s built around. Anyhoo, have a tremendous flight, and I’ll see you in
Paradise
soon. Big hug.

---

The driver continued, “Please remember that appearances can be
misleading and clothing doesn’t convey one’s character. Yesterday you met a
great man. Looks really do not reveal the quality of a person.”
“I guess neither does shaving,” proclaimed the artist, kicking a black boot
against the shiny Rolls-Royce symbol at the center of one of the wheels.
“Mr. Riley would never tell you what I’m about to tell you as he’s far too
courteous and decent. But the gentleman you refer to as a ‘derelict’ happens to
be one of the wealthiest people in the world.”
“Are you serious?” asked the entrepreneur, her eyes widening.
“I most certainly am.” The driver smiled politely as he opened a door,
waving a white-gloved hand to welcome both passengers into the vehicle.
The seats had that marvelously musky smell of new leather. The wood
paneling seemed like it had been prepared by hand, by a small family of
finicky craftspeople who’d built their reputations around this singular
obsession.
“Mr. Riley made his fortune many years ago, in various commercial
ventures. He was also an early investor in what has now become an
internationally admired company. Discretion prevents me from mentioning
the name and, if Mr. Riley found out I was speaking of financial matters with
you, he’d be exceedingly disappointed. His instructions were simply to treat
you with the utmost of care along with assuring you of his sincerity and
reliability. And to deliver you safely to Hangar 21.”
“Hangar 21?” the artist asked as he eased languidly into the opulent
vehicle like a rock star accustomed to this method of transport or a hip-hop
artist ready for a weekend roll.
“That’s where Mr. Riley’s fleet of jets are kept,” stated the driver
succinctly.
“Fleet?” questioned the entrepreneur, her beautiful brown eyes alive with
an immensely curious look.
“Yes,” was all the chauffeur would allow.
There was silence as the driver sped through the early morning streets.
The artist looked out the window while rolling a bottle of water in one hand
absentmindedly. He hadn’t seen the sun rising in many years. “Very special.
Truly beautiful,” he admitted. “Everything’s so peaceful at this time of the
day. No noise. Such peace. Even though I feel tired right now, I can really
think. Things seem clearer. My attention isn’t a mess. It feels like the rest of
the world is asleep. What tranquility.”

---

A cavalry of wispy amber rays, the ethereal palette of the daybreak and
the quietude of this moment left him encouraged. And awestruck.
The entrepreneur studied the driver. “So, tell me more about your boss,”
she requested, restlessly toying with her device as she spoke.
“I can’t tell you much more. He’s worth multiple billions of dollars. He’s
given most of his money to charity. Mr. Riley’s the most fascinating, generous
and compassionate person I know. He also has incredible willpower, along
with having ironclad values, such as honesty, empathy, integrity and loyalty.
And, of course, he’s also a real oddball, if I may be so bold as to say so. Like
a lot of the very, very, very rich.”
“We’ve noticed,” agreed the entrepreneur. “I’m interested, though. What
makes you say he’s odd?”
“You’ll see,” was the stark response.
The Rolls soon arrived at a private airport. No sign of Mr. Riley. The
driver accelerated up to an ivory jet that looked immaculately kept. The only
color it bore appeared on the tail. In the hue of a mandarin orange, three
characters read “5AC.”
“What does ‘5AC’ stand for?” asked the entrepreneur tensely, gripping her
gadget tightly.
“The 5 
AM
Club. ‘Own your morning. Elevate your life.’ It’s one of the
maxims Mr. Riley has conducted his many business interests under. And now,
with regret, this is where I must bid you adieu. Au revoir,” he said before
carrying the luggage over to the sparkling aircraft.
Two handsome crew members chatted near the metal stairway that led up
to the cabin. A tastefully refined blonde flight attendant handed the
entrepreneur and the artist hot towels and offered them coffee from a silver
tray. “Dobroe utro,” she said, greeting them in Russian.
“It has been a great pleasure to meet you,” the driver called up to the jet,
as he got back into the car. “Kindly convey my best wishes to Mr. Riley once
you see him. And do have fun in Mauritius.”
“Mauritius?” the companions exclaimed, as surprised as a vampire
waking up to a garlic clove.
“This is all unbelievable,” the artist said as he climbed into the cabin.
“Mauritius! I’ve always wanted to go to that island, and I’ve read a bit about
it. It’s a high-frequency place. French flavor. Tremendous beauty. And, from
what they say, many of the warmest and happiest people on Earth live there.”
“I’m blown away, too,” the entrepreneur said as she sipped her coffee and

---

peeked into the cockpit. She studied the pilots as they performed their pre-
flight preparation. “I’ve also heard Mauritius is splendid, and that the people
are super-friendly, helpful and spiritually advanced.”
After a perfect takeoff, the first-class plane floated high into the clouds.
Once at cruising altitude, premium champagne was served, caviar was
recommended and an array of fabulous main courses were suggested. The
entrepreneur was feeling fairly content and far less incited by the cruel
attempt of her investors to take her company away from her. True, this might
not be the ideal time to take a vacation to learn about The 5 
AM
Club
philosophy and its underlying methodology that had served Mr. Riley’s ascent
to business titan and global philanthropist like rocket fuel. Or perhaps this
was the perfect time to get away from her usual reality to discover how the
most successful, influential and joyful people on the planet start their days.
After sipping on some champagne, the entrepreneur watched a movie. She
then fell into a deep sleep. The artist had a book called