The 5 am club

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“If you two are interested,” said the homeless man, “I’d be happy to spend a
few mornings coaching you at my oceanside compound. I’ll show you my
private morning routine and explain why dialing in the way you run your first
hour to the highest degree is essential for personal mastery and exceptional
business performance. Let me do this for you cats. Your lives will start to look
glorious—within a fairly short time. And the ride with me will be fun. Not
always easy, as we heard from the old guy on the stage. But valuable and
prolific and beautiful. Maybe even as wonderful as the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel.”
“First time I saw it I cried,” the artist said, stroking the hairs of his goatee.
“Michelangelo was a bad dude. And I mean that in a good way,” the
homeless man offered as he, too, played with his beard, which was soiled. He
then raised his shirt to show Greek god abdominal muscles. A long finger of a
grimy hand moved along the contours, the way a raindrop zigzags down the
stem of a rose after a May shower.
“Hit me with a stick,” shouted the artist with the enthusiasm of a cat let
loose in a parrot shop. “How the heck did you get those?”
“Not from some plastic ab machine I bought from a late-night TV show,
that’s for sure. Work is how I got all lean and chiseled up like this. Plenty of
push-ups, pull-ups, planks, sit-ups and seriously sweaty cardio sessions, often
on my special beach.” The homeless man pulled out an obviously expensive
leather wallet, then carefully removed from it a piece of plastic with a
drawing on it. Here’s what it looked like, so you see exactly what the
entrepreneur and the artist saw in that moment:

---

Without allowing for any responses from his two listeners, the disheveled
drifter kept on speaking. “Commitment, discipline, patience and work. Values
few believe in these days, where so many have an entitlement mentality,
expecting a rich, productive and fulfilling life to just show up one day like a
sparrow at the beginning of spring. And expecting everyone around them to
invest the effort they are responsible for inputting. Where’s the leadership in
this way of operating?
“A society of adults behaving like spoiled little children is how I
sometimes see our world right now. Not judging, just saying. Not
complaining, just reporting. Hey, cats, here’s the point I’m trying to make by
letting you have a peek at my sculpted abs: 
Nothing works for those who don’t
do the work.
Less talk and more do is what I say. Oh, and check this out.”
The hobo spun around and unbuttoned his hole-ridden shirt. On his firm,
striated back was a tattoo with the words “Victims love entertainment. Victors
adore education.”
“Come hang with me at my place on a magical little island in the middle
of a fantastic ocean, five hours from the coast of Cape Town.” He handed the
entrepreneur the plastic card with the seaside scene etched on it. “Those are
my dolphins,” he said, happily pointing to the hand-drawn image.
“The trip will be so worth it,” he continued. “The adventure of a lifetime,
for sure. Some of your most valuable and sensational moments ever will
unfold there. You need to take a trust walk with me, people. I’ll teach you
everything I know about a world-class morning ritual. I’ll help you both
become members of The 5 
AM
Club. You’ll learn to rise early, regularly—so
you’ll get more done by noon than most people get done in a week, and so
you’ll optimize your health, happiness and peacefulness. There’s a reason so
many of the great achievers of the world get up before the sun—
it’s the most
special part of the day
. I’ll explain how I used this revolutionary method to

---

build my empire. And, to be clear, empires arrive in many forms—economic
is just one of them. You can also create empires of artistry, productivity,
humanity, philanthropy, personal freedom and even spirituality. I’ll download
pretty much everything I’ve been blessed to have been taught by the mentor
who transformed my life. You’ll discover so much. You’ll be moved at the
deepest level. You’ll see the world through an all-new set of lenses. You’ll
also eat the finest food and watch the most spectacular sunsets. You guys can
swim in the sea, go snorkeling with the dolphins and fly over the sugar cane
stalks that dance in the wind in the helicopter I own. And should you both
accept my heartfelt invitation to visit me, I insist you stay at my home.”
“My God, you’re kidding me, right?” boomed the artist. It was becoming
increasingly evident that, like many in his field, he was acutely emotional,
vigilant to the infinitesimal and carried a sensitivity born of latent pain. Those
who feel more than most people sometimes believe they have been cursed. In
fact, they have been granted a gift: one that allows them to sense what others
miss, experience the delights that most neglect and notice the majesty in
ordinary moments. Yes, such people get hurt more easily, yet they are also the
ones who create great symphonies, architect dazzling buildings and find cures
for the sick. Tolstoy once noted that “only people who are capable of loving
strongly can suffer great sorrow,” while the Sufi poet Rumi wrote, “You have
to keep breaking your heart until it opens.” The artist seemed to personify
these insights.
“Nope. Totally serious, dudes,” the homeless man said enthusiastically. “I
have a house not far from a village called Solitude. And believe me, they
named it accurately. It’s only when you get away from the noise and nuisance
and be in quiet and tranquility that you remember who—and all—you’re truly
meant to be. Just say yes to life. And let’s do this! Like the guru on the
platform said, a magic will show up for you the more you start exploiting the
terrific opportunities that appear along your path, seemingly by accident. You
can’t win a game you don’t play, right? The reality is that life has got your
back, even when it doesn’t look like it does. But you need to do your part and
go all in when windows of opportunity appear. Oh—and if you come to my
home on the island, the only thing I ask is that you stay long enough for me to
teach you the philosophy and methodology that my secret adviser shared with
me. Joining The 5 
AM
Club requires a little time.”
The homeless man paused before adding, “I’m also going to take care of
all your expenses. Everything’s covered. I’ll even send my private jet to pick
you guys up, if that’s cool.”
The entrepreneur and the artist glanced at each other, amused, confounded
and entirely uncertain.

---

“Mind if my friend and I have a few moments alone, brother?” requested
the artist, notebook still in hand.
“No sweat. Sure. Take all the time you need. I’ll just go back to my seat
over there and make some calls to my executive team,” mentioned the
homeless man as he paced away.
“This is absurd. Just asinine,” the artist said to the entrepreneur. “I def
agree with you that there’s something special about him. Maybe even
something magical. I know how insane that sounds. And I 
am
fascinated by
this mentor he keeps talking about, this teacher who sort of sounds like a
modern-day master. I’ll admit that this street person has got some great
insights, for sure. And he obviously seems to have a lot of experience. But
just look at him! Man, the guy looks completely down and out—a complete
mess. I don’t think he’s had a shower in weeks. His clothes are all ripped.
He’s beyond freaky. And sometimes he talks total crazy talk. We have no idea
who he is. This could be dangerous. He could be dangerous.”
“Yes. Definitely super-weird.