The 5 Am Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.

The next morning just before 5:00 a.m., the entrepreneur and the artist meet outside the conference facility where they met the unhoused man the previous day. Both express mixed feelings about the decision to take the man up on his offer to travel to his compound to learn all he promised. As they speak to each other, their remorse mounts, and they openly wonder whether or not they are doing the right thing. For her part, the entrepreneur begins to retreat back within herself after opening up the previous evening. Eventually, a Rolls-Royce pulls up to where they are standing, and a man informs them that he is the driver sent to escort them to the airport where the unhoused man’s private jet awaits. The driver also reveals the man’s name, Mr. Riley, and says the man’s appearance is part of an exercise in humility that is part of a larger routine. He also discloses that Mr. Riley is one of the wealthiest people in the world and made his fortune as an early investor in an internationally respected company. This information sets both the entrepreneur and the artist at ease, and as they are driven to the airport, the entrepreneur presses for more information on Mr. Riley. The driver is tight-lipped but does maintain that Mr. Riley is an upright and values-driven man.

They arrive at the airport, and as they board the plane, they notice a symbol on the tail of the plane: “5AC” (55). The flight crew informs them that they will be traveling to the island of Mauritius, a secluded location in the Indian Ocean. During the flight, the entrepreneur begins to feel a growing contentment, as does the artist, who spends much of the flight reading a book about Michelangelo. After they land, they are once again met by a driver who, like the previous driver, has nothing but good things to say about Mr. Riley, though he does not say much. The narrator points out that the driver is especially careful and follows all rules of the road. On the way to the compound, they pass through small villages and notice the residents, many of them children and young people. The driver also points out a mountain in the distance, highlighting the fact that it looks like a man’s head.

He retells the legend of the mountain. A man fell asleep at the foot of the mountain and woke to the sight and sound of fairies. The fairies warned him not to reveal what he saw and heard or else he would be turned to stone. Unable to resist the urge to reveal his discovery, the man informed others of his secret and was promptly turned to stone. The driver reveals that the lesson of the story is that the mountain serves as a reminder to always honor your word. The driver also provides the pair of guests with a list of five rules written on gold tablets.

At long last, they finally arrive at the compound. The grounds are immaculate, though the architecture of the actual facility where Mr. Riley lives is rather plain. As they disembark the SUV and part ways with the driver, they soon notice the unhoused man standing on a great porch overlooking the ocean. He is dressed differently than he was when they first met him, and they notice he is lost in thought. When they finally approach the man, they are surprised to see the Spellbinder.

Upon discovering the Spellbinder, the entrepreneur first expresses shock and then mentions her corporate experience as a way to try to impress the man. She then discloses the negative turn of events that have recently transpired at the company that she founded and built from scratch. She reveals to the Spellbinder that she was contemplating death by suicide, but because of his seminar, she has a newfound hope. In return, the Spellbinder expresses appreciation to the entrepreneur but insists she is the one who is responsible for her own change in outlook. He also offers her encouragement and assures her she made a life-changing decision by agreeing to travel to Mr. Riley’s retreat.

The Spellbinder states what he considers the reasons for why people do not realize their full potential. People tend to be easily distracted and would rather take the easy way out of challenging circumstances rather than bear down and do the hard work required to live to their fullest potential. He also discusses the features of a truly successful human being, noting that financial success is merely one measurement, not the only one. He believes people can be financially wealthy but poor in spirit. He argues that developing a noble, honorable spirit is what leads to success, not what is in someone’s bank account. As evidence for this principle, he refers to the examples set by Mother Theresa and Mahatma Gandhi.

The artist mentions to the Spellbinder that he is relieved to see that his health improved from when he collapsed during his speech. The Spellbinder claims that exhaustion was the reason for his collapse but that it is a sacrifice he is willing to make in order to spread his beliefs on how people can reach their full potential. The Spellbinder also explains his relationship with Mr. Riley. It began when Riley was 33 years old. Now in his fifties, Mr. Riley has relied on the Spellbinder’s guidance. The Spellbinder reveals that Mr. Riley was at one time diagnosed with cancer and says that their friendship strengthened because of this adversity. Finally, after discussing his belief in the importance of rest as it relates to personal achievement, the Spellbinder demonstrates more hospitality to the entrepreneur and the artist and directs them to meet on the beach at 5:00 a.m. the next morning.