I'm up at 5 A.M. every morning, meditating, exercising, drinking

Eric Adams once declared: “I’m up at 5 A.M. every morning, meditating, exercising, drinking my smoothie, then giving 12 hours for my city.” At its surface, this is the schedule of a disciplined man. But beneath it lies a philosophy of life: the belief that true leadership demands the cultivation of body, mind, and spirit before one can serve others. His words are not about routine alone—they are about devotion, about beginning each day in strength so that one may pour out strength for the world.

To rise at 5 A.M. is no small act. The ancients considered the morning the sacred hour, when the soul is most open to clarity and the mind is free from the noise of the day. Philosophers, monks, and warriors alike trained themselves to greet the dawn not with slumber but with action. Adams aligns himself with this rhythm, declaring that his first battle is with the self, and only after victory there can he give his day to the larger struggles of governance and service.

In naming meditation, exercise, and nourishment, he points to the three pillars of preparation: the soul, the body, and the vessel that sustains them. Meditation centers the mind, anchoring it in purpose. Exercise strengthens the body, making it a worthy servant of the will. Nourishment fuels the labor to come. Only after these are tended to can he offer himself wholly to his duty. The message is clear: he who neglects his own foundation cannot hope to support the weight of others.

History gives us many who lived this truth. Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, wrote his Meditations in the quiet of morning before facing the burdens of empire. George Washington rose early to tend his estate and reflect before leading a new nation. Even spiritual figures—Buddha beneath the tree, Christ at dawn in prayer—began their days with grounding in silence and strength before moving into the world of service. Adams places himself in this lineage, declaring that leadership must first be rooted in discipline.

The phrase “12 hours for my city” is not casual—it is a vow. It is the recognition that leadership is not a title but a sacrifice of time, energy, and life itself. To give twelve hours each day is to live as a servant of the people, to place their needs before personal ease. In this we hear echoes of the ancient kings who bore their crowns as burdens, not ornaments, knowing that their duty was to toil so that their people might rest.

The deeper meaning is that greatness is built not in grand speeches or fleeting gestures, but in the daily offering of consistency. To rise early, to prepare well, to serve long—this is the rhythm of a life given over to purpose. Adams’ words remind us that true service is not accidental but intentional, born of discipline that begins in the secret hours before the world awakens.

Therefore, the lesson is this: cultivate yourself before you seek to serve others. Begin each morning with rituals that strengthen body, mind, and spirit. Dedicate your hours not only to personal ambition, but to a cause greater than yourself. For when you rise with discipline and labor with devotion, your life itself becomes a gift to the world. As Adams shows, the path of service is demanding, but when rooted in morning discipline, it becomes not a burden but a calling worthy of the ages.