NORTHEAST FLORIDA NATIVE AND AIR FORCE VETERAN GORDON CHARLES MACLEAN RETURNS HOME TO LAUNCH DEBUT BOOK THE AWAKE CODE AND THE AWAKE SOCIETY

MacLean Encourages Readers to "Wake Up" With 39 Practical Principles for Greater Purpose, Awareness and Intention, and a New Community Built Around the Awake Mindset

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- October is National Book Month, offering readers an opportunity to discover new perspectives, reconnect with reading and reflect on the stories and ideas that shape their lives. For Northeast Florida native Gordon Charles MacLean, it is also a timely reminder to consider whether we are fully engaged in our lives, or simply going through the motions.

MacLean explores that question in his debut book, The Awake Code: 39 Rules for Living a Fully Engaged Life. Drawing from his experiences in the military, commercial real estate, entrepreneurship and leadership, the book presents 39 practical principles for living with greater purpose, awareness and intention.

His path into military service began as a young man searching for direction. While serving with the U.S. Air Force's 9th Reconnaissance Wing, MacLean supported classified electronic warfare, reconnaissance and intelligence collection systems aboard the U-2 aircraft. The experience gave him a foundation in discipline, responsibility, awareness and perseverance that would later influence his approach to life and leadership.

Following his military service, MacLean built a commercial real estate career spanning office, retail, multifamily and industrial assets. Over more than three decades, he completed more than 200 transactions. During the 2009 financial crisis, however, he watched much of what he had built disappear.

That setback forced MacLean to reconsider not only how he worked, but also how he lived. He began documenting the lessons, observations and personal principles that helped him rebuild his life. Those reflections ultimately became The Awake Code.

"This isn't motivation," MacLean said. "It isn't a theory. It's lived experience tested through pressure, through failure, through rebuilding. No fluff. No clichés. Just principles that actually work."

Each chapter combines personal stories, lessons inspired by influential leaders and thinkers, reflection questions and practical action steps. Topics include leadership, resilience, self-awareness, generosity, meaningful relationships and personal responsibility.

MacLean hopes the book will encourage readers, particularly professionals, entrepreneurs, veterans and those navigating major life transitions, to recognize areas where they may be "sleepwalking" and begin taking intentional steps forward.

Extending the principles of the book beyond the page, MacLean is also launching The Awake Society, a community built around the ideas at the heart of The Awake Code. The Society is intended to bring together people who want to live with greater awareness, purpose and intention while creating meaningful connections with others committed to doing the same.

For MacLean, The Awake Code provides the framework, while The Awake Society gives readers a way to put those principles into practice and connect with others committed to living more intentionally.

With his Florida roots and longstanding connection to Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra Beach, the Northeast Florida launch brings MacLean back to the community where many of his earliest lessons in work, discipline and purpose began. For more information about The Awake Code or Gordon Charles MacLean, visit www.gordonmaclean.com.

About The Awake Code: 39 Rules for Living a Fully Engaged Life
The Awake Code is a practical guide for individuals seeking greater purpose, clarity, resilience and engagement in life. Organized around 39 principles drawn from MacLean's personal and professional experiences, the book encourages readers to move beyond distraction and drift and toward intentional action, meaningful relationships and authentic success.

About The Awake Society
The Awake Society is a community inspired by the principles of The Awake Code and created for people seeking to live with greater purpose, awareness and intention. Founded by Gordon Charles MacLean, the Society extends the ideas of the book beyond the page, creating a community centered on personal growth, meaningful connection, intentional action and living a fully engaged life.

About Gordon Charles MacLean
Gordon Charles MacLean is the author of The Awake Code: 39 Rules for Living a Fully Engaged Life, a commercial real estate executive, entrepreneur, military veteran and developer. A Florida native with deep ties to Northeast Florida, he began working at 13, later worked in a beachside seafood restaurant and, at 17, joined the professional kitchen at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach. At 18, he took his military oath in Jacksonville before serving with the U.S. Air Force's 9th Reconnaissance Wing, supporting U-2 reconnaissance operations. Today, MacLean is managing director of a Sperry Van Ness brokerage franchise and managing trustee of Scotch Hollow, a 72-acre mixed-use development in Walton County, Florida.

SOURCE The Awake Code