Do You Tend To Leave Before The Grand Finale?

Do you tend to leave before the grand finale?
Think about it, in an interest of saving time, or beating the crowd do you leave before the best parts? It seems like a lot of people do, which makes me wonder, just how much are they missing out on?  At the fireworks in Plymouth the other night, I sat amazed as car after car began to leave about 15 minutes into the fireworks. I assume they were trying to beat the hoard that would be lined up trying to get home after the show, but the grand finale is the best part and getting to it is a lot of fun too. I had to ask, do these people do this in their life too? If so, just how much do they miss or abandon before it has the chance to come to fruition and don’t they miss all of those awesome experiences?

Thinking about this has led me to explore just how many ways leaving early could manifest throughout our lives.  If we adopt a plan to lose weight, for example, change our diet, begin to get more exercise, drink water, sleep on a regular schedule, care for our digestion and such, but stop after a while because the image we see looking at us in the mirror somehow has not yet managed to look like a supermodel.  Abandoning all of our efforts because we realize that even if we reach our goal, it will be months or even years in the future and spending that much time without our comfort foods or our days on the couch just doesn’t sound like fun.  How about with our life goals? Imagine just how many may have abandoned efforts to learn a new skill, or get a degree because the long road was just too long? Even in our relationships, giving up rather than working on changing what can be changed, or surrendering unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others.

My husband makes turtle shell rattles. They are used as medicine by many people, their sound to remind us of the first sound, long before people, long before life as we know it. These rattles require an immense amount of intention and time. In the process of making one, it is not unusual for the entire thing to have to be taken apart and rebuilt from the beginning because a strand broke, or there was a crack or it just didn’t feel right. Time after time, I have watched him abandon 12 or so hours of work, muttering initially of course as he cuts sinew and removes beads, only to start again, every time marveling at the determination, dedication and perseverance he displays, knowing that to reach the grand finale, he must sit present with the process.  Every time he has done this, the end piece stands as an amazing unique work of art, with its own individual sound, character and beauty.

I challenge everyone to sit in awareness of the ways they tend to leave before the finale, and try to gain an understanding of all the things you may be missing out on because of this. The journey up the mountain and its difficulty only makes the view at the top more amazing, same for our challenges in life. Stick around for the finale, the ending just might surprise you!