Growing up, I remember hearing my coaches say “finish strong!” over and over and over. They would also remind us to “play through the whistle.” The best coaches and leaders I have known in my life always emphasized the importance of giving your best effort until the every end. I always knew that if I left it all out there in the field, I would never feel terrible about my performance. Even if I underperformed or missed the mark with whatever I was doing, I gave it all.
Now listen…I didn’t exactly do that every play or every game or even every season. I messed around and I wasted some great potential during that time in my life. I was blessed with the ability to perform at a very high level if I gave my best, but I simply did not give my best. Eventually, I quit every sport before my senior year. I even finished high school later than my peers, but I didn’t care too much. I had already quit way before the finish line.
At 27, I decided to try to get back in the race. I began to realize that I could still make an attempt to finish strong. I wasn’t dead. I had already actually died and been revived, so...I had nothing to lose! I wasn’t going to be in jail forever. I would eventually leave and I would have another chance at things and at life. Why not give my best and finish strong? Because of this (Finish Strong) approach, followed by some strict action steps; it is 9 years later and my life is just beginning. I am thrilled, thriving, and grateful for every single day. I thought I would hopefully give it a good finish and maaaaybe stumble into an “ok” life. The result has been my previous acceptance of darkness, transforming into a new desire for light. The result has been living in the light and never looking back. There is a lot more to it, but It’s much better than an “ok” life. I feel like I am living in a dream, and all started with “one last try.”
Finish strong!
Neal
Commentaires