Finishing Strong
In a classic early season episode of Arthur, Arthur and his fellow classmates partake in "TV Free Week," agreeing to go a week without watching television. Over the course of the week, Arthur, his family, and his best friend Buster find it really hard to go the week without watching any television (I suppose if this episode were made today it would be about going a week without using social media or a streaming service, but I digress). As Arthur and Buster are on the final night of TV Free Week, they both happen to find themselves outside a friend's house so that they can watch a TV movie special. Just as Buster approaches the doorsteps and is ready to knock, Arthur realizes how close he and Buster - not to their friend's house, but to going a whole week without watching TV. They resolve to stay true to their pledge and go the park instead.
Arthur and Buster found that it was really hard to go a week without TV, but found it gratifying that they were able to finish out the week and not "cheat" on the final night. It wasn't easy (and they easily could have cheated without anyone knowing), but the saw the value in finishing strong and staying true to their pledge. And while there is a value in unplugging from TV and other electronics, that is a topic for another blog post. Conversely, I wanted to focus on the value of finishing strong.
As the year (and decade) begin the final month, it only seemed fitting to write about finishing strong. It's something that's been on my mind lately, as I want to finish off the year on a high note. The Holiday Season really can be a busy time for people for all sorts of reasons - shopping, parties, traveling, end of year projects, planning for the following year, and so on. While I look forward to heading home for Christmas in a few weeks, I'm also reminded of all that needs to be completed in the meantime. You know, Christmas shopping and figuring out what to put on my list for Santa. Really though, this whole year has been a gift in itself, a year that I'm forever grateful to God for. And that's all the more why I want to finish out this year strong.
It seems so easy to say and understand that finishing strong is important, but why is that so hard to truly live out? Why is there a desire to coast or take things easy? Well, for starters, just getting close to the finish line can be a long, arduous task filled with obstacles and challenges. That alone can make one want to slow down as one approaches the finish line. In a sense, it's good to be tired (provided one isn't burnt out) as one approaches the finish line because that means one's been working hard along the way. There's also the challenge of wanting to be done because one is close to being done. Once the finish line is in sight, it's rewarding to know that it's close but also frustrating to be reminded that there's still work to do. Mentally, this is where the smallest challenges become the biggest frustrations. By this point, one's ready to be done with challenges instead of having to deal with more. In short, finishing strong can be a struggle because we're tired, have endured multiple challenges along the way, and are ready to be done.
Is there a foolproof way to finish strong? Well, not exactly. However, I can reflect on my running experiences to help. In the countless times I've run races and wanted to stop, I've reminded myself that the fastest way to the finish line is to keep running. I've also found that once I start walking, it's a challenge (physically and mentally) to start running again. We have to have perseverance in order to finish strong. I've also found that directing my mind elsewhere can help. If the constant thought running through our mind is that we just want to be done, the task at hand becomes all the more challenging. One thought that we can tell ourselves is that finishing strong and giving everything we have left is all going to be worth it. I felt a lot better finishing a race knowing that I had nothing left in the tank as opposed to feeling like I had too much left at the end. And as time goes on and we look back, odds are we'll be happy that we did finish strong as opposed to giving up or coasting because we were tired, didn't believe we could do it, and so on.
Lastly, there is one external factor that's always helped me at the end of races: the spectators at the finish line cheering everyone on. The encouragement from the crowd (even if its "he's right behind you") is a great motivator and would get me to move a little faster. While we may not always have a crowd cheering us on as we approach other finish lines, we can take heart in knowing that God, our only true audience, is watching us and cheering us on.
As I mentioned earlier, I really want to finish out 2019 on a high note because it's been a great year to me. When I reflect on the year, one of the reasons why I believe 2019's been such a good year is because I made changes in my life, some which were in response to struggles I faced in 2018. In a way, that meant turning weaknesses and stress sources from last year and turning them into strengths and less stressful this year. And while I still have room for improvement and there areas of my life I can work on, I've seen a whole lot of growth in my life this year. It's a true testament to God and the people that He's put in my life, not to mention the lessons He's taught me and opportunities He's provided. And for struggles that I did endure last year, I've also realized that I had to go through those struggles to get to where I am today. So while I may be ready to head home for the holidays, I know that I first need to finish strong with all that I have left to do this year, even if there are times I may feel tired or grow weary. I know that it will all be worth it in the end.
To close, I'm reminded by another PBS kid's show: Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. In the episode "Edward's Exploit", Edward is taking a special train and has trouble getting started. Once he finally does get started (and teased a little bit), the journey goes smooth for a while...until he has to take the train home. On the journey back, Edward endures heavy rain, issues with sanding on the rails, and has a mechanical issue. Everything seems to be going against Edward, and it doesn't exactly help that the passengers are anxious and need to get back that night. After his crew make some adjustments to the coaches, Edward took another crack at pulling the train. In a beautifully done scene (with amazing music, too!), Edward moved again, this time at a slow and steady pace. To paraphrase the narrator, Edward was tired and weary, but he finished strong and pulled the train home.
Edward had a lot go wrong for him along the way home, but persevered and finished strong, truly giving all that he had left in the tank. As the year ends, we may find ourselves like Edward: tired, weary, and facing unforeseen obstacles. Still, we can persevere and keep going on. That may involve getting creative or having to make adjustments, as it did for Edward's crew - or even for Arthur and Buster. In the end, we'll be glad that we persevered and finished strong. And like Edward, that's what will bring us home.
Arthur and Buster found that it was really hard to go a week without TV, but found it gratifying that they were able to finish out the week and not "cheat" on the final night. It wasn't easy (and they easily could have cheated without anyone knowing), but the saw the value in finishing strong and staying true to their pledge. And while there is a value in unplugging from TV and other electronics, that is a topic for another blog post. Conversely, I wanted to focus on the value of finishing strong.
As the year (and decade) begin the final month, it only seemed fitting to write about finishing strong. It's something that's been on my mind lately, as I want to finish off the year on a high note. The Holiday Season really can be a busy time for people for all sorts of reasons - shopping, parties, traveling, end of year projects, planning for the following year, and so on. While I look forward to heading home for Christmas in a few weeks, I'm also reminded of all that needs to be completed in the meantime. You know, Christmas shopping and figuring out what to put on my list for Santa. Really though, this whole year has been a gift in itself, a year that I'm forever grateful to God for. And that's all the more why I want to finish out this year strong.
It seems so easy to say and understand that finishing strong is important, but why is that so hard to truly live out? Why is there a desire to coast or take things easy? Well, for starters, just getting close to the finish line can be a long, arduous task filled with obstacles and challenges. That alone can make one want to slow down as one approaches the finish line. In a sense, it's good to be tired (provided one isn't burnt out) as one approaches the finish line because that means one's been working hard along the way. There's also the challenge of wanting to be done because one is close to being done. Once the finish line is in sight, it's rewarding to know that it's close but also frustrating to be reminded that there's still work to do. Mentally, this is where the smallest challenges become the biggest frustrations. By this point, one's ready to be done with challenges instead of having to deal with more. In short, finishing strong can be a struggle because we're tired, have endured multiple challenges along the way, and are ready to be done.
Is there a foolproof way to finish strong? Well, not exactly. However, I can reflect on my running experiences to help. In the countless times I've run races and wanted to stop, I've reminded myself that the fastest way to the finish line is to keep running. I've also found that once I start walking, it's a challenge (physically and mentally) to start running again. We have to have perseverance in order to finish strong. I've also found that directing my mind elsewhere can help. If the constant thought running through our mind is that we just want to be done, the task at hand becomes all the more challenging. One thought that we can tell ourselves is that finishing strong and giving everything we have left is all going to be worth it. I felt a lot better finishing a race knowing that I had nothing left in the tank as opposed to feeling like I had too much left at the end. And as time goes on and we look back, odds are we'll be happy that we did finish strong as opposed to giving up or coasting because we were tired, didn't believe we could do it, and so on.
Lastly, there is one external factor that's always helped me at the end of races: the spectators at the finish line cheering everyone on. The encouragement from the crowd (even if its "he's right behind you") is a great motivator and would get me to move a little faster. While we may not always have a crowd cheering us on as we approach other finish lines, we can take heart in knowing that God, our only true audience, is watching us and cheering us on.
As I mentioned earlier, I really want to finish out 2019 on a high note because it's been a great year to me. When I reflect on the year, one of the reasons why I believe 2019's been such a good year is because I made changes in my life, some which were in response to struggles I faced in 2018. In a way, that meant turning weaknesses and stress sources from last year and turning them into strengths and less stressful this year. And while I still have room for improvement and there areas of my life I can work on, I've seen a whole lot of growth in my life this year. It's a true testament to God and the people that He's put in my life, not to mention the lessons He's taught me and opportunities He's provided. And for struggles that I did endure last year, I've also realized that I had to go through those struggles to get to where I am today. So while I may be ready to head home for the holidays, I know that I first need to finish strong with all that I have left to do this year, even if there are times I may feel tired or grow weary. I know that it will all be worth it in the end.
To close, I'm reminded by another PBS kid's show: Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. In the episode "Edward's Exploit", Edward is taking a special train and has trouble getting started. Once he finally does get started (and teased a little bit), the journey goes smooth for a while...until he has to take the train home. On the journey back, Edward endures heavy rain, issues with sanding on the rails, and has a mechanical issue. Everything seems to be going against Edward, and it doesn't exactly help that the passengers are anxious and need to get back that night. After his crew make some adjustments to the coaches, Edward took another crack at pulling the train. In a beautifully done scene (with amazing music, too!), Edward moved again, this time at a slow and steady pace. To paraphrase the narrator, Edward was tired and weary, but he finished strong and pulled the train home.
Edward had a lot go wrong for him along the way home, but persevered and finished strong, truly giving all that he had left in the tank. As the year ends, we may find ourselves like Edward: tired, weary, and facing unforeseen obstacles. Still, we can persevere and keep going on. That may involve getting creative or having to make adjustments, as it did for Edward's crew - or even for Arthur and Buster. In the end, we'll be glad that we persevered and finished strong. And like Edward, that's what will bring us home.
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