Encore…
Encore, an extra little bit of something, it can be many things, an extra song or two at a concert, some additional material at a show, it can be multiple things but one thing is constant, it’s always more than you expected. Life has a funny way of delivering these encore’s, sometimes they are additional great moments and sometimes they are the exact opposite, they are the lemons of life. Let’s think about this, on one hand this can be life serving you up another tasty plate of something incredible and on the other hand, this can be life backhanding you back to the ground. Big swing of emotions between the two and definitely much bigger emotional impact between them. Crazy part is 99% of the time you are not the one in control of when and where the encore will happen, just like a concert it’s typically a surprise. So how do we deal with an encore?
Let’s first examine the positive encore and see how we embrace and enjoy it. Typically, this will be something you were enjoying and thought to be almost over, well surprise, it’s not done yet! So, embrace it, enjoy it, and savor it. When you are presented an encore in this sense it is life’s way of throwing you the proverbial bone. I think almost everyone can relate to a time in their life where something was going on that you didn’t want to end and boom, life gives you a little more. It can be a family member extending a trip, your favorite band playing “your song” that you thought they weren’t going to perform, or even an additional day of rest and relaxation on your long-awaited vacation! So how do you react to these types of incidents? You enjoy them of course, why wouldn’t you enjoy a moment like that? The reason I point that out is it exactly what you must do when life throws the opposite at you. When you are given an encore of something fantastic the biggest thing we can do is be present for the moment, don’t sit on your phone tweeting/instagraming/etc., be in the moment! These are truly gifts that don’t always happen and the last thing you want to do is miss out on a special moment like an encore because you are too busy with something that just flat out isn’t important. Another scenario, you are at a big sporting event and at the end of regulation, the sands of time have run out and the teams are tied, they are going to overtime! Now during overtime what are you going to be doing, enjoying the additional encore or just flat out missing the moment? It sounds like a no-brainer but it’s something that we all struggle with especially in the day and age we are in with social media. There is always going to be plenty of time after the encore to rehash it, to relive and to share the experience with other loved ones or friends. As I said earlier though, how you approach this type of encore is the exact same way you should approach the other type of encore that life can throw at you.
So we’ve enjoyed the concert/game/moment, those are the easy encores to go through, but what about the bad encores? Well just like the previous encore, this one is one that you need to be in the moment for as well. It definitely isn’t nearly as enjoyable as the previous encore, but it is something you need to make sure you are in the moment for. This type of encore is typically one life will serve up just when you think the worst is over, just when you think you are finally at the end of this horrible journey, surprise! This is the encore life likes to throw at you when you think you can’t take any more, when you’ve had enough and you’ve convinced yourself that you have made it through the storm, the good news is the hard part is already done. You already have witnessed the main act of this encore, you have gone through the bulk of the storm already, so while this encore is going to increase the pain/hurt/suffering, you can take it and you must, you must choose to endure! The saving grace of this type of encore is just like a concert, you already know how the band is going to perform, you know what the storm is going to bring, so now it’s a matter of summoning the internal strength and perseverance to see it through, and how do we do this? By being in the moment!!!
So how do we find the strength or the courage to stand up and embrace this type of encore like we would a positive one? The same way you made it through the main act, you don’t yield, you don’t give in. The same reason you are not going to leave that concert is the same reason you are going to see this pain through all the way to the end. The beauty of an encore is, it’s at the end, not the beginning, so you are almost done! Now at the beginning of this storm, prior to the encore it probably felt like an eternity, and sometimes it will break you in the process. But if you have made it to the encore, you have already won, you have looked life in the face, stood in the middle of this storm and not given up, not surrendered, not yielded. That is what you must remember, you must embrace this, embrace the pain, channel all of the suffering you went through on this journey to get you to this encore. The main event has already given you the strength and tools to get through this last part, this last-ditch effort that life is throwing at you. You have already proven that you can make it through the bulk of the journey, life is hoping that determination is going to fade because you thought you were done, but life is wrong. The very thing life is throwing at you, it has prepared you for with everything that led up to this! It has not only given you the knowledge of how to endure and overcome this but the strength to stand up and be present in the moment. You do not get to an encore by lying down and waiving the white flag, no, you do not make it through the main part that way at all. If you have given up, then you have left before your team tied the game. You will hear about that incredible moment you missed because you were too busy checking what was trending instead of being in the moment. No, to get through this encore you have to do exactly what you have already done to get to this point, not give up!
Now this latter encore is going to sting, probably worse that the first part did but again, you have endured everything that has been thrown at you so far, now you just have to use that to finish the fight. Now don’t get me wrong, this is definitely not something to ever look forward to, hell no! I’m saying this isn’t something to be feared either! This is an event that you have been preparing for, you didn’t realize it, but everything you have faced up to this point, the pain/suffering/heartache has given you the tools to endure this extra dose of life. You have gone through way to much, sacrificed to much, lost too much to simply give up or quit. No, you have been molded to endure and survive this and that is the very thing that life is hoping you do not realize. Life wants you to think that all hope is lost, that there is no way you can take another second, you can’t survive one more dose of the pain, but that is where life is wrong and you succeed. This is the pain you have embraced; you know how it feels, you know everything it’s going to throw at you and now, you know it’s actually almost over! The encore does not come at the beginning, no it is the last thing before the Finale. This means you are on the home stretch, time to look at this encore and laugh. You should be proud, you have taken everything this storm has given you and it has not defeated you, it definitely doesn’t define you, yet it has changed you, for the better! Prior to the encore and the main event, you probably were like most people and never thought you would be able to make it through an event like this, let alone an encore. It’s this very statement that should give you the most motivation, you never imagined that you could get through something like this yet here you are, you are almost done! You are on the encore!
So remember, when you are given an encore, whether it be that song you wanted to hear or the nightmare not ending, stay in the moment! You have only made it this far by doing that exact thing, it is the inner strength and perseverance that you have shown that has gotten you to this moment, don’t miss your chance to stand up and face it! The video below is enormously powerful both in the song but the imagery. I feel the song speaks to the inner journey we all face at moments in life and the visuals show just how to enjoy the encore! Enjoy!
By: You know who you are
