No doubt you’ve seen a bad movie or two. Let’s face it – not every movie is made with a big budget, talented actors, and most importantly, a good story line.
Have you ever left in the MIDDLE of the movie? Have you ever left at the moment of the cliffhanger? I bet you have.
Beginnings, Middles, and Conclusions
Every story has a beginning. Every story has the middle portion, and of course, every story has a conclusion. That conclusion often has a climax and that’s usually where the “feel good” part happens.
While we know this intuitively about a movie, we don’t always see the same thing about our lives. In the same way that a movie might unfold, our lives have many mini-stories and subplots.
We often are good at beginnings, but what about the middle?
Why Would You Leave in the Middle of YOUR Story?
First comes the beginning and then comes the middle portion of the story. When we watch a movie, we’re always introduced to the characters of a movie, and we watch in anticipation.
Then, the problem shows up. It’s here in the mucky middle that we find out more about the challenge(s), our protagonist faces.
For example, in the 1995 flick, Braveheart, William Wallace is left with anger after the love of his life is slaughtered. If we saw this and left after the battles started we would miss the final triumph of Wallace and his Scottish patriots against the tyranny of the English and his powerful cry, “FREEEEEDOM!!”
Likewise, why would you leave in the middle of your movie? Why would you give up on the protagonist named YOU? I see this with so many clients. They run into the struggles and the adversity. Frankly, it’s understandable that this is where you might want to quit, but the climax of your story won’t be found in the middle.
Happy Endings Result By Going Through The Middle
In fact, there is no climax ever found without going through the middle part of the story. That glorious middle. Any championship athlete will tell you that any glory they receive on the field or court was made in the very unceremonious middle.
For instance, NBA great, Kobe Bryant was known to have an incredible work ethic. A personal trainer shared that he once received a call from Bryant at 3:30 a.m. asking if he could get some training help that morning. By the time he had arrived, Bryant had worked up a sweat in those wee hours of the morning and it wasn’t even 5:00 a.m.
Bryant became one of the greatest players in NBA history as he won 18 All Star awards and was on the All NBA team 15 times. He won gold medals in the Olympics and the MVP award from the NBA finals twice. The “conclusion” was what happened in the limelight, but those glorious awards occurred in the dim lights of cold gyms.
Likewise, you may feel like you are in the “cold gymnasiums” of your career or relationship or project or business, but you aren’t to the “conclusion” yet. The happy endings come from the persistence of going through the middle.
Wise Words
Finally, consider these words from that same movie, William Wallace:
Aye ,fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live…at least awhile. And dying in your bed s, many years from now would you be willin’ to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take…OUR FREEDOM!
Are you willing to fight through that middle? Then the great endings are on their way!
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