End Points

I don't know why this is, but end-points provide us with us meaning and purpose.

We always find that extra something when we see the finish line in a race.

We always save the real conversations for the drive to the airport.

We're often ready to forgive an old friend for an old grudge right before they move away.

We do our best work the night before a deadline.

We have newfound patience for our kids right before they reach a major milestone in life.

We say I love you when the end is near.

We contemplate life and why we're really here when faced with death.

The funny thing is, everything ends! Everything will come to pass. From the race, to the deadline, to our last breath here on earth, everything will come and go.

I think knowing things will end is half of it. And I think remembering to remind yourself that everything ends is the other half. It makes you appreciate right now a whole lot more. It makes you appreciate what you have a whole lot more.

End-points put things into perspective. They open your eyes to what is wasteful, superficial, and unimportant, and they help you hone in on what really matters. In turn, they can also be motivating and inspiring too.

And while their realities can be down-right gut-wrenching and anxiety-causing, I have to wonder: Are the end-points themselves causing those reactions in us, or is it having to confront the illusions and fallacies of what we held to be important and true beforehand causing these reactions in us?

Well, if end-points are inevitable, you tell me.

If they're coming anyway, why wait for the arrival of an end-point to contemplate and appreciate?