1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to plan a closing ceremony. When you 4 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: know a chapter of your life is coming to an end, 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: do something to mark that end. That moment for reflection 6 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 1: can make life feel more rich and full. So, as 7 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: country singer Brad Paisley sings in his song, there is 8 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: a last time for everything, but we don't always know 9 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,279 Speaker 1: when that last time is happening. Maybe it's waking up 10 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: at five am to see what Santa brought. There will 11 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: come a year when your kids don't do that, but 12 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: you don't know for sure when they are doing it 13 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: one particular Christmas morning that that will be the last 14 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: early Christmas morning, and the next year they will be 15 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: big enough to sleep in. Many of us have said 16 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: goodbye to relatives, assuming we were saying goodbye for a 17 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: little bit, not forever in this world at least, But 18 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: life can change quickly. We can't always know when something 19 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: is the last time, but for some things we do know. 20 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: When you graduate from an institution, you are ending your 21 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 1: time there as a student. That is why we have 22 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: a big ceremony to mark the moment. When you leave 23 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: a job, you often do something to mark the end 24 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: of your tenure, particularly if you've been there for a while. 25 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: Those are big, obvious endings, but even many smaller endings 26 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: represent real change in a life. Acknowledging that change can 27 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: make transitions more mindful. So, for instance, if you have 28 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: worked for three months with a team on a project, 29 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: do something real to mark the end of the project. 30 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: It doesn't have to be a dinner if that doesn't 31 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: really work well for everyone. Simply ordering a team lunch 32 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: or having a quick ceremony on zoom where you all 33 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: share your favorite memory can send everyone off with good 34 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: feelings and maybe remind you that you would like to 35 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 1: work with these people again. Same with a volunteer project. 36 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: You don't have to let it just slowly end. Acknowledge 37 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 1: the ending, and talk about what you are taking from 38 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: the experience. I've always thought it would be great if 39 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: social groups would acknowledge an end to their get togethers. 40 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 1: This book club was great for a year, and now 41 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: people are getting too busy. Take a moment to acknowledge 42 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: this and thank everyone for being part of it, and 43 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: maybe share a funny anecdote, Even things that might seem 44 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: a bit silly can be worth a closing ceremony. Many 45 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: of us spend a lot of time in our cars, 46 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: so if you are trading your car in and getting 47 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: a new one, you might take a moment to acknowledge 48 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: all that time, thank the car for its service, or 49 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: at least talk with your family members about memories you 50 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: share from time you spent in that car. When we 51 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: sold our old house earlier this year, I took the 52 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: kids back there one last time to walk through it. 53 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: We knew that would be the last time we would 54 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: be there, so we wanted to walk through the halls 55 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: and think about our memories. Yes, home is wherever we 56 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: all are together, but we made a lot of memories 57 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: in that home. It was nice to have one last 58 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: night to acknowledge that. In general, people don't always like 59 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: thinking about endings. That's why we call graduations commencements, like 60 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: it's the beginning of something, and it is, but it 61 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: is also a finishing. We don't always like to acknowledge 62 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: that things will end. Like social groups. Perhaps it reminds 63 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: us in a way of our mortality. I've realized that 64 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 1: while I have watched a lot of Olympic opening ceremonies. 65 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: I really haven't watched that many closing ceremonies. I imagine 66 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: many of us are like that. But how we end matters. 67 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: An end can make a conscious transition that allows us 68 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: to mindfully close one book as we open another. We 69 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: can reflect on the memories and start moving forward with 70 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: fewer loose ends. So plan a closing ceremony for any 71 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: endings in your life that can make the passing time 72 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: feel a little more special and less like a loss. 73 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 74 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our talks. Hey everybody, 75 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 76 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 77 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod 78 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: that's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 79 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 80 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,599 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast 81 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 82 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 83 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 84 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the i heart rate view app 85 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:09,720 Speaker 1: Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite ships. Yeah.