By Alex Mendoza

Four measures before the final hit, it all comes rushing back. All the memories of the never-ending string of rehearsals, the tears, the talks, the doubt – in that brief sliver of time, seconds stretch to months and the crowd disappears, if only for an instant.

You’ve done it for them. You’ve done it for others. But in this moment, you’re also doing it for yourself. Understanding what it means when thirty plus individuals become one. Where the pursuit of something greater than yourself becomes more than a goal, but rather a way of life.

Truth is, every time you emerge from the Big Dance, you’re not the same person you were.

In those six to eight minutes, you’re changing into everything you could have ever hoped for, inspiring and entertaining thousands in the process. Because at one point you were in that crowd once, mesmerized, captivated, enthralled, and willing to do whatever it takes to experience the deafening roar of 10,000 people celebrating your contribution to existence.

This is what you work for, sacrificing time, money and personal relationships in order to know what it feels like to take in the collective of all those voices, enraptured within a bustling veil of energy that could literally set the sky on fire, and realizing that hard work and persistence always yields positive results – regardless of the competitive outcome. It’s an electric, life-changing experience, amplified by the human experience of listening to music, as well as the embracing the arts.

Doesn’t matter what comes before, or after. There are beginnings and endings. This is simply another chapter in your life, but it’s one you won’t soon forget.

And after finals night, it’s one the crowd won’t forget either.

WGI 2014 World Championships: Your legacy is waiting.