Second Chances - Part 1
Movies, tv shows, songs, hallmark cards, billboards - what doesn’t talk about second chances? Everyone loves a good second act or redemption story. Webster’s dictionary defines Second Chance as an opportunity to try something again after failing one time. Second chances can come in many forms- love, work, a game, etc.
What is it that says “we” should get a second chance? Sometimes we think - no way that person gets another chance. Life doesn’t always allow for second chances though. A long debated question - what “qualifies” someone to deserve one I’ll save for another time. Personally, I believe in second chances in most instances in life.
A second chance may be about changing an outcome, not repeating past mistakes or at the very least improving. It could be about redemption to others or just to prove something to yourself. We often evolve and change over time. Starting over without learning from the lessons of a past failure may very well result in the same outcome.
Can we change an outcome or a “first impression”? We often hear we only have one chance at a first impression. Most often I do not think we get an exact “redo” at something that didn’t work the first time. But it does happen - an impression, a relationship, a business, a sport.
Things fail for many reasons - timing, experience, maturity, things out of our control, perspectives, etc. Failure offers us an opportunity to grow and learn, but to also then show ourselves we can succeed. Failure is a result of trying after all.
Parenting is incredibly rewarding and brings immense happiness, but also incredibly challenging. As a parent I often give my kids second chances - even if it’s not the right thing to do. I always want to see them learn and then succeed. Sometimes they have to fail first.
When you get married you don’t plan to get divorced. It’s often considered the worst personal failures of someone’s personal life. I can certainly relate to this. Coming out of a divorce we have an opportunity to reframe and look at things anew. It may be about forgiving another or just forgiving yourself. This is also a matter of mindset, it doesn’t always make sense to consider divorce a failure if you know it is the right thing to do. It takes strength and bravery to take these steps forward.
Divorce leads to many thoughts, emotions and mindsets. It’s a process to come out the other side happy and “alive.” Although we all may take our own path there.