A Second Chance

"We all make mistakes, everybody should be given a second chance." - Lailah Gifty Akita

Has someone ever given you a second chance? A chance to start over? A chance to start anew? If you've ever been 'up against the ropes' or 'at wits end' or 'on the brink of failure or giving up' and someone or something allowed you a second chance, then you know the feeling of vitality you get when it feels like you have been given a new lease on life. The delight and joy that comes with an opportunity to do better, an opportunity to be better. Some of us have experienced life-changing moments like these in our lives. I know I have. And I am forever grateful for them. That's what life is about. We do not get redo's or do-over's, but we do get second chances.

We all like second chances. Some of us are waiting for someone or something to come around to give us that second chance. But do you realize that you don't have to wait for someone else to give this to you? You can do it yourself as many times as you need to. We often do try but have not trained ourselves to truly recognize it and do it on an ongoing basis.

Think about how we are on New Year's Eve. We often spend time reflecting on our past. Things we desire to change. Things we wanted to achieve. Maybe you even listed out all of the changes you are going to make? We may have fallen short. But we believe with the turning of a new year that we have another chance. We wait with great anticipation for the clock to strike midnight. So that at that moment, even though it may be temporary, we feel like we have flipped the switch and given a fresh new start. We wait for this one day of the year to give ourselves a chance to give ourselves this fresh start. To forgive ourselves for the past. To vow to make improvements in our lives. This year I will do it! But why do we do this every year?

The reality is that even the significant life-changing moments that happen in our lives happen in an instant. The buildup to this may have been a culmination of things that happened over many, many years. But the change actually happens in an instant. The instant that someone says "I forgive you" or "I believe in you" or "It's okay" or "I'm going to give you a chance" or "Don't give up," or anything else that had lent itself to creating this change. For New Year's, it was a click of the second hand on the clock, as it struck midnight, that allows us to give ourselves the permission to start over. Another moment in time. In an instant. So why wait for them?

Moments in time are continuously happening. Every day is another opportunity to give yourself permission to start anew. Every sunset is another opportunity to reflect back and reset yourself for another day. Every sunrise is a new beginning. Why wait for a new year when you can approach each day with fresh eyes? We should be excited about this! Every day is another 'second' chance!

But we also must take advantage of these second chances. A second chance doesn't mean you're in the clear. We must realize that in many ways, it is the more difficult thing. Because a second chance means you have to try harder. You must rise to the challenge without the blind optimism of ignorance. What you did in the past may very well be 'the best you could do' at the time. You did what you knew how to do. But now you know better. You must do better. A second chance doesn't mean anything if you didn't learn from your first. We must seek to find ways to improve ourselves daily, if even in the teeniest-tiniest way. Be better tomorrow than you were today, and be better today than you were yesterday! I can hardly wait for tomorrow; it means a new life for me each and every day.

It's never too late to start over, it's never too late to try again, it's never too late to give yourself a second chance. You can choose to think differently. You can choose to take different actions. You have that option.

Here are some tips to help you:

Choose your attitude. You are in control of your own attitude. It's a state of mind. Be mindful of your thoughts. It's a shift in your perception of things. Life doesn't happen to you; it happens for you.

Start small. If you are overwhelmed, start with a tiny step today. Dr. Martin Luther King advised, "Take the first step in faith." If you lost a job, update your resume. If you've ended a relationship, let go of the pain. If you have bad health, see a doctor. You can get there, one step at a time.

Change the things you can. What is the first thing that comes to mind? That is where you need to begin! How can you do things differently? Change your routine. Change your habits. Join a support group. Hire a coach. Make that phone call. Take action and do something today.

Become who you are. Start with a clean slate. Let go of anything that is no longer working in your life. Stop seeking approval from others. Do life your way. Live your values. Believe in yourself. Know your worth. You are worthy. Believe you are worthy and powerful. Listen to your heart. Open yourself to guidance, trust, and unconditional love, and acceptance. And you are enough, as you are. You are smart enough, talented enough, experienced enough.

Focus. With your goal in mind, write down your three most important tasks every day. Put all of your focus on these three things. When you are finished, do it again.

Embrace opportunity. Believe in possibilities. Keep an open mind. Live in the moment and live intentionally.

Journal. Express your strong feelings, change your thinking, develop clarity, and come to new conclusions.

Find a mentor or a role model. Someone who has accomplished what you want to accomplish. Someone who has been through what you are going through. A leader who you respect. A friend who cares. Model their behavior. Or gain more knowledge on what it is you want to become. Listen to podcasts, read books, find stories of others who have gone on to succeed.

Forgive yourself and others. Nobody is perfect. All things come to an end. Don't compare your circumstances to others. Don't beat yourself up. Don't beat others up. Use your energy to move on to new opportunities and better things.

Have a positive attitude. Look for the positive in everything. We can't control life. We can't prevent bad things from happening. Our power comes from how we react to what happens. 

Are you willing to give yourself a second chance? All change happens in an instant. Don't think of it as a second chance for change; think of it as the chance for change that can happen in a second. 

Reset yourself today and begin again with a fresh outlook. Realign your tasks with your goals, vision, mission, and purpose. Renew your belief in yourself and your abilities. Refocus in on accomplishing what matters most. Restart your internal engine to get moving and take action. Reclaim all that is there for you and believe that you can, will, and deserve to achieve greatness. Rejoice in the journey of life.

Start right now, this very instant. You have another chance and moment in time to make today great!

Curtis

"Don't think there are no second chances. Life always offers you a second chance, it's called tomorrow." - Nicholas Sparks