When we hear the words second chance, we think of us giving others second chances. This piece is not about that. This blog is about the second chances we receive in our own lives. This discussion is the scenario of beating ourselves up about not handling a problem the way we should have done it. We swear to the powers-that-be, the higher-ups, God, whatever it is you call it.
We say that if we ever received a second chance, we would handle it differently. We swear to value money more, state we will take our health seriously, and cherish great friendships. We promise to cherish moments with our loved ones. We say all these things, but we tend to do the same thing with our second chance as we did with the first. We then wait for that third chance. Most of the time, it never occurs. How do we take our second chances seriously? How can we assure ourselves that in the future, we will not need any second chances? What needs to occur in our lives to value our first chance more than we do now?
What is a second chance? A second chance is an opportunity to right a wrong. A second chance is the ability to utilize the experience in a failure and prevent it from repeating in the future. Do you look at a second chance in that light? Most of us do not. Most of us treat a second chance like another first chance. This action is the mistake we make. We must always have in mind that this is a second shot. We may also remind ourselves that we probably do not deserve it. This method of thinking will help us take that second chance a lot more seriously than we have in the past. How can we make sure we no longer need a second chance? This answer is tricky because even in treating our first chance as well as we can, we may still fail.
To put it as simple as possible, we are flawed. Humans are not perfect. What we can do is make sure that we need a lot fewer second chances. Needing fewer chances will make those giving us a second chance a lot more willing. The person or world will present a similar situation to you a couple of months or even years later to see if you have learned anything from the first failure. We often think about a time when we did not handle a situation the way we wish we did. Most of us wait for that opportunity to present itself again so we can approach it correctly. We have hindsight. We realize we could have done a lot differently. We plan to do a lot differently, but we need the opportunity. When given the opportunity, what do we do? We usually drop the ball again. This outcome is because we feel that the 3rd and the 4th chances are right behind it. Huge mistake. Disrespecting the second chance will shut the door on the third and fourth ones most of the time.
What needs to occur in our lives to value those first chances more? Well, a lack of a certain second chance will help. A little bit of regret will make us put more emphasis on our opportunities. A bunch of what-ifs that fill up our minds will make us tell ourselves “never again.” None of these are great scenarios. No one wants to experience these outcomes. We all seem to have to. There may be several of us that can read this and get it immediately. They will value their first chances or opportunities as if it is a second one. They will operate as if they know a third one is not coming. It is the ideal approach. The only way to respect and cherish the second chance is to tell yourself that it will never come.
This method will cause you to make better decisions in your first opportunity. This insight will cause you to have a lot more deep thought before acting within your first opportunity. The approach will result in you playing out situations that haven’t happened to be super prepared for it when it does. You’ll be so well-versed in this approach that the need for second chances we’ll dwindle. This lifestyle will make you a prime candidate for a second chance if you ever needed one because people and the world will see how well you treat the first chance. Just ask yourself, how more likely am I to give a second chance to a person who’s never needed one? Exactly.
In closing, second chances are not as hard to come by as I make it seem in this piece but, that is the reason why we don’t cherish them as much as we should. The Doomsday scenario is getting plenty of second chances but not receiving one when you wish you had it. No one wants to experience that. Treat every opportunity as if it’s your second chance and see the difference in the outcome. Practice this technique for a couple of years. You will see no one has a problem giving you a second opportunity or bringing you in on theirs. The trust you receive is because you approach your chances with so much responsibility that others see no risk in inviting you in on theirs. Respect your opportunities. A second chance is not always coming.
Food for thought … You do the dishes!
