Second Chances

According to an Instagram survey I did recently, most of you don't believe in second chances and I get it. I totally understand. Why would you want to give someone a second chance to hurt you? A popular saying comes to mind...

“Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.”

— Randall Terry

Deciding whether or not to give a second chance is no easy task and I suggest that you take some time to think about if you want to or not. I recently had a mind shift that made me think about second chances in a different light. I'm not saying I'm Mrs Second Chances, I'm saying don't be so quick to cut someone off.

Here are some reasons why I recommend second chances.

PEOPLE CAN CHANGE. I've seen the worst types of people change for the better and if you were to mee the version of them then and the version of them now it would be hard for you believe that they are the same. Giving a second chance give the opportunity for a person to change and to prove it. I know majority rules and most people don't change for the better but what about the 10% that wants to change? Do we deny them that opportunity?

LIFE IS TOO SHORT. I've been in a situation where a friend in high school was upset with me and stopped talking to me for almost 5 years. This really made me upset because I considered her a really good friend and in high school, it's hard to go through the school experience alone. Back then I was very shy and making friends was a little hard for me. I was mad she wasn't talking to me because she was my only friend, we ate lunch together, sat beside each other in class etc. I spent the 4 plus years being upset every time I saw her which was like every day of my school life. Imagine experiencing that emotion every single day. Life is too short to keep those kinds of emotions bottled in. In the end, we squashed the beef and became friends again. She felt a particular way about how I handled something without explaining that to me and I was mad because she was mad at me. So we wasted almost 5 years being mad at each other when all we needed was to talk about it. A grudge is like an emotional anchor. It's heavy and will weigh you down. Forgiveness is a chance to let all of that go. At the end of the day, you should be aiming for peace of mind and sometimes peace of mind means giving a second chance, forgiving and moving forward.

YOU NEED THE FORGIVENESS. What if the roles were reversed, wouldn't you want a second chance? A second chance is another opportunity to make things right and be a better person.

Don't let anyone make you feel dumb for giving a second chance. This is your life, take some time and make your own decision.