The Audacity of Second Chances.

It’s over.  You had your chance.

And you blew it.

You failed.  In spectacular fashion.

What you thought you could do, you did do.  It’s didn’t work.

You’re left with the pieces.

That is all.  Pieces.

Nothing whole.  Not you.  Not your idea.  Not the expectation of success.

Only pieces.  Pieces of a dream that once glimmered brightly in the the twilight of an beckoning future.

And there you stand, drenched in the folly of trying something different.  Of wasted passion.  Of failed pursuit.

And the situation calls for reflection.  It demands perspective.  Your attention.

How dare you break from the norm?

One thing is clear.  You ventured too far from the edges of reasonable behavior.  You attempted the impossible without the approval of those in your way.

But despite the pain of this moment, there you stand — alive.

Not untouched but not fatally moved.

Mortal?  Yes.

Stoppable?  No.

Because no matter how bad today was, you know that tomorrow brings a second chance.  A chance to conquer the unknown.  A chance to turn defeat into conquest.

And knowing that you get a second chance means that every first effort is nothing but the luckiest opportunity you get.  A chance to beat the house at it’s own game.  A chance to level the odds.

It is nothing but a warm-up for every other morning that dawns.

Today is the beginning of the end.

But not just for what you want —  for those who need it from you.  For those who look to you for that second chance.

You want another chance.  It’s your lifeline to sanity.  Your belief in humanity.

And it’s just as important for those around you.  For those you lead.

You think you’re different?  That you deserve something special?  That you are better?  More deserving?

The behavior and attitudes we find inexcusable in others is the default wiring for how we make our own decisions.

We all need unconditional love.

We need leaders who understand that failure is just a time of day not a permanent label.

It might not be popular, academic, or “tough enough” to believe in a flawed performer.

But the audacity of a second chance might be the only thing standing in the way of their success.

A second chance from you.