THE LIFE OF A SECOND CHANCE

This article was inspired by Zick Ralf’s write up “That Unique Voice.” In this post, he tells the story of a boy named Daniel who was nothing to write home about and whose voice no one listened to, until he was totally transformed by a counsel from his uncle. I was really touched by that story. If you have not read that blog post, I will advise you to read it.

It will interest you to know that I keenly read through blogs posts being published here and I observe all bloggers and can tell a few things about each of them. For me, Zick is someone who is really passionate about the well being of young people, especially boys and I perceive he is a mentor to youths. Some months ago, he wrote on “The Seeing but Blind Generation” which bothered on the reckless lifestyles of youths; so when he tells of ‘Daniel’s uncle’. I’m being persuaded to believing he was the one.

Now, this write up will go further to underscore Zick’s point of view which elucidates that when people are transformed on grounds of second chance, they gain their unique voice. Then, I will deeply dwell on second chances, explaining how they make us evolve. Now let’s begin!

Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo is a Nigerian poet and musician who was born and bred in the United States of America. Up till her mid twenties- when she was a successful pharmacist- she taught she had had all she wanted and never saw the need to do anything more. But from one day in 2005, her life took a different path. Iyeoka was rescued from death in an almost crashing airplane and at that moment, she realized that there was more to life. She began to share great inspirations about destiny and life purpose from the depth of her soul. Today, Iyeoka’s poetry has fetched her international awards and fellowships. Iyeoka had discovered another part of her life from a chance to live. The life of a second chance!

A second chance usually unveils a changed person with “that unique voice”- the voice that was meant to be, and while circumstances offering second chances may differ, second chances make us look inwards into our precise personality, enabling us tap from the trueness of our purpose for existence.

“Daniel in life some person’s get a second chance to change from being bad to a good person, your life style has not been adding positive value to you and the society, thereby hindering your potential and your unique voice, it’s high time you changed and try the other way of being a better pass in life.”

In all of the hullabaloo surrounding Daniel, when his uncle made him understand that he could be a totally changed person because a second chance was available, Daniel took a deep reflection and decided to take his destiny into his own hands.

Panam Percy Paul is one man I respect a lot. His style and contents of music remain outstanding. But Panam would have died long ago. At near death situation, while praying to the God he had previously taken for granted to spare his life, Panam began to have great insights and sing songs on the hospital bed. Then, his second chance gave birth to his remarkable music career.

“Rebirth” as Iyeoka puts it is when someone metamorphoses into different person. Every time we are saved, it gives us the second chance to begin afresh, compelling us to connect to our soul and ignoring our bodies and the material things of this life. And as Iyeoka discovered her true path, she resigned from her high-paying job, taking up poetry speaking on the streets to whoever cared to listen. She knew she had come to the point of her destiny and fulfilling it meant using her words to touch lives.

Many of us neither get the chance to meet with such provoking encounters nor with people whose words would transform our lives. Many people live and die with no such critical moments to help direct their lives in the direction of their true selves. We often live each day modeled by norms and expectations of the society. Conventional lifestyles deprive us of our true purpose. They make us operate on the surface, that we rarely reach down to our souls or consider our true potentials. Simply put it, continuous conventional life does not give us the opportunity for a second chance! And second chances are triggering forces for our rebirth.

In the aforementioned cases, I sited how life presents some people second chances to transform their lives. But there are cases where persons who did wrong were never forgiven and given second chances to prove or live right. For instance, some families disown their pregnant teenage daughters, thereby pushing them into the streets despite their plea for forgiveness and pledge to become better persons; some persons vow never to cheat again but are never forgiven or accepted again by their spouses or lovers while some others are convicted of crimes, condemned to life sentences and allowed to rot in jail for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, where these people are given second chances, they become changed and better persons.

As we have seen, most circumstances that give birth to second chances are undesirable; recall the near death situations and unwholesome lifestyles earlier mentioned. However, undesirable states are often needed to spark off the colourful sides of men. During ugly times, we must find and harness the true beauty that lies within us.

In summary, second chances come through life-transforming encounters and they give us opportunities to evolve with unique voices. Hence, every self undiscovered man needs a test of “The life of a second chance!”