THE SECOND CHANCE
Life is full of second chances. Wisdom lies in recognising and capturing the available opportunities and having the courage to avail yourself of a second chance.
In Reader’s Digest (February 1987), there was an article titled ‘Dare to Change Your Life.’ This article shared several stories of individuals who initially faced failure, suffering losses and challenges. However, they did not lose hope; despite losing one opportunity, they kept their eyes open for the next. This strategy worked, and after an initial failure, they found success in their second attempt. The article concluded with the notion that life is full of second chances. The only requirements to seize these chances are the ability to recognise them and the courage to act:
“Life is full of second chances. All we need for a second chance is the ability to recognise it and the courage to act.”
Life is, essentially, about utilising second chances—a truth as valid for individuals as it is for nations. History confirms this. In the early days, Islam did not find an opportunity to thrive in Makkah, but it embraced the opportunity in Madinah and carved its path forward. Western nations, unable to succeed in the Crusades, capitalised on intellectual opportunities to regain prominence.
In today’s world, it is common to miss the first chance, either due to inexperience or others’ opposition. However, losing the first opportunity does not mean losing all opportunities. If one remains hopeful after missing the first chance, a second chance is often just around the corner, ready to be seized to reach the intended destination.
It is unwise to wrest opportunities already occupied by others; wisdom lies in capturing those opportunities that are still available.
An article published in The Times of India (April 13, 1989) with a New York dateline was titled “Japan’s Bid to Excel the US in Supercomputers.” The report mentioned that America’s long-standing dominance in the field of supercomputers was now in question. Analysts from an American corporation predicted that a Japanese supercomputer named SX-X would enter the market in 1990. This machine was expected to be the fastest globally, capable of performing 20 billion scientific calculations per second, making it 25 per cent faster than America’s fastest supercomputer. It was also designed to be more cost-effective while maintaining precision.
The importance of this supercomputer extends beyond scientific research, oil exploration, and weather forecasting. It is also crucial for national security, as it is extensively used in nuclear weapons development. This new Japanese computer has ushered the world into a new industrial era, rendering previously “modern” computers traditional and outdated and even giving Japan a technological advantage in military fields.
In 1945, America created the “super bomb” that devastated Japan. Yet, it could not strip Japan of the potential to create the “supercomputer,” which allowed it to rise anew and, within just 45 years, change the course of history.
Destruction, no matter how extensive, does not eliminate the possibilities for rebuilding, and the power of construction is, ultimately, greater than the power of destruction.
