Second Chances
Our focus this week — Dec 10-16: “Compassion”
Today’s MotD: Second Chances. Another way we can show compassion is to give others (and ourselves) the opportunity for a second chance. We’re reminded that ALL of us have made mistakes, poor choices, and/or done harmful deeds to some degree. And at the time, these are things we did based on what we knew or didn’t know at the time. With time we all gain insight and hopefully learn to do better next time.
And it’s the idea of the “next time” that we’re focusing on today. With progress and lessons learned, we all deserve a second chance. If anything we’re more prepared and more aware than we were previously. This goes for us as well.
For instance, Just because we fell off a bike while learning how to ride doesn’t mean we should never get on it again. We’re encouraged to figure out what happened, make whatever corrections are necessary, and try again. And even if we’ve learned how to ride a bike and been doing so for years and we fall, for whatever reason, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give ourselves another chance at it. We determine what happened, correct it as needed, and then consciously decide if we truly want to get back on the bike or not.
It’s interesting that “bike riding” was the example I felt compelled to write about because I haven’t been on a bike since 2005 when I was hit by a car…it was my fault. I misjudged the situation. Thankfully, there was minimal harm to me and nothing for the car/driver.
I’ve thought about getting back on a bike again and have ruled it out…for me it’s just not worth it to ride around this town, even though it professes to be bike-friendly. Also it’s not worth it for time and storage space reasons: a car is faster and has more room.
But I digress…
When it comes to second changes, our challenge becomes being able to honestly discern what and who deserves a second chance—and also realizing that sometimes the compassionate thing is NOT to give/have a second chance. Determining this is an inside job and something that we become better at with experience.
How about you ? Are you open to giving people a second chance ? Are you open to giving yourself a second chance ? Do you trust yourself to know when to do so and when not to ?
BTW…Here’s the before…the front and back view of today’s puzzle piece and the pretty ceramic box that holds all my numbers from which I randomly choose each day’s puzzle piece number:
Peace & Blessings,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
🔆 transforming soul whispers into mandalas and channeled messages of clarity, peace, and love
ABOUT THE 2025 Mandalas of the Day
Throughout the year, I’ll be building one large (48”x48”) Tibetan-styled Mandala one piece at a time…one puzzle piece at a time, that is. The mandala design and the reversed puzzle side were printed on artist-quality watercolor paper. The forward facing puzzle side was printed on a 48”x48” wood panel.
Each day, at random, I’ll be painting in watercolors one of the 365 watercolor puzzle pieces, that by the end of the year will become Archangel Mandala #4. Read more about the Archangel Series. The word/message for each piece will be inspired by Melody Beattie’s book “52 Weeks of Conscious Contact”.
Ultimately, the message of this mandala is about how we are all uniquely part of the one.
Mandala of the Day 