Yogi was known for his, yogi-isms, sayings that Resemble the truth. Its this truth That informs what I mean by second shots. If I was the motto if it first you don’t succeed try, try again. This is the creative process in a nutshell. Sure there are windows of time that stop for no one. We do physically outgrow things. Here comes a time in each of our lives where our bodies physically can’t do what they once did. Even our faces change every seven years.
It’s ain’t over til it’s over!
Yogi Berra
I grew up A Yogi-ism fan because of my grandfathers deep appreciation for him and the New York Yankees. He often respond with it ain’t over til it’s over when times looked tough. So much so to this day I love that saying and It’s message of hope. To my grandfather’s chagrin, I chose the Mets as my team. And as a fan, I never want to walk out of the game early. That extended to leaving a movie, play or lecture Because you never know what you may mess even if it’s not good. The worst Broadway musical I ever saw which was written by a favorite performer, Harry Connick Jr, was a disaster, but even within that disaster, I watched the brilliance of a star being born in Norbert Leo Butz.
Sticking around till the end, speaks to a commitment to see things through Because there’s always a teachable moment. At the very least, it shows a path to other choices and how to choose to do things differently. As my friend Astrologer Virginia Bell says You can never learn less.
This approach of sticking around Is an important life skill. It’s developing the understanding how to turn a no into a not for now. The door closes and may stay closed for a while, but circumstances may cause that door to open. Opportunities that vanished return.
Early on in my coaching career, I met a lot of Creative’s in their 40s 50s and 60s who were pivoting into their second career. They had been successful in business, they had families and we’re now ready to return to take their second shot at a career that they started in their 20s. They were coming out of retirement if you will.
They were creative types who did what society said and then having achieved what society said was important, but they were supposed to have achieved they weren’t happy. They found something missing. They were now looking to do something that they loved. Or have loved or have been persuaded from pursuing by people that told them they should do something else.
They we’re now approaching this career with new knowledge. The training was like riding a bicycle, they just had to practice. They also had life experience which they didn’t have in their 20s. They Experienced setbacks and lived long enough to know that things don’t always go as planned. They’ve also live long enough to see second chances. To see the doors open that once appeared close. Great example of this is Star Wars. In the 80s George Lucas said that he was done filming Star Wars movies. And from my vantage point I believed him. I never thought I’d see one additional Trilogy let alone two. They live long enough to see villains become reformed. To know that there are two sides to a story and That information will come out over time.
Working with people going for their second shot, means that they experience failure in the past and are ready to bounce back. Everything you have is already within and I’m just here to help you mine it out.
Like Yogi said, it ain’t over til it’s over!