Do you believe in second chances? Hopefully, after reading this three-part series, you will. Hopefully, you will believe in - and experience - your own triumphant second chances.
For most of my life I’d been labeled stingy, stubborn, and selfish. Imagine those negative clouds following you throughout your adolescence and adult life. It doesn’t seem fair to have your character assassinated before you figure out who you are in the world. That’s the funny and comical thing about life; your battles are set before you unknowingly, and one by one, you have to knock them down and prove yourself.
Growing up as the eldest of four children, my life was anything but predictable. I was the quiet, soft-spoken child that usually got blamed for everything. I didn’t know how to speak up for myself, and took most punishment and ridicules in stride with the belief that things would eventually get better. Unfortunately, things only continued to get worse as I grew older.
I was judged by my body, skin tone, and introverted behavior. I didn’t know how to process these negative things. I held on to them like little gems, hoping that one day the knowledge of them would magically change me into someone people accepted.
Through experience though, I learned that acceptance doesn’t come from others, it comes from inside you.
Summary of Parts II and III: In part two of this series, Minolta talks about how she overcomes roadblocks that stand in her way, and in part three she shares her secret for winning life's battles.
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