Al was told by his doctors that if he didn’t stop drinking, he’d be dead within a year. With the help of his family, he checked into a rehab and has now been clean and sober for three years.

Chita’s 24 year marriage had grown stagnant now that the kids were grown, and she longed to rekindle the passion she and her husband once had. Unfortunately, she rekindled it with someone else and was caught in the act. Not wanting to throw away the life they had built together, Chita convinced her husband to give her another chance, and vowed to go to marriage counseling. Next year, they’ll celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary and both will say that the affair, although painful, was the catalyst to getting their marriage back on track.

A five-car pileup one Friday morning during rush hour almost claimed the life of Carlene, a middle-aged mother of two. She was pulled from the mangled wreckage with little hope of surviving the ambulance ride to the hospital. Today, Carlene owns a gift shop, a lifelong dream of hers, and is grateful for each day.

If you talk long enough with people, you’ll find many who have had setbacks in life. What’s interesting, however, is how they responded to these setbacks and used them to obtain a second chance. It seems that the key ingredient in recovering from setbacks is to face the problem head on. Those who did this found themselves in a better position to direct the course of their lives. The following key ingredients are common to those who have overcome setbacks and gone on to have a second chance:

1- Acknowledge that there is a problem or some difficulty that needs to be addressed. When Chita finally confessed her dissatisfaction with the relationship to her husband, they worked together to find a solution to salvage the marriage.

2- Enlist the help of organizations or professionals who have experience in how to approach the problem. In Al’s case, Alcoholics Anonymous is an ongoing part of his life.

3- Marshal a good support system, whether family or friends, or both, to encourage your efforts. Carlene’s family never left her side throughout her long hospital stay and physical rehabilitation; and when friends asked if there was anything they could do, she didn’t hesitate to ask for help with meals and household tasks until she could get back on her feet.

4- Maintain diligence and commitment to the goal until it is achieved. Although there were times when the going got tough, everyone agreed that it was the time of the most growth and healing for them. They kept their eyes on the goal, not on the difficulty at hand.

If you were to talk with Al, Chita, or Carlene today, they’d agree that these four elements together are essential to achieve success and obtain a second chance at life. As Carlene says, “It started with my desire to accept the situation so I could get on with whatever was necessary to carve out a happy life going forward. Once I make that decision, help was always available. Then I just envisioned life after achieving my goal and that helped me persevere. Now I’m living my dream and every day is a gift.”

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This article contributed by L.R. Olderman - a writer at Helium.com