Sunday’s Inspiration: “You Don’t Get A Second Chance to Make A First Impression”

“You Don’t Get A Second Chance to Make A First Impression” (you do)

Today’s Sunday’s Inspiration I’m sharing this quote with you and I’ll make things short and sweet today. I’m remembering back to my student days now, and for sure I’ll recount them a lot more on this blog over time and in particular on Sunday’s Inspiration. I was a bit of a cynical student. I make no apologies for it. When I was a student, being part of the actual course I was studying was the least important thing for me. Ask my mates from way back then.

I put my jobs priority most of the time as I prefer to earn money and work than study and the reason is simple, I’m a busy person and I’m juggling many balls at the same time – you don’t barge your way to the front like that. Something had to subside, and in the end, the three main things (as well as running a football fanzine, a supporters club and being a radio DJ for Nerve) I was doing were working, socialising and studying. Studying, came last. But I still got my degree (A BA degree in Public Relations). I was often judged by fellow students, even though they won’t admit it – some of them even thought I was a lazy student. I was busier than them. Fact.

Those who I met and studied with at university (none of whom I’m sure read this blog – if you do – leave me a comment whether positive or negative please – love to hear from you) were focused on the course. I wasn’t. It wasn’t a priority for me – I had a life away from it.

I studied Public Relations in Bournemouth University in England and it was good but I was too busy away from the course as I loved my lifestyle there: my multiple jobs (e.g. hotel barman, selling ice cream, serving tea… to name just three), the football, my mates, my backpacking jaunts instead of being at University. Those people may have been quick to judge me, perhaps on first impressions, or enthusiasm for the course. It’s just not that exciting sitting in a lecture room listening to tutors is it? But I made my notes, did my work and passed. Some quotes struck and I want to destroy this one, today:

“You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression”.

(Yes you do)

Coupled with “You can judge a person on first impressions”.

(You can, but I believe you shouldn’t)

Bottom line: you get as many chances as you want my friends. You walk into a room of posh college students all dressed in college attire and you’re dressed as a spider. They might be thinking “this person is crazy, they’re a lunatic.” They’re judging on first impressions here. While that person has made a first impression as a spider. He has a second chance to make a first impression by chatting to them. He has a third chance to make a first impression by eating with them. Hell, he has a fourth chance to make a first impression by playing football with them. You get the idea. You need to be pretty fickle to judge somebody on their first impressions. It’s shallower than any river you’ve ever seen.

Here’s another example. A guy saw me going crazy and over-reacting to a hotel manager in Argentina in 2010. His first impression of me was probably “moaning Northern Irish git”, “twat” etc. and he’d be entitled to say that as his first impression of me in this instance was a moaning eejit (idiot). But then I got a second chance to make a first impression by chatting to this guy. In the end he became best mates with me on the trip that we did to Antarctica together and we keep regular touch. He didn’t jump the gun and judge me from that first instance. And I don’t either.

I never judge people by their first impression, I let them have their first impressions again and again. And again. because you always get another chance in life. And if you don’t, take it with a pinch of salt and move on.

There’s no real need to take things too seriously. Especially on a quiet Sunday.

I’ve enjoyed sharing this with you today and have a ton more of these types of posts to come. There’s some old photos on this post too that hadn’t seen the light of day yet on my blog, so I’m also really happy to have shared these with you.

Stay lucky, but try not to jump the gun and judge people immediately. They might just be having a bad day. There may be a genuine method behind their madness. Who said being crazy was a bad thing?