Photo Source: Rana Sinha (Author)

Fame, money, riches, success in profession, admiration, power, physical beauty and condition are some of the things in life almost everyone wants to possess and dream of having. Some we get, some we don’t.

One can become famous and then end up being forgotten. But some famous stars and sports heroes manage to make comebacks and regain their popularity.  One can have power, lose it and yet again regain it.

Famous Comebacks

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

The world’s top-ranking cyclist Lance Armstrong was written of as a has-been after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs and brain. Not only did he regain health, he won the prestigious Tour De France cycling tournament a record breaking seven times.

Johnny Cash had been diagnosed with degenerative Shy-Drager Syndrome and death-watches were expecting his death. He came back with haunting and inspired recordings and achieved greater success than ever before.

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

In the early 1930s Winston Churchill was considered a spent force. But he came back to lead Britain through World War II and eventually being selected the Greatest Briton of all times year after year.

The Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was thrown into jail by a court in 1977, while she was the prime minister. In 1980 an overwhelming majority voted her back into power.

Three Things That Never Come Back
 
There are three things in life that, once gone, never come back. They are

1. Time
2. Opportunity
3. Words

No matter how rich or clever we are, we can never move the clock back and regain time already past.

An opportunity lost will never come back in the same form. Of course we can either slump into regrets and self-hatred or try to gain solace by reasoning that this was not to be and an even better opportunity will come.

Photo Source: Emmi

Words, which have left our mouth, can never be taken back. There is no magical “undo” button as on computer keyboards. You don’t have to be a politician to know that promises made and not kept or angry words spoken without control cause hurtful feelings or resentment. You can apologize, make amends and blame it on others but rather often, once the wrong words have left our mouths and have been heard, the damage is done. I still remember an elderly lady saying to another person twenty-five years ago “With my mouth I forgive, but in my heart I will not forget”.  John F Kennedy said once “Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names”.

So watch out for your time, opportunity and words!