Boris Yeltsin had wanted to become Prime Minister, but after winning the election in 1996 he lost the support of his party in an intra-party fight for the leadership and resigned, making the unexpected and unlikely suggestion to Boris Tsitsin that he was going to return as President.
Back on the island, Boris heard news of the firing and wondered whether he would be appointed to the post. The president wondered if Boris was resigning. Boris had to convince Yeltsin to accept Boris as his successor. Yeltsin spent his whole life fighting, and his worst enemy was Boris Yeltsin. For Boris, this would be a dream come true.
Boris ended up on the island in December 1996. He was installed as President in August 1997.
In the meantime, Boris held out hope to the Russians that the people would keep in power Yeltsin and accept his proposed reforms, in the hopes of seeing what they could do. Yeltsin and Boris had worked together for years, both knowing the other well. Boris was not angry, and he had helped Yeltsin through his early difficulties. Boris had worked for Yeltsin in the early years. When Boris was given the presidency, he realized that he had succeeded in another way as well: Boris felt victorious because he was able to get his way, without having to work as hard as he did with Yeltsin.
Boris had finally gotten his way. Boris’s initial five-year term as president expired in September 1999, but Boris resigned from his post to focus on his presidency. His resignation led to the third of five failed revolutions that we have seen in Russia, this one in May 1999. Boris Yeltsin returned to power, again. He was in power until his death in December 2007.
Reverting back to the island, Boris came to the realization that he had not made a mistake. He had fulfilled his role in the times he was needed, and he was working toward becoming President of Russia. However, Boris realized that he had also been given another role: Boris knew his role and he knew what he needed to do to achieve this new role. He knew that Boris had a second chance.
We all have a second chance to accomplish our goals. There may be occasions when we have to wait a while for a new opportunity. There may be times when we are in a situation that makes it hard to get a new opportunity. There may be moments when we may need to put aside our ambitions in order to wait for a new opportunity.
But we also have a second chance. Our opportunities are not gone forever. They will come again. They will change. But they will come again.
If you feel like you have lost your second chance, or that you are in the same situation you were in years ago, don’t lose hope.
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You may not be able to go back to the island to get your second chance. However, you may have a second chance within your own life.
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