I received a peacock-patterned scarf as a birthday gift from my aunt one year. To be honest, I was not at all impressed with it in the beginning. The colors were too bold for my taste and I couldn't figure out how to coordinate the pattern with the rest of my wardrobe. But because it was a gift, I felt somewhat obligated to use it. 

So I gave the scarf a chance. 

Slowly but surely I grew to love this particular scarf. Over time, I saw that other people fancied it as well. "That's a beautiful scarf," they would say. Without realizing it, the scarf eventually became an essential part of my personal style. It encouraged me to be a little more bold and adventurous in my wardrobe. 

But beyond materialistic matters, I gained some insight from this arbitrary piece of clothing that has stuck with me to this day. If I could just give certain things in my life - people or new experiences - the same chance that I gave my scarf then who knows what kinds of wonderful opportunities may come.

As one of my favorite authors, Paulo Coelho, once wrote: "We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen."