Leadership Thought #331 – You Make Your Own Luck
It always bothers me when someone complains about another person’s good fortune by saying they were lucky. Sure, some people get lucky, but pure luck is much rarer than you think. Hardly any people ever win the lottery. Even those who achieve significant lottery wins typically engage in the game for several years before experiencing financial success. Of course, some people start with more advantages than others; however, as someone who knows a few individuals born into wealthy families, I can say that this advantage is accompanied by its own distinct set of problems. Resenting the success of others is a waste of time and energy. It is also an unattractive character flaw.
The reality is that successful people often put themselves in a position to be lucky. You don’t see all the hard work behind the scenes. Additionally, everyone experiences ups and downs in life. Very few of us have a life curve that is only upward sloping. The difference is that “lucky” people just do not let their periods of adversity define them in unhelpful ways. They persist, continue to learn from their mistakes, maintain their self-belief, and take calculated risks. Their worldview is usually a positive, optimistic one. Where others see obstacles to success, they see opportunity.
It also helps if you have a genuine passion for what you are doing. The people who care the most generally do better than their counterparts. Moreover, you must possess the necessary physical, emotional, and mental capacity.
I love music, but a lack of natural ability has stunted my attempts at musicianship. No matter how hard I work at it, I will only ever get so far. I also won’t be a grandmaster in chess, author the next great American novel, or pitch in major league baseball. The good news is that I can still be a fan of people who are exceptional at all these things. We all have a pathway to happiness and success; the key is to never stop looking until you find it.
At some point, we all must decide how badly we want something and what we’re willing to do to get it. I hope this motivation stems from worthwhile pursuits that enhance rather than weaken your character. You will find out what you are made of and how far you are willing to go to achieve your objective. As with everything in your adult life, you will set the boundaries of acceptable behavior. I hope that you choose wisely. You will never find the light by choosing the path of darkness.
Positive, life-changing goals are worth extraordinary effort. When Malcolm Gladwell produced his 10,000-hour theory required to achieve excellence at anything, it resonated with me immediately. Even the Beatles had to tour tirelessly for years before they broke through on the music scene. They made their luck. I’ve heard quite a few speakers over the years talk about how success happens when skill and effort meet timing and opportunity—I completely agree.
Rather than becoming a victim and harboring resentment towards the good fortune of others, I urge you to relentlessly strive to create your own luck.
Related articles
- Luck: What It Means and Why It Matters by Ed Smith – review (guardian.co.uk)
- What is the difference between luck and a blessing? (kelhan1.wordpress.com)
- Luck: What It Means and Why It Matters (newstatesman.com)
- The Story of Success – Malcolm Gladwell Argues That Human Potential is Being Squandered (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)
- It’s not all about IQ (reengineertheworld.wordpress.com)
- Is it Really Luck? (jkdyken.wordpress.com)
- The history of luck (blogs.vancouversun.com)
- Good Fortune as a Daily Event (whitecranes.wordpress.com)
- Luck is hard work… (nkin.wordpress.com)
