Luck

Luck. Is there such a thing? I don't think so. I think "luck” is a cop out. It's a word we've treasured word over time. We cherish it because it implies hope. Luck suggests that there are powers outside of ourselves that work in our favor; elves for ourselves.

The truth is that things like winning the lotto, missing a flight on a doomed plane, or even
meeting the love of your life is more about probability and statistics.

Most of the goodness comes from hard work and the decisions we make. We strive to get what we want in life. We make decisions, big and small and we have to live with those decisions. Sometimes we make mistakes but sometimes we thrive.

I haven't always felt this way. Like the rest of us, the years have taught me plenty. I went from having a sort of a hippie-dippy ideology where everything was up to chance and that we were fools to think we had any hand in shaping our own lives to realizing the power of simply being aware of good opportunities.

Also, perspective has a lot to do with the existence of “good luck” or “bad luck”. In 2005, my brakes failed and I T-boned into another vehicle. Both cars where totaled but neither myself or the other driver had a scratch on us. Were we unlucky merely being involved in an accident at all or were we lucky for surviving it?

Sometimes it’s truly scary. It can be nerve-racking to try new things, go places you’ve never gone, and meet new people. However, it is essential to progress in our own lives. We need to feed off our own experiences and grow from them and one another. We need to evaluate what we go through; the things that turn us on and the things that brake us down. It's how we respond to it speaks to who we are. That's our power. Be a victim or a warrior for our future.

I no longer blame bad luck for my mistakes. I stopped making excuses. I no longer say someone is lucky just because they're more “successful” than I. It’s definitely not easy. Nothing that is worthwhile is easy. It takes hard work and patience.

Sure, coincidences can sometimes shape part of any situation as well as circumstances, people’s personalities, and many many other factors. However, luck isn’t any of those things. I think we often mix up the word “luck” and the word “coincidence.” Or even the word “luck” with the concept of probability.



If I believe in luck at all, it is as a mindset, a self-fulfilling prophecy that begins with what we tell ourselves. So much of what happens in our lives is a direct result of what we are constantly focusing on. If we are constantly saying “I am lucky” or “I’m unlucky”…either way we are right! When we listen to the whispers of our souls we live well with or without “luck”.