Friday, March 16, 2012

Make Your Own Luck!

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

- Seneca, Roman Philosopher
With St. Patrick’s Day nearly here, there is a lot of casual talk about “The luck of the Irish”, and more about being lucky. Even when it’s not the eve of the greenest day around, we often wish people “Good luck!”. Is it luck that is needed to wished or sent your way, or it there a way to create your own luck?

I believe you create such “luck” through the combining preparation and opportunity. The intersection between the two is luck or the good fortune outcome that results from your efforts and the situation!

Both of the factors – preparation and opportunity can be managed. You can consciously, or sometimes even unconsciously, increase the amount of preparation you do. You can also increase the amount of opportunity in which you place yourself. Adding both together, you can dramatically increase the probability of good fortune arising.

Luck still exists when the good fortune outcome defies the odds of preparation and opportunity. Every week someone wins the lottery in spite of infinitesimal odds. And sometimes the best laid plans go awry. But by and large, the degree to which you prepare and place yourself in opportunity’s way are the surest ways to achieve “luck.” So, perhaps instead of wishing people “Good luck”, or attribute something/someone to “being lucky”, we may just want to wish them to “Do your best!”, and compliment them on being prepared and seizing the opportunity! Whatever you decide to say in the future, now I wish a Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you!

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