How lucky are you?

But what is luck? It's the things that happen by chance instead of something you acted upon to control the outcome. The unpredictable course of events either lines up in your favor or acts against you.

Too many people attribute the success of others to luck. When something positive happens to someone they know, they comment, "My friend is lucky."   

Many people don't understand that we make our luck and that luck is based on the decisions and effort we put into making this work out in our favor. As John D. Rockefeller, Sr., said, "Everyone is a designer and architect of his destiny."

Rockefeller believed that you had to intercede to make your luck. His motto was, "I do not live by God-given luck, but I do-so by planning luck."

Rockefeller understood that to be a successful and profitable businessman, you needed to contemplate what was in your best interest, be cautious by looking for the dangers and opportunities in every possible option, and understand the strategies others could use to overthrow your dominance.   

Visionaries can see the opportunities in any misfortune. They understand how they can capitalize on another's adversity.  

While it may seem unethical to capitalize on another's misfortune, creating the most beneficial position for your business should be your strategic goal.

According to an article titled: The Psychology of Luck: Does Luck Really Play a Role in Life? (https://apcsc.org/the-psychology-of-luck-does-luck-really-play-a-role-in-life/), three components shape our belief about luck:

1. The Illusion of Control - Many believe they can influence luck through their behaviors or rituals. For example, wearing your "lucky" shirt when your favorite team is playing. These behaviors stem from a psychological need to feel in control over uncertain outcomes. 

2. Confirmation Bias - This bias occurs when people support information confirming their existing beliefs while discounting evidence that contradicts them. If someone believes they are lucky, they are more likely to notice instances that support this belief while overlooking times when luck was not on their side. We tend to see what we are looking for.

3. The Role of Optimism - Optimistic individuals tend to believe that good things will happen to them, which can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. A case study by psychologists found that optimistic people engage in behavior, such as networking, that leads to positive (lucky) things occurring in their lives.   

While chance may play a significant role in our lives, it doesn't diminish the importance of planning, skill, and effort to provide us with the best opportunities to be lucky. 

While you may not control your luck completely, you can position yourself for success by developing a thoughtful plan, honing your skills, and maintaining your optimism.

Please comment on the role you believe luck plays in your life. Your opinions and perspective are valuable, and I'd appreciate hearing from you. 

What is constant in your life? What are things you know will always be a part of your life?

Dr. Stephen Covey states life has three constants: Change, Principles, and Choices.

Change - Change is a given. Nothing lasts forever. If things aren't changing, they grow stagnant, and stagnant things eventually die. While most people don't like change, we know the only way to improve and get better is to step outside our comfort zones and do things that make us uncomfortable. Regardless of the outcome of engaging in those new experiences, we can't help but be changed. 

From the time we are born until we die, our minds, bodies, and the world are constantly in flux. Growth and progress are the by-products of change.

Principles - Principles are the fundamental truths and values that are foundational in our lives. Many young people today believe that their lives, especially their education in high school and college, should be "safe." 

However, that isn't what learning is about. Education should be an opportunity for you to challenge your truths and values. It should allow you to be exposed to different beliefs and ideas so you can contemplate what those mean in your life. To grow and develop, you must expand your knowledge and possibly even lose your innocence.

Choices - You are the product of your choices. Every choice, good or bad, has brought you to where you are today. When you were little, many of your choices were made for you. Some of those choices may not have been good for you. Many of those choices were not your fault, but they are your responsibility. They are your responsibility to learn from and improve upon.

Choices empower us to improve and shape our lives. Depending on your choices, you can have more control over your life and how you spend your time. While choices allow us to control our lives, we know that change will always put us in a situation where we must make new choices. 

Life can be chaotic and complex. It comes packed with twists and turns we never expected or wanted. But by embracing the change, making decisions based on our principles, and engaging in thoughtful choices, we can live the purposes we were born to accomplish.

Please leave me a comment about your thoughts on the three constants in life: change, principles, and choices. Your opinions and perspectives are valuable, and I’d appreciate hearing from you.