What does it mean to be "lucky"?
With St. Patrick's Day approaching, the concept of "luck" comes to mind.
Wherever you go, you hear people referring to themselves or their situations as being "lucky" or "unlucky". It is a part of pop culture to participate in rituals to bring about "luck" or to carry charms or trinkets that are considered "good luck". But what are we really saying when we refer to ourselves as "lucky"?
I once heard Oprah Winfrey say there is no such thing as "luck". She instead defined "luck" as "preparation meeting opportunity". However, it could be argued that some people are afforded more opportunities than others due to their background. Is it a person's circumstances, and nothing more, that makes them "lucky"?
Forbes.com published an article back in 2015 in which the author, Margie Warrell, identified "Six Things Lucky People Do That Others Don't".
Here are the 6 things Warrell listed:
1) Trust their intuition
2) Take risks
3) Expect good things to happen
4) See the glass as half full
5) Embrace failure as inevitable
6) Hang out with other lucky people
As I was reading these six things, I noticed that a few of the criteria listed more or less involve having a positive mindset. Does this mean that people who consider themselves "lucky" are nothing more than optimists?
In my opinion, "luck" is a combination of opportunity, positive thinking, and the belief that you have the power to make things happen.
In my life, I certainly have been provided opportunities that were nothing more than circumstantial, for which I am grateful. However, the "luck" I have had has also been the product of hard work and perseverance. I have trusted my intuition, taken risks, and generally maintained a positive mindset with the belief that I have the power to make good things happen for myself. So, with all of those things in mind, do I consider myself "lucky"? Absolutely!
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