Does luck exist, are some luckier than others or is good fortune and positive results generated through more tangible means?
The last time I took a flight for work I got lucky...I don't mean with a sexy airline hostess (or do I?).
Ok, so I don't mean that at all, I mean I got lucky as I had no one sitting next to me on the flight, both ways! An amazing stroke of luck, good fortune or did I manifest that scenario in some way? I've no clue, but I was grateful for the room and managed to have a more pleasant flight because of it.
Thinking about luck
I guess I don't think about it all that much but now and then will ponder what it actually is and how much of a part lack, or chance, plays in one's life.
I've been called lucky in the past for various reasons and in some of those cases maybe it was indeed luck, or fate or destiny...or maybe, and I'm just putting this out there, it was just hard work, effort, ownership, consistency, determination, responsibility and other such elements that brought whatever positive results to pass and lot blind luck at all.
I'm alluding to the fact that a person can actually create their own positive results (and should) and that relying on luck might be placing one's hope in something that is somewhat dubious as far as reliability goes; luck may strike or it may not, where positive action places one better to achieve the desired result. I've worked hard for the successes I've had, set goals, made plans to attain them, rolled up my sleeves and got to work on those plans and luck didn't play any part at all in the results I've achieve...I mean generally speaking of course because luck and chance certainly does play a role on some occasions.
I don't think a person should put their desired outcomes in lucks hands, it's too risky, too hit and miss, and a person is better off to actively work towards the outcomes they desire; in that way one can apply more control, steer the ship so to speak, rather than simply be a passenger.
Are you lucky
I wonder what part luck has played in your life and whether you credit luck for your successes or if you've applied the elements I mention above towards the attainment of your positive results. I don't just mean in business here, or getting a good seat on a plane, your job or professional life, but in any aspect at all.
Has your physical wellbeing, strength of relationships, success in sporting or academic endeavours or other aspects of your life that have worked out well been because of luck, fate, destiny or chance...or have you actively sought success and worked towards it. And what about the bad things that have occurred...are they just bad luck or has your lack of effort caused things to go badly?
Feel free to comment if you'd like, share a story, thought or opinion or just comment generally if you feel inclined.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
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Image(s) in this post are my own
It might sound cliche but I think I’m lucky for having met my wife. I won’t go into the circumstances that transpired for it, it was pretty run of the mill but it was the right time, right person type thing and I think that’s been my best and luckiest time. The rest I would attribute to hard work, work ethic and that type of stuff.
I did fall off a tree fort when I was a kid though and that may have been luck too - landed on my back, four inches to my left was a pretty big rock! Had I fallen on that rock who knows what kind of damage that damn thing could have done! I might’ve ended up a vegetable, or worse a modern day liberal (kidding, kind of :D, fan of the classical liberalism!)
It’s certainly a good stroke of luck to get an open seat both times on that work flight. When my wife and I were flying back from Vegas one year we got an empty plane! There were like 10 people on it, it was wonderful. We all laid down on an aisle lol relaxing flight for sure!
Nah mate, not clichéd at all, it sounds like someone who respects their relationship, values the person and is grateful to have met them...and to have been (and be) the right person to attract them and nurture the relationship. Probably very little luck involved there.
Falling out of trees...yeah luck and chance I guess, at least as far as where one lands...the actual act of falling...well, a conscious decision was made to climb it so no luck there. Lol.
I think luck and chance plays a hand in life, no doubt...but when I want results I don't rely on it, my efforts pay greater (and more reliable) dividends.
Empty planes huh? Well...if I ever get one of those I'll have to speak to the airline hostesses to see what entertainments might be on offer. (Ok, just kidding...or am I?)
Hi, G. We often talk about coincidence and we also talk about luck. I don't think there is such a thing as either.
Things just happen because (we create that reality in our mind and then work according to it) It's not about thinking about the scenario and sitting back and waiting. It is simply getting on with life as best we can and with a good attitude. With faith, of course, that all the doors will open for us to achieve what we desire so much. That's how we keep ourselves going by what we do and by others like family or friends and also by meeting new people, who don't come by chance. They come to teach us something, always something, whether positive or negative, or to play a role in our lives. It is a perfect gear with perfect timing. So there is no point in nurturing anxieties. All that is futile and affects health.
(You know, that's my belief) 🤷♀
And that no one sat next to you, I see it more as you needed to be alone and at some point you wanted it very strongly. The Universe listened to you. ;)
Hi there, been a while!
I was wondering if you had an opinion on this and figured (correctly) what that opinion would be as you have confirmed in your comment. The "universe" seems to do what it will and while we have some ability to influence our lives they're lived within the universe so are subject to it.
The universe is playing its hand on my right now, influencing me to make another coffee and take an injection so I can have a couple cookies with my coffee...who am I to deny the universe right? The universe knows best.
I hope you're well.
Oh, no. Hahaha... Do I need to explain it to you again? And it seems like you miss me, hahaha... it looks like it.
🤗
Oh, yeah, I'm getting fit! Umjú... 😁
My wife and I both agree that I'm not typically a lucky person (other than meeting her of course), so when things do go my way, I usually attribute it to being blessed rather than getting lucky.
I firmly believe in working hard to achieve the results I desire, and when things don't work out, I don't blame it on a lack of effort since I have already tried my best; instead, I see it as a bout of bad luck. Despite that, I keep pushing forward, knowing that hard work often pays off eventually! 💪
I don't think I'm lucky or blessed, not in the true sense of the words anyway. I work for what I achieve, always have, and that helps me to respect it more and to value the reward for effort ethos generally.
Luck does come into play at times i think, good fortune maybe, but at the end of the day I prefer to take my life into my own hands and drive it in the directions I wish it to go, that means physically, mentally and emotionally.
Like you say, push hard, work hard and don't lay blame when it goes wrong, adjust and repeat.
No doubt luck does have a factor in play at times and I often stir clear of those things that require luck to be involved. Maybe that's why I'm into arithmetic since 1+1 surely equates to 2 right? Hahaha! 😅
Taking control, putting in the work, and adapting when things don't go as planned are valuable principles. Success often comes from effort and perseverance, with a touch of luck playing a role. Keep pushing forward and staying true to your values! 💪
When I went to school 1+1=2...for sure, anything more difficult and I struggled though.
Hahaa I'm sure you can do better that that, 2+2 maybe?
Good to be back chatting with you 😁
Oh yeah, 2+2 is easy, but much more...well, I have to break our the calculator.
Understandable with the reliance of tech nowadays, no one cares for doing it the hard way like using the abacus? 😂
I believe everyone is lucky if we look at a certain perspective. I feel we are all lucky to be able to be born into this world called Earth and make our impact on it hopefully in a positive way. Even those that are born with disabilities find ways to live with it and they are amazing, inspiring people. I think these people probably feel they are unlucky at a certain stage but once they get out and find their purpose then they feel they are lucky to be here. I'm not one of them but at least this is what I can see / feel from observing them from shows like America's got talent etc.
In terms of getting the things we want in life or reaching our goals, I feel this is more towards our efforts and determination. Maybe sometimes people feel that they got lucky in this aspect but I don't think so. If we are good to others and surround ourselves with the right people, it's actually not luck but our own effort and choices that we made by setting ourselves up for success.
One could argue winning the lottery is lucky which I could understand why they see it that way but you can't win the lottery without buying a ticket right. There was some effort made to go and buy the ticket with hard earned money.
As for the bad things, I guess some people could feel it's bad luck. For me, I think it's just a part of life, sometimes we get thrown some curveballs. These bad situations are meant to shape us to be better and I don't think life would be too fun if it was just super easy and straightforward. I think the endless possibilities and uncertainty of certain parts of the future is what makes life interesting. I hope I made sense haha. Have a good day~
I started reading your comment and then...oh cool, I got to the second paragraph and was pleased to see you say that you are one who applies effort towards the things you want to achieve. I think that's the best way as luck is a fickle bitch.
Bad things just happen sometimes, good ones too, and people like to label them as luck, fate or chance...maybe it's true for some things but a lot of that labelling is avoidance, lack of responsibility and ownership, certainly in the case of those who have applied no effort yet still expected a positive result
haha sorry did I disappoint you in the beginning. The first paragraph was more like we should appreciate that we were born into this world. It's not something that we could control so I think it's luck that the sperm that hit the egg was us and not a different sperm? haha I don't know what I'm saying.
Yes exactly. bad/good things happen. We can't just say it's bad luck or good luck and no offense to religion but not even it's gods plan etc. All that I feel is like you said not taking ownership but shifting to a labal/excuse for the things that happen to us.
We all should certainly appreciate the life we have, be grateful for it and respect what we have of it, an indeterminate amount of time. I agree with you there.
I know what you're saying, I just focused on the other aspect of your comment. It's blind luck I was born in Australia and not another part of the world that sucks major ass, a war zone or troubled, impoverished country. Luck, fate, chance, destiny? I had no bearing on it so whatever it was that made it come to pass was completely out of my control. So I agree with you.
Oh that's good. That means we are roughly on the same page.
Hope you've been having a great week and weekend soon!
Reading the comments, I'm very jealous. It seems a lot of people are lucky. I don't think I am. Just from playing Splinterlands and other games, I can see how horrible my luck is. I almost never win any raffles, but I've known people that has won multiple, and my father usually wins even a small prize when he joins. I got asthma when I was barely 4 months old, and it caused a lot of problems as I grew up.
That is why I try not to rely on luck as much as possible. I will rely on my skills and hard work to get what I want, instead of hoping I get lucky.
I like what you said in the last line; rely on your efforts, those things you do to to take you closer to the things you want to achieve and leave luck and chance to those who don't want to take an active role in their own life.
Luck is mysterious and capricious, a phenomenon that often surprises us with its unexpected twists and turns, but can luck be the key to our destiny or just mere chance in the path of our lives, how could we define something as intangible and subjective as luck? Ever since I was a child I have wondered if good or bad luck really exists or if it is simply an excuse we have created to justify the things that happen to us.
Capricious, what a great word that is huh?
Anyway, luck can certainly be fickle and unpredictable (which is why you used the word capricious) and it's not something I'm comfortable to reply upon. I prefer to take a more active and assertive role in my own life...although I understand that luck sometimes dictates, good or bad, too.
I never considered that my professional development was a matter of luck, but of tenacity, perseverance, self-improvement and character. Although there was always someone who attributed it to luck. But I felt professionally fulfilled. You make your own luck. Greetings @galenkp good reflection. 🥰
Making one's own luck, in respect of the things we want to achieve is the best way forward. Luck plays its hand sometimes but it's not very smart to rely on it I think.
I think if you are responsible and plan for the important things, you appear luckier, but some of that is because you were responsible and planned and "most" of the time, that makes life go smoother.
Then there are things, like having an empty seat both ways on a flight, that are just plain luck of the draw, unless you paid for both seats ! 😂
Sometimes good things happen, planned or unplanned.
Yep, I agree completely, luck is a thing and it's good sometimes, or bad, but through applying some effort one can usually secure better results than sitting back and doing nothing at all right?
I don't believe in chance or luck, I believe that everyone generates their future, the good and the bad, and that will depend on their thoughts, effort, words and actions in life.
In my path I have learned that, that I am the only one responsible for what happens to me, and if I do badly, I must look for the cause to change it and forge a better future for myself... I believe in that.
Being responsible for one's own actions and taking ownership of one's present and future is legit. Well done for turning both to your advantage.
In life you learn a lot of things and that's what I've learned in the last few years. My mother was always told, you are lucky to have the children you have, despite everything you went through... and it's not luck, it's effort in raising us.
Wow, that is quite fortuitous for a flight. Especially these days when they are basically packing everyone in like cattle to make as much money as possible. I think you can definitely put yourself in a position to receive more favorable outcomes. I think a lot of people focus solely on money when they are talking about luck and that quite honestly gives luck in general a bad reputation. I'm not the guy who is going to win the lottery or many of the sports bets I place, but I beat cancer, I have a good job and a woman who loves me, both our parents are still on this planet and a regular presence in our lives, and we have a small group of friends to share time with. If that's not lucky, I don't know what is.
Yep, it certainly depends on how one looks at it and what a person counts as important to them when it comes to determining if one is lucky or not. You sum it up well, have a good handle on what you count as luck in your own life.
Chance plays a hand in everyone's life and one must know when to accept it and when a little more input might be needed.
That's also a good point you make. Perspective goes a long way in your ability to handle the things that life throws at you.
Your talk about luck is very good, I like it too. But I believe that luck is subject to karma. You will get the fruits of your karma. If you are born on this earth, you will be freed only after your good karma and weak karma are formed and suffered. What do you say on this matter whether luck is everything or everything is subject to karma??? @galenkp
I don't believe in karma, bad things happen to people who deserve it, and so on. I think luck plays a hand in a person's life but one creates ones own good fortune as I was clear to say in my post. That's how I see it.
It's easy to lay it at the feet of karma, convenient, but I don't believe it's always the case that karma takes care of everything.
No, I don't believe in luck but I do believe that destiny does have a role to play in a man's life( though most times, they are interchangeably used, but the place of HARD WORK and PROPER PLANNING cannot be overemphasized. The reason I say destiny has a role is because of what happened to me years back. I had gone for an interview but I wasn't selected and I really was disappointed because I had given it my best shot. Two months later, while I was roaming around for another job, I got a strange SMS from that same place, asking me to resume immediately. I felt it was a mistake but it wasn't.
I later discovered that the person who was employed in my stead was very sick and had been rushed to a Teaching Hospital and would be there for God knows how long, (hey I'm not happy all that happened)... It was later confirmed that I was a better person for the job but was chosen because he was a relative of my boss).
That job came with an accomodation and a juicy allowance which helped me tide through some financial problems I was having at that time. That job also gave me an opportunity to become a better person.
I would say that though I deserved that job, it was taken away but destiny gave it back.
That's a good story.
Some things in life just seem to work out and there's no explanation for it other than chance, destiny and so on. It's good when that happens but sitting back and doing nothing, relying on chance to play a hand, doesn't seem a very good way to go misty, a person must put some effort in to get a result in life, in my opinion.
The two working together seems a good compromise I guess.
Hi Galen, several hours thinking about an answer. It's clear that waiting for luck to solve our lives doesn't make any sense, although I suppose there are people waiting for luck. It is clear that achievements depend on our actions. But, if I have a very big but, the place of birth is not chosen and this also influences our life. For example, I am sure that being born in Western Europe has been lucky for me. Had I been born in other places in the world, my life would surely have been more difficult and my possibilities of choice less. Yet, in difficult circumstances, leaving things to chance can have only one result: making life even more complicated. A hug
I use the place of birth scenario in another comment to demonstrate that chance or luck plays a part in life. I could have been born in a economically poor country and my life would have been different, but was born in an affluent country instead. It didn't guarantee I'd be successful, I needed to put in work and effort for that, but it helped being born where I was.
I think it's an interesting topic really, and certainly believe that luck or chance influence life greatly, but should not be relied upon.
Hi Galen, little more to add to your comment, just wish you a great Friday, best regards.
Luck plays an important role in our life. We have experienced this in our own life. We are few friends and meet daily. Two friends started a business there. There was a loss and the business was started by two different friends, they got success within the first two months, so even after doing the same procedure and doing the same things, the result was different.
Having good luck strike at the right time can work very well for a person and create some good results. Better results come from actively working towards desired outcomes, in my opinion.
It is a fact that success is possible only through hard work.
Luck is non-existent, in my opinion. Everything in my life go smoothly if I prep all the things before. It is hard-work that makes me go further in life.
Some people achieve more things in life than the others because their upbringing is different from others. They have different challenges. In short, everyone has different challenges and they get everything they work for.
It's really important to work, actively work towards the outcomes we desire as that's what brings them closer. So many rely on chance, take a passive role in their lives, and then wonder why they don't get the results they want.
Gabriel García Márquez, an excellent Colombian writer once said: "Never think about luck, because luck is the pretext of the unsuccessful".
Regardless of what anyone thinks, I think that what one wants must be achieved through personal effort and talent.
Many times I have seen people who have put their prosperity in the hands of gambling or betting. I have nothing against it, but I have seen people who have earned a lot of money that way and thinking that they will become very rich, they have bet or gambled more and have lost everything and more.
In my personal case, I have never been a person of many resources or opulent, but, the little I have has been the result of much study, permanent work. And no one can take that away from me.
Thank you for sharing. Happy journey. Cheers and greetings.
It sounds like you totally understand and also that you have a good work ethic and the ownership to engage in it to achieve your desired outcomes. Well done.
As for gambling, betting on stuff, it's a fools game.
From the moment I was born, I can already say that I'm lucky. Because I have the family, friends, and loved ones that I always wanted. I experienced different types of love because of them. That is all I could ever wish for in this world.
Do you think your actions throughout life have helped keep them around or is it just blind luck?
Definitely a blind luck.
I'm lucky because I was born in this world and am blessed with my family, loved ones, and friends. I could say that I'm lucky, as I am a friendly, dedicated, and loving person, as well as when I achieve some goals that I've even wanted.
Thanks for sharing☺️ wishing a luck for everyone here🤗
So you think it's by luck that you achieved your goals? Not by your own efforts?
It's also by my own efforts, and I consider it a luck as God blessed and give me strength to achieved them🤗
You're right because luck could be good luck or bad luck. For me, I don't want to use good luck to other people but rather God bless where all the things they do are guided by God. @galenkp
Yep, or luck might not even play a hand and then nothing will happen at all.
Yes. Luck is commonly abused by lazy people. They always depend on luck rather than work for that luck. 😊
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. It seems that you're good in advices. 😁 @galenkp
After working to achieve a feat in my life, imagine how I felt when people started attributing it to sheer luck. I worked so hard for it, why would you see it as luck?
You strive for great achievement, with determination, sleepless nights, steady grinding only to be be considered lucky?
The word is mostly used wrongly, if you ask me.
Yeah, people saying, "you were lucky," after you've put a lot of effort into an achievement is a little bit annoying, but I guess if that's their (limited) perspective it's their reality. Best to move on and leave those people behind.
Nunca me consideré una persona suertuda, todo lo contrario, pensé que la suerte no era mi aliada.Con los años comprendí que solo era una cuestión de esfuerzo y constancia en cada proyecto que emprendiera.
Hay personas muy vivas que pudiera pensarse que tienen más suerte, yo no fui de esas, pero los años me han enseñado que se trata de visualizar algunos aspectos que te permiten avisorar ciertas consecuencias que puedes tomar a tu favor.
También he sido un poco supersticiosa con respecto a la suerte (muy pocas veces),he creido que usar cierta prenda de vestir me ha dado suerte.
Igual puedo ser escéptica en el mismo sentido.
Disculpe que le escriba en español.
Kare au i te marama ki tenei reo.
I never considered myself a lucky person, on the contrary, I thought that luck was not my ally. Over the years I understood that it was only a matter of effort and perseverance in every project I undertook.
There are very lively people who might think they have more luck, I was not one of those, but the years have taught me that it is a matter of visualizing some aspects that allow you to see certain consequences that you can take in your favor.
I have also been a bit superstitious about luck (very few times), I have believed that wearing a certain article of clothing has brought me luck.
I can be skeptical in the same sense.
I apologize for writing to you in Spanish.
No worries, I don't read it and don't use translators, so I just responded in Māori to let you know.
Visualisation, seeing the things one wants to achieve or attain, is very powerful and helps a person to find it a little easier to do the work required to actually achieve those things.
On the luck thing, lucky charms, clothing and so on...I see nothing wrong with that if it provides some motivation to act. Doing those things and taking no action is not going to be very successful though, in my opinion.
I imagine that Maori is not a very well known language, I had to look it up with St. Google.🙂
I wish I could be sharper with my visualizations, maybe it's just a matter of logical reasoning.
As for some garments as amulets those were very casuistic and fun to wear.
Thank you for your kindness when you respond so well to everyone.
I'm sure, with practice, you can become better at visualisation, in the meantime don't be hard on yourself, lean into it and keep creating the life you wish to have.
Been saving this one so I could answer it properly.
My personal working theory is that there's multiple different kinds of luck. There's the harder you work, The luckier you get sort, which I suspect is what most people think are thinking of when they speak of luck.
Then there's the sort of luck that Kipling mentions:
Had a friend who'd spent some time in interesting places, on one occasion he broke left when his buddy broke right. He got a Silver Star and his buddy got shipped home in a box, that sort of luck. I just call it the gods of probability and try not to offend them.
The last kind of luck I only know of from personal experience, I consider myself lucky because I have a knack for doing just the right thing except for all the wrong reasons. Can't think of a good example offhand but I end up getting credit for a bunch of stuff that was never my intent.
Everything in this life is out of pure luck. Because now you may be here breathing and a few minutes later you won't be able to breathe anymore. There are too many things that you can never have control of.
Control the controllable things.