“You’re so lucky!” That sentence is very commonly spoken, yet extremely inaccurate. Unless, of course, you’re talking to someone who tripped and fell, and miraculously landed on a big cushion of money.
Otherwise, the vast majority of the time it is not good luck, but good decision making that gets a person into their “lucky” situation.
I know this because I’ve always been self-employed. One of the most common things people say about this is, “You own your own business? You’re so lucky!”
Um, no. No I am not. Lucky, that is. It was not through luck that I worked three jobs for five years to save up the money to start. It was not luck that led to me making the right decisions about how to run the business, where to get the education I needed, how to pay for that, etc. It was not luck that made me learn from my mistakes. Rather, it was hard work. It was sacrifice. It was forcing myself outside of what is comfortable and taking a risk that most people are too afraid to take.
The difference between luck and creating your own destiny applies in all areas of life, not just with work. Here are some examples (they don’t all apply to me personally) :
“You’re so lucky you moved to Hawaii.” No, the person was not lucky. They worked toward being in a position to follow their dream of moving to Hawaii. It was not that a leprechaun in a moving truck showed up at their house to take them to a steam ship.
“You’re so lucky to have a happy marriage.” No, rest assured, luck has no part in having a happy marriage. Hard work, dedication, sacrifice, compromise, not repeating the same negative patterns…those are the things that lead to a happy marriage. Not a fairy godmother.
I could go on with a million more examples, but I’m sure you understand my point.
YOU create your own destiny. With work, with relationships, with ALL situations.
Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to comment below to continue this discussion!
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