Many of us don’t want to believe that our success or our wealth has any attribution to luck. Who? Me?! Noooo I’ve worked my whole life for this. And many of you have.
But we also have to take into consideration the amount of luck or blessings in our lives that helped us along the way – opportunity, support, health or safety that perhaps was common place for us and foreign to others.
There is no denying that hard work plays a significant and incredible role in shaping each and every one of our lives. Just because luck is present, this does not discount the years of hard work and the significant sacrifices made to achieve a specific level of success or wealth.
Think about the Elon Musks, Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates of the world. They spent literally their ENTIRE lives working. They slept in their offices, they lived and breathed their craft.
They had a vision and they would do anything to see it through. And with that level of determination and sacrifice, they changed the world as we know it and are now some of the richest men in the world.
They made choices to bring about incredible opportunities, and then capitalized on them when they came.
I would like to believe, however, that even those individuals believe that to some extent, they too were blessed in many ways. Their health, their choice of partners and even their level of intelligence they were gifted with.
Success does not simply come from luck nor does it come solely from hard work or initiative. It is the combination of all three. Which is why I cannot understand the time spent wasted on comparing one’s life to another – when no two lives are comparable.
Comparison is a Silent Killer
There is a fundamental lack of understanding and lack of perspective in those that spend countless hours of their lives comparing and effectively putting down others for their level of success. Making claims that they got to where they are strictly based off of luck.
It is easy to consider someone lucky from an outsiders point of view.
Sure Tiger Woods has the mega yacht and the millions to enjoy doing whatever he wants, but I can assure you I wouldn’t want his life. Another man wrote a book entirely about how inconsiderate, selfish and egotistical Tiger was. No thank you, not trying to switch lives with this guy.
A lot of people achieve significant success, wealth or fame but to be honest I haven’t seen many of those individuals with a level of happiness that I would want for my life. Have you?
So why would one spend time criticizing and agonizing over the success of another, when in fact, many times it would not provide a life you even desire. It would come with sacrifices you aren’t willing to make. And would bring struggle and challenge you may not be willing to overcome.
Maybe there are others who appear to have had an easier success track. But many times I look at those individuals and applaud them for clearly taking full advantage of their set of circumstances and making the most of it. Because there are MANY others who would have done absolutely nothing, been satisfied with the status quo, with the same set of opportunities.
The point is. We all have been blessed in ways and suffered in others. Especially in this “perfect” social media world we live in, don’t forget we simply have no idea what is truly going on in people’s lives, what they have been through or how they truly feel.
I’ve Experienced An Incredible Amount of Luck & Blessings
I was and am incredibly blessed.
First and foremost, I had two parents that loved me and supported me no matter what. They gave me the foundation and the confidence and the love I needed to believe in myself. That if I ever fail, if I ever am down, that I will always have a home with them. Not everyone can say that. I was lucky.
My parents saved my grandmothers inheritance strictly for my brother and my college education. They could have spent it. They could have bought a bigger house. They could have taken us on vacations. But instead, they saved it and secured it for us and our future. No student loans. I was lucky.
I have an amazing, supportive husband and two beautiful, healthy and wild boys that I was able to bring into this world safely. I am blessed.
I grew up in a small town where everyone pretty much knew me and/or my family. Perhaps I thought this was very UNLUCKY as a child 🙂 but looking back, how beautiful to be part of a community. To be part of a community of people who would help pick you up when you were down, support you at your high school sports games or stop you at the grocery store to let you know that you inspired their little girl. Who would all come together to support you and your family when your brother and your Dad died. I was lucky.
And I’ve Been Considerably Unlucky
But I also have also experienced tremendous loss and have found myself in very unlucky circumstances that I have to live with for the rest of my life.
One of my best friends passed away in a car accident when we were 17.
My brother died in a car accident when I was 25. I got a call in the middle of the night to tell me. And my life has never been the same.
My Dad just died unexpectedly on January 10, 2022 from complications from a heart attack that no one saw coming from an active, I can do it myself always, kind of man.
I don’t share this with you for you to feel bad for me. And I also don’t share it with you to make it seem like I have it worse off than others.
This is my life. And my story is unfolding year after year with beautiful and tragic memories that will continue to transform who I am.
You have your own story and your own journey to see through. Don’t try to recreate the story of another – make the most of this one life you’ve been blessed with.
Until You Recognize These Three Things, Life is Going to be a Real Challenge For You
- Life can be very hard and NO ONE has it completely easy or filled with luck, unicorns and rainbows.
- You are unique and amazing in your own way. You need to believe this. If you don’t, how could you expect others to?
- It is no one’s responsibility to make your life amazing. It is yours. Own it.
Life Isn’t Determined By The Cards You Were Dealt But How You Play Your Hand
Of course luck has something to do with it. But what a disservice to each and every one of us to believe that where we are in life is strictly due to luck. That our sacrifices, hard work, determination and grit didn’t have anything to do with it. That takes it too far.
Luck + Planning + Initiative + Hard Work = Success
Luck is part of it, but absolutely not the whole formula.
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