'Luck' Has Nothing to Do with it...

[svHyLyte]

Hindsight…

Success is right up Opportunity road from Luck. Luck is at the intersection of Opportunity road and Capability although Opportunity road is sometimes rough and unpaved and one can blow right past without realizing it unless one keeps one’s mind open. If, not one can leave Opportunity road behind.

Opportunity and Capability are right up Diligence Hill after one passes through Preparation. Some never get past Preparation. For some of those that do, the climb up Diligence Hill is too steep and they just quit part way. Some get part way up, trip, roll back down to Preparation and have to start all over. Some do, some not.

Getting up Diligence Hill can be, but is rarely, a one man or one woman job. Oddly, those that manage to get up Diligence Hill frequently do so by pushing some of those ahead of them forward, pulling some of those behind, ahead; and short-stopping some of those that trip and begin to slide back down. A few, the “lucky”, get a lift up Diligence Hill, but not so many. Some, seeing this “injustice”, say the “Heck with it. Without a lift I’ll never Make it” and give up. Some see this “injustice” and just redouble their own effort, which is good training because they’ll need that willingness to make it up Opportunity road when they do get to Luck. Some seem to think they can climb Diligence Hill by stepping on others. They do so but when they trip and fall—and most invariably do—no one short-stops them. They roll back down to the bottom of Diligence Hill and some even clear past Preparation.

The climb isn’t over once one reaches Luck. Opportunity road is unpaved, frequently rough and requires one to take many risks. If one is unwilling to chance such risks, it doesn’t matter whether one got to Luck or not as one will never make it up Opportunity road. Some begin up Opportunity road, fail to properly hedge some of the risks and find themselves headed all the way back to Preparation. Some begin up Opportunity road and realize its even steeper than Diligence Hill and say to heck with it. Some, though, do get to “Success”.

The funny thing is, Success is a big place. For some Success is living in a 9,000 SF house with a trophy wife (or husband) and luxury cars in the driveway. For some, Success is living in a 240 SF mobile home--or Not. (If the mobile home floats and has a mast, that’s Success. If it’s bolted to the ground, that’s Failure.) Some that reach Success really aren’t that happy. They had more fun on Diligence Hill and Opportunity road and Success is something of an anti-climax.

FWIW…

[DeepFrz]

The funny thing is, Success is a big place.

How true. I think success is related more to peace of mind than to anything else.

[chala]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people...so I don't believe in Karma either.

How do you know they are good, how do you know they are bad?

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by chala

How do you know they are good, how do you know they are bad?

Or does it even matter? I'm pretty sure these kids don't "deserve" the life they have but it's there's anyway, whether they're judged good or bad.

Rounded up and run out of town - thestar.com

[hglad]

Judge not lest ye be judged, and never forget the imortal words of the bumper sticker philosopher, " S--T Happens!"

"Life is not a spectator sport," Jackie Robinson

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by chala

How do you know they are good, how do you know they are bad?

That's easy .

Because "good" & "bad" do not actually exist you get to decide yourself (or you decide to let others decide for you).

Also applies to right & wrong.

It's why the B#stards knocked me back for Pope


Luck? you can't make it for yourself, but working hard and smart helps send it your way. But IMO luck is more about being able to recognise when you are in the right place at the right time (or at least a good enough place at a good enough time to do something with).

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

I chuckle as luck has nothing to do with it.......We worked our butts off for the last year and earned enough to keep us on the water for another 4 years plus........

You are forgetting something. You have your health... so your luck is holding.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

It's why the B#stards knocked me back for Pope

I thought the College of Cardinals was a baseball team and while they do have a good shortstop it turns out they serve some other purpose. None the less, you still got my vote for MVP.

[Aussiesuede]

I've been a lucky sob. I know plenty of people who have "worked" harder than I have, and have "tried" much harder than I have, yet I've always been pretty darn lucky to end up on top way more times than not. I got scared of the housing bubble way back in 2006, so sold my house then and dumped the money in gold simply as a safe haven. There was no grand plan, nor astute visions of granduer. I'd have been happy if gold simply hadn't decreasd by 10% whilst the money was sitting there. Fast forward to 2009, and gold had almost doubled in price, and my holdings about doubled as well. Like has been the case a good many times, it all seems like luck to me...

[GordMay]

In his book, “Outliers: The Story of Success”, Malcolm Gladwell examines the factors that contribute to high levels of success. To support his thesis, he examines the causes of why the majority of Canadian ice hockey players are born in the first few months of the calendar year, how Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates achieved his extreme wealth, and how two people with exceptional intelligence, Christopher Langan and J. Robert Oppenheimer, end up with such vastly different fortunes.

Gladwell notes that "the biggest misconception about success is that we do it solely on our smarts, ambition, hustle and hard work.”

➥ http://www.gladwell.com/outliers/index.html

[shadow]

I am semi-retired in my 40's, semi meaning I am doing what "I" want to do and when, not an office job. Everyone thinks that I am lucky.. But, they don't know that during my office years, I worked on average 80 to 100 hours a week with little to no break. I just saved everything and had NO life!! I am rewarding myself now, but man, those were tough, boring and exhausting years!!

Most people also have a distorted view of what luck and being rich is. Most people will associate with stuff as being rich, I used to have that view as well when I was younger. But now, in my wiser years, I've met so many "rich" people that had next to nothing but had the happiest lifestyle and view of life!! They grew their own patch of food, caught fish and had a very modest house/shack or old boat. They were so at peace with themselves and their surroundings that I am always happiest and relaxed when around them.. Those people to me are the richest people around!!

[GordMay]

Hard work ...

[Bill Lee]

As a generality - we get what we deserve. Luck IS a frame of mind. I work my butt off (make great money) and spend almost 2 months cruising in the summer. With young kids in school and a whole slate of winter activities - I consider myself very fortunate. One day - I'll be out there full time. Goodonya mate for doing it now. More fortune to you - a better description than luck. Cheers,
Bill

[DeepFrz]

As a generality - we get what we deserve.

horse pucky...

[Bill Lee]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

horse pucky...

Here are the alternatives to the general rule:
We get what we get (we have no control); or
we get what we don't deserve.
I prefer: we get what we deserve. Sometimes we don't - but mostly we do. Seems to be true - but that's my life experience. I hope yours isn't different. As to the OP - he got what he deserves - by his hard work. Cheers,
Bill