If you don’t think you are lucky, you almost certainly won’t
be. Luck is interpreted and understood in many different ways. A common cliché
is, “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” That implies
that you can make your own luck. Another definition is, “Luck is good fortune
which occurs beyond one’s control.” That implies that luck is consistent with
the random walk theory of probability. And then there is the “Devine Providence
Theory” which says that God controls your luck. My own personal theory is that
positive thinking and faith in your abilities creates good luck. In other
words, if you think you will be lucky then, you will be lucky!
Sometimes what appears to be bad luck is good luck in
disguise. You must have the ability and confidence to make lemonade out of
lemons. We all know deep down that good luck is something that is both very
real and highly desirable. That is why it is important to have the positive
attitude that will allow it to happen. Look for the best in all situations and recognize
how lucky you already are. May lady luck smile on you!
Dear Lance: That’s a very nice and uplifting blog entry. Would that it be true. The reality is, however, that you have to be rich to be lucky (George W. Bush); although, the opposite is sometimes true: You have to lucky to be rich (Mark Zuckerberg).
ReplyDeleteLuck can be informed by skill; e.g., the Tsar usually win at poker but sometimes nothing helps. Anyone who always wins at poker is cheating, but even cheaters will get lucky occasionally.
Luck can result from planning. Hansel and Gretel planned ahead but dropping breadcrumbs along their way. Of course, even planning can be overcome by bad luck; e.g., a squirrel could be following you and eating the breadcrumbs. (The wicked witch didn’t help matters either but at least the kids made some good luck there.)
But mostly luck comes and goes, touching first one here and another there serendipitously.
In the Tsar’s experience, the bad guys have had the best luck. Explain that . . . please.
Tsar Pat
My dear Tsar,
ReplyDeleteI wrote this blog post for you. I should have dedicated it to you. I had hoped that you would wake up and realize that you are creating bad luck for yourself! When you dwell on the mistaken idea that you have more bad luck than anyone else, you are making yourself very unlucky (in your mind). The laws of large numbers and probability, over time, create the same amount of good and bad luck for everyone in the universe. It all has to do with attitude. Your negative thinking and pessimistic viewpoint is making you miserable. You need an attitude adjustment. Start thinking how lucky you are and you will become insanely lucky. You are already insane so, it is just a small adjustment to become lucky. Hope this helps you!
Dear Lancelot:
ReplyDeleteThe Tsar appreciates your concern for his luck. It makes him feel very lucky.
But the Tsar points out that he doesn’t dwell on bad luck, it dwells on him. He doesn’t claim more bad luck, just worse bad luck. You lift a heavy object and get a sore muscle. If the Tsar lifts the same item, he gets a back operation.
Probabilities are based on averages with variations in both directions. The Tsar’s bad luck requires thousands of people on the other side of the mean to average out. The Tsar knows. He invented the law of averages.
Nonetheless, your suggestions were taken to heart and have already taken effect. The Tsar now shares the pain with those around him. He’s not insane any more, he’s now a psychopath.
TsarPat
Dear Tsar,
ReplyDeleteI will admit that your luck is a variation in the wrong direction but you should look for good luck hiding inside your bad luck. There must be some wonderful benefits that accompany all those painful back operations. Perhaps your increased pain tolerance will come in handy for the future bad luck that is coming. Think about it. Try to find a reason to appreciate all your pain and misery. Just look on the bright side and be thankful for your miserable life which is better than no life. Hope you feel better after thinking about how things could be much worse.