Why do some people seem to get lucky breaks? We all know someone who ‘seems lucky;’ what’s their secret? Is it just a matter of sitting back and waiting for fortune to come knocking on your door or do you have to do something more to invite it in? Often people who see themselves as unfortunate tend to want to believe the success and fortune of others is just pure luck and nothing more. They themselves, they will tell you, simply have had no luck at all.
One woman told me that she’d been waiting for some luck to come her way for so long, she was positive it was never coming. When I asked her what she was doing to prepare for it, she look mystified.
“Prepare?!” she said, “You can’t prepare for luck! It just comes by itself, right?
Wrong. So-called ‘lucky’ people are definitely doing a great deal more than just existing and waiting for their lucky break!
‘Lucky’ people do something that too many other people don’t do—they prepare themselves for an opportunity that will help enhance their lives. They don’t just sit and wait and hope. They actively pursue a goal and look for every opportunity to achieve it. Being in the right place at the right time is a planned strategy.
Think about the process involved in buying a car. You know what you want and you may be saving money for the down payment while you’re looking for the perfect deal. That’s called being prepared. Your luck comes about when you finally find the car that you want, the incentives package is just what you’ve been looking for, and you have a down payment ready. Opportunity and being prepared collide and you’re the lucky owner of a new car!
In reality the people who are ‘just lucky’ in life are persistent in their ambitious pursuits. The knowledge that they have to be ready for the right opportunity is part of their plans. They aren’t startled by opportunity, they’re prepared for it and are fully able to take advantage when the right one presents itself. These are the same types of people who refuse to let life just happen. They want to be in charge of their lives and being prepared for opportunity’s knock on the door is one way they do it.
Sometimes creating your own opportunity brings luck to your door too. If you’re not satisfied with the status quo in your life and you need to make changes, you may have to create an opportunity for yourself. Opening your own business is creating opportunity to showcase talents that may otherwise never be seen. Even if you do this on a part-time basis, you are still creating and preparing for the opportunity of change. Call it blowing your own horn but that’s perfectly all right. Think of it this way: If you don’t blow it, you may never get a chance to be heard!
The word luck conjures up ideas of magical and mystical power. In reality the only power you need is your own ability to prepare and be ready for the right opportunity for what you want in your own life. You’ll be surprised at the ‘lucky break ‘ you will get when opportunity and being prepared collide at your door!
MEET THE AUTHOR
Kristen Houghton is the author of the best-selling series, A Cate Harlow Private Investigation, which has been named Best Series of the Year by WNYC Book Clubs. Her latest novel, TEETH: The Haunting of Dansbury Plot, has recently been released.
Her writing portfolio includes The Huffington Post, Thrive, interviews and reviews for HBO documentaries, The Style Network, and OWN, The Oprah Winfrey Network.
A storyteller from childhood, she has always felt that “Words, in any language are pure magic”.
On a personal note, she is crazy about tennis and, just like her fictional character Cate Harlow, tries to play as often as she can.
