Human beings often credit or blame luck, for the way things turn out. The world plays itself out as a series of events, in which actions produce outcomes, but sometimes it can seem that the two are not quite related. In my personal experience, while chance can play a role in specific events, the people that achieve successful results are usually the ones who have created their own luck.
Success usually tends to come to those that pursue it with sustained, courageous and single minded devotion. Efforts that are sustained over a long enough period of time tend to mould outcomes – taking luck out of the equation by creating the best conditions for success. It’s often the case that those considered lucky are actually really good at reducing the chances of failure. “I’m a great believer in luck. I’ve found that the harder I work, the more I have of it” said Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. The great spiritual leader of India, Swami Vivekananda, elaborated on the same thought at a universal scale: “That which is now, is the effect of the whole of our past. Therefore, no other personage is necessary to shape the destiny of mankind, but Man himself”.
Optimism and self-belief are the wind in our sails
I have found that people, who are upbeat about life, and have faith in the outcome of their commitment and effort, tend to taste success the most consistently. It’s not a hard correlation to understand. One cannot control everything, but remaining positive, consistently creating the right conditions – through hard work, refusal to quit – and doing what is required to the best of one’s ability, helps.
Optimism is sometimes incorrectly defined as a bias, in my opinion, it is more than that. Optimism is not simply being upbeat because one is blessed with such a nature, it is a result of choosing to not be intimidated by circumstance. Life is often a self-fulfilling prophecy and expecting the worst can invite those consequences. Achievers refuse to feel a sense of victimhood. They don’t see a single failure – or even a few – as definitive and irreversible. They realize that success is about getting through the inevitable failures to reach their goal.
Courage is the compass of the achiever
There have been numerous times in my own life when following my dreams entailed risk. I became an entrepreneur four years after graduating. At the time, leaving a secure job to pursue my dreams was a risk, but I drew inspiration from my heroes and influences. I realized that while taking a calculated chance is not sufficient for success, it can often be a non-negotiable condition on the path. Circumstances don’t change if we keep doing the same things. At some point a departure from the past is needed to create something new – this is inherently risky.
Successful people tend to be invested in their aspirations and convinced of what that their inner voice tells them. After all, the belief that one’s actions will cause the desired outcome is the most motivating argument of all. No rational person will invest effort if they know it will be wasted. The successful – from sportspeople to businesspeople to inventors – are self motivated because they are convinced that the result of their labour is not is question, only how long it will take.
Success is contagious, pick your friends and influences wisely
I imbibed many values in my formative years that have helped guide me in my life. One of those was to keep good company. I have found that being around positive, courageous and driven individuals has helped me tremendously in my own journey. These influences extend to my heroes and inspirations as well, of course. While I have been blessed with wonderful and extraordinary companions in my life’s journey, I would include those that we invite into our lives through the influence of their words and deeds as ‘good company’ as well.
The sum-total of my beliefs on this matter can be abbreviated to “respect your inspiration and make your own luck”. To my mind, it’s important to accept the great adventure that life invites us into with optimism and realize that our efforts, labours and commitment are what come together to make our ‘luck’.
