Luck -- the lazy, omnipotent bastard who's taken credit for 99 percent of entrepreneurs' good fortune.
Every time someone tells me how 'lucky' I am, my depleted funds from my numerous self-investments for my business, cry a silent tear.
And while I understand the good intent behind the sentiment, I'm also just a tad bit disheartened and insulted that people are so quick to dismiss someone's work ethic and conveniently throw luck into the picture.
While some say "the harder you work, the luckier you seem to get," I still think it doesn't adequately credit you for the relentless hustle of your daily 4AM grinds. #WhatIsSleepDotCom
Digital nomads, entrepreneurs and self-made hustlers around the world, I salute you to the max.
Because I know how much shade is thrown your way in the form of backhanded compliments.
You guys know that the only thing separating you from the next person is your stubbornness and inability to take 'NO' for an answer.
You couldn't afford the resources for something? You found a way to learn anyway.
You didn't have the skill set to achieve something? You found someone to teach you.
You didn't qualify for that job you thought you wanted? You created one even better.
The hustle is too real in your corner.
But people don't see that.
They see the celebrations when you hit those major milestones.
They see the laptops facing beaches and pools around the world.
They see you popping up in exotic locations, wishing they had the 'luck' to be doing what you can.
But little did they know, for every person that said YES to your ideas, there were a hundred others that said NO.
For every person that helped you open doors, there were 10x as many that abruptly shut theirs.
For every mountain you conquered, you started over at least a dozen times when you inevitably stumbled backward from the manipulation, deception and criticism from others.
To those that might say, "Well you guys all curate your lives online to seem so perfect!" I have to humbly disagree.
While that accusation may fit some, I always make a point to be transparent about my highs just as much as my lows, so that I don't feel like I'm selling anyone a dream -- I'm simply showing them my reality.
The reality of going 48 hours without eating because I was dead broke in a foreign country.
The reality of having your closest friends criticize your choices because they don't like the idea of someone else having more success than them -- especially when they can no longer benefit from it.
The reality of constantly having to prove your worth in a time where people regularly spew out the 'advice' to "get a real job".
And to that I say, not a chance in frozen-over hell.
I want to inspire and encourage the next generation of go-getters, hustlers and entrepreneurs to chase after the things that set their soul on fire, but I want them more than ever to know that this phantom concept of 'luck' won't be the reason they succeed, despite the many people who will give that the credit.
Sure the universe conspires in your favor when your work ethic meets it halfway, but I'll gladly take my hustle over luck any day.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and how you're spending yours now will dictate your tomorrows.
Every time the sun comes up and goes down, you're presented with a new opportunity to chase your dreams and quit settling for a life that doesn't make you happy.
So the "luck" you give credit to for my successes, please don't forget to acknowledge the doors I've knocked down in the process, the walls I've climbed over in the journey and the barriers I've bruised my body running through in the storm.
My "luck" has a name. And that name is HUSTLE.
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About the Author: Gloria Atanmo is a travel blogger at TheBlogAbroad.com. She booked a one-way ticket to Europe after graduating from Baker University in 2013, and hasn't looked back since, setting out on a mission to show others there's a world of knowledge out there that simply can't be taught in a classroom.
She's the author of "From Excuses to Excursions", an inspiring account, chronicling her journey from being a troubled teen with dreams to channeling that energy into endless possibilities today. You can follow her journey around the world on Instagram as well.