The Successful Lifestyle - Luck is When Preparation and Opportunity Collide

Why do some people seem to get lucky breaks? We all know someone who "seems lucky" but 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. Some people are lucky! As far as I'm concerned if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all!"

By believing that statement about "no luck but bad luck" she was unconsciously making it her personal truth. She was doing nothing to change her ideas about what luck really was or how she could become luckier. People had no say in what happened in life; it was 'just luck'.

But that is far from the truth. Believe me when I tell you that 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.

An excellent analogy for this is when you want to buy a car. You know what you want, 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 and the incentives package is just what you've been looking for. 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 relentlessly 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. This is blowing your own horn and that's perfectly alright. Think of it this way: If you don't do 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!

copyright 2010 Kristen Houghton

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Comments

[seawolf77]

01:06 PM on 03/31/2010

It's hard to believe when you are getting your ass handed to you that you are actually learning the most the fastest but it's most certainly true. Why on earth would anyone view life as fortune and nothing more but the truth is the exact oppositte. Everyone wasts to categorize their's. I'm tellin you you're not smart tenough to tell.

[Debbie Meyer Gore]

08:55 AM on 03/31/2010

I believe you have to set goals for your luck. What starts as a thought or a dream becomes a desire and drives you to action to work for things you want in your life. You have to then believe you are worthy and take the steps to achieve those dreams. Action has the word "act" in it and emotion has the word "motion". Believing and visualizing what you want still takes action. Things luckily showing up is because you believe they are possible and you have taken the steps to get what you want!.

[Kristen Houghton]

04:16 PM on 03/31/2010

Many thanks for your comment Debbie. We have to learn to make our dreams become our plans and then work to achieve those plans. Believing you are worthy of good things really does pave the way for your 'luck'. I like your play on the words act(ion) and (e)motion!

[JenDC]

12:36 PM on 03/30/2010

I always feel like some people are luckier than others. But isn't it possible that those who are viewed as luckier do something to create their own luck or know how to go out and get what they want and just happen to be lucky in the process? There might still be people who are just lucky and don't do much, but this can't carry them that far. Luck runs out. You can't live your life and just sit back waiting for luck to find you. Maybe you have to go out and find your luck.

[Kristen Houghton]

04:46 PM on 03/30/2010

Many thanks for your comment. You're right JenDC, you can't sit back and wait for luck. You have to do something to make it happen. Most people I know who are lucky have been prepared for the right opportunity to come along. It might look like easy luck but in actuality, a lot of preparation and planning went into the lucky break.