As I do every morning, I wake up and go right to my iPad to read all of the newsletters, emails, and quotes that I subscribe to. You might do the same, you may have a very similar routine. If so that is a great way (I find anyway) to start my day.
Whatever the routine you have, as long as it works for you and you are able to start your day filling your “Happy Meter” in the right direction… good on ya!
The other day I received another amazing message from Seth Godin. If you have not subscribed to this, it is a daily email you get with about two paragraphs. It’s always good, but this particular one was remarkable. He was discussing the difference between the perception people have about confusing lucky with good.
The simple points that he brought up are extremely interesting and are the inspiration behind this article. First I have a question for you.
Do you believe in luck? If someone lands that big deal at work, gets that promotion, or even has a child that makes the elite league in his/her particular sport, wins the spelling bee, or is selected for a special trip at school. Do you believe that they are lucky?
This question can spark quite a bit of debate I suspect. For me, I don’t believe that they are lucky in the slightest. Luck has nothing to do with accomplishing these feats. What they are is persistent. Many people on our wonderful planet confuse luck with being good and persistent. Here are my authentic beliefs and I would love to hear yours so please make sure to leave a comment below.
Being lucky does not have any influence in your life …
Things that happen to you that might make you say you are lucky still happen to teach us something, there is a lesson in everything.
There is a reason that we take every step, act, thought, and action. So if there is a reason, where does luck come in?
Persistence is one of the most important keys to a new and beautiful life!
Now of course I know that there will be a lot of people out there that are thinking the same thing that I thought for a second when I was coming up with these pretty bold statements. What about these people that win the lottery? Great question and I still believe that they win the lottery for a reason. They are beginning a new and exciting lesson in life, what that lesson is, is a completely different story for sure.
The main point that I am trying to convey here is that persistence and being good at something are sometimes perceived as luck.
Persistence is the reason that the person in your office lands that big deal, gets the promotion. Persistence is the reason your child will win the spelling bee, get selected to go on that special trip, and makes the elite squad in his/her sport. Lets look at this from another angle.
If you land that big deal at work, you have probably worked extremely hard at it, missed some family events possibly, educated yourself in new and exciting fields, workings, and areas where you were ignorant to before right? If you got that promotion, you most likely worked hard, created growth inside your company, elevated yourself by educating yourself, went above and beyond the call of duty, and helped many co-workers along the way.
If your child made the elite sports team, they worked hard, maybe trained all summer to get in shape, made an irrevocable decision, missed out on things that their other friends were doing to keep focused on the goal. If your child won the spelling bee, they worked on the words, they studied constantly, they were focused and came ready because they spent the time to get ready.
So if we look at all of this, I ask you again. Are these people “lucky” or were they persistent and made sure they were good at what they did?
As for the lottery winner… I still believe that they win to learn an extremely valuable lesson, weather they choose to find that lesson, choose to listen to that lesson, or choose to act on that lesson is up to them. As I type my wife is saying “no way, winning the lottery is luck” now that can spark a whole other article.
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Dan Deigan serves as an inspiration to others. His energy, passion, and “laugh” are infectious. He is a devoted Husband, father, and the founder of Little Conversations Today. Dan is devoted to making not only a shift but a dynamic shift in the world today. He lives everyday with this belief: “Impossible is just an opinion”. Visit Dan Deigan’s website!
-What are your thoughts on persistence versus “being lucky”? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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