Curious about Luck: Do You Believe in It? Do You Feel Lucky and/or Unlucky? How Much Control Do You Have Over Luck?

“Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.” - Ray Kroc, American businessman

“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” – Oprah Winfrey, American celebrity

I chose Luck as the theme for this week’s – and especially this day’s – blog, because the date will only happen once in our lifetime: 7/7/07. And, of course many were celebrating at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

There are people who swear that they continually have bad luck. And, it does seem that way. I have met and known some who are laid off, then become seriously ill, get into accidents and seem to go from bad to worse. And yet, I know many examples of those who when faced with catastrophes experience turnarounds that enforce the common cliché, “when one door closes, another opens.”

If we believe in the Law of Attraction, we question whether or not we have attracted either the bad or the good to us.

I think you will find that a good number of the quotations I found mirror the idea(s) that we create our own luck – it doesn’t just happen randomly. And yet, I have been reading and listening to several books about luck and have discovered that there are two sides to the beliefs about luck.

I did have a year, four years ago, when every time I was involved with a drawing of prizes, I would be one of the winners. And, these weren’t just ordinary prizes. I won three digital cameras, two pricey software programs, and several gift certificates. It was fun and energizing to say the least – and everyone kept telling me how lucky I was.

Here are some of the quotations from the experts:

• “What helps luck is a habit of watching for opportunities, of having a patient but restless mind, of sacrificing one's ease or vanity, or uniting a love of detail to foresight, and of passing through hard times bravely and cheerfully.” - Victor Cherbuliez, French novelist
• “Luck consists largely of hanging on by your fingernails until things start to go your way.” - Aaron Allston, American novelist
• “Care and diligence bring luck.” - Thomas Fuller, English clergyman
• “Some folk want their luck buttered.” - Thomas Hardy, English novelist
• “Luck? I don't know anything about luck. I've never banked on it and I'm afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: Hard work - and realizing what is opportunity and what isn't.” - Lucille Ball, American comedian
• “You just don't luck into things as much as you'd like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it's friendships or opportunities.” – Barbara Bush, American First Lady

And, here are some of the twists, with some humor thrown in for fun:

• “My luck is getting worse and worse. Last night, for instance, I was mugged by a Quaker.” - Woody Allen, American director
• “Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known.” - Garrison Keillor, American writer
• “Luck, bad if not good, will always be with us. But it has a way of favoring the intelligent and showing its back to the stupid.” - John Dewey, American philosopher
• “People always call it luck when you've acted more sensibly than they have.” - Anne Tyler, American novelist
• “Luck is not chance, it's toil; fortune's expensive smile is earned.” - Emily Dickinson, American poet

So, do you feel lucky? Do you also feel that you have control over the kind of luck you experience? We all have to realize that Murphy is hanging around, just waiting to test our reaction to the Law he loves so to saddle us with.

Here are some special quotations for you to consider during this coming week:

• “Luck relies on chance, labor on character.” - Richard Cobden, British businessman
• “Luck affects everything. Let your hook always be cast; in the stream where you least expect it there will be a fish.” – Ovid, Greek poet
• “Good luck is a residue of preparation.” - Jack Youngblood, American athlete

This one should serve as a reminder, and it illustrates the way I am feeling right now:

• “Good night, and good luck.” - Edward R. Murrow, American journalist

Have a great profitable and lucky week!