I guess I owe a lot of my recent success to being pretty lucky. Like how I got my current apartment: I was the last one they interviewed and they didn’t even know I was coming (they thought I was going to show up a day earlier). I got in, and no more than 40 minutes after that interview with Ken and Jan, they called me to offer the place. I was lucky before that to get a call from Paula, a recruiter for Eastridge (the staffing company that put me on assignment at Mood Media). And I was lucky well before then that my parents happened to be in town when my life fell apart, lending me at least some temporary shelter at their RV. I was lucky to have family in town who could lend a hand when I needed to move. I can see a pattern here. Maybe I really did bust my ass and make the most of those opportunities, but I was still lucky to get them.
Isn’t a lot of what happens to us luck? Sometimes we get a break, and a random good thing happens instead of a random bad thing. I’m a big fan of putting life-events into perspective, and I owe a portion of my success to the whims of chance. I can both know that, but not let it downsize the effort it took to capitalize on those situations.
Like a wide receiver catching a short pass in the flat. He has to make a guy miss in order to gain any yardage, and he is presented the chance to make the most of that opportunity. He has to turn upfield, break a tackle, and get a first down in order for that short throw to have been worth it. The catch he makes is the luck component. His move after that moment is what he will do, given the opportunity to take that luck and make the most of it.
But come on. We have to give credit where it’s due. The hard part is making something of the opportunity. There are just so many ways to blow a chance and squander a lucky break. It’s all too easy. Realizing it for what it is, and then doing something about it is on you.
Today, I’d like to appreciate the favorable breaks I have been given. I just had to put it into perspective. It’s not like I walked out into the nothing by myself and made a whole new reality. I had luck on my side, and I put in the work to expand my potential. Makes sense?
So that’s some food for thought. I hope that this post rings true for you in your life, and maybe you haven’t taken advantage of luck, or maybe you have. Point being, we aren’t 100% in control. We live, at times, on chance. We need those breaks in order to advance our lives by greater than normal steps. Life can be ground away at. It can be shaved down over time, and worked (slowly) in to a more desirable shape. But it’s luck that cracks the whip of progress. And on this evening, I’m quite thankful for it.
Neurochemically Challenged 
I could take this in such a spiritual path, but instead I will say: Great! It is great that you did take advantage of those opportunities!
Haha, thanks Sasha. You’re too funny. I’m ok with not having there be a spiritual reason why lucky things happen. But then again, it is awful nice to be blessed. Considering that I have no way to invalidate spirituality I can’t just disregard it. Just as I have no way to explain many different things in my world. You don’t have to censor yourself if you’re trying to make a point. But also don’t expect me to change my mind either. I like things ambiguous. It’s like dating someone you haven’t slept with. I prefer the suspense. The answer is always so final, so anticipated. Odd analogy, but you get the idea.
:) I wasn’t exactly censoring. I just didn’t have any energy to make a strong case for what I was going to say lol and I wouldn’t expect you to change your mind! That’s not the point of friendship.
How very refreshing Sasha. Clearly I’ve had little experience with friends and beliefs. I get argued with sometimes, and I guess I had just become accustomed to it. How nice to have such an open minded friend! Hope your day goes well. I’m back at work for a half a day of training.
I think debating beliefs is Ok because that is how you figure out your beliefs. However I think the point of the debate is to solidify your own beliefs or change them but not to change others. Have fun training!
Very true. I appreciate your forward-thinking in this area. Most people are insecure in their beliefs, which is why they go around imposing it on others. So it’s nice to hear from someone where that is not the norm. Training was eventful. I thought we were going to learn 3 systems, but we compressed it down to just 1, and we actually built the system right there in the conference room and got to play wit it. That was fun. We hooked up a speaker, mic, and registered the headsets to it, and even installed a vehicle detector so we could open the channel for communication. It was total fun.
:) I’m glad you had fun! It sounds like you enjoy the small things on life as well!