Mindful Monday - How Is Your Luck

“Luck is believing you are lucky.” – Tennessee Williams

Luck: A perceived force that causes good or bad.

Chance: A possibility of something happening. The occurrence and development of events in the absence of any obvious design.

Accident: An undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss. An event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause.

Providence: The guardianship and care provided by a deity or God. The deity or God is “providing” for them.

Cause: Something or someone that produces an effect, result, or condition.

Fate: Events beyond control and oftentimes regarded as determined by a supernatural power.

“Truthfully, how’s your luck been lately?” With a well-intended sigh, they inquisitively replied back, “How’s your luck been lately?” What is to be found in this seemingly innocent exchange is more than it seems. It is reflective of the present socio-economic state of things.

Attribution is a term used is psychology that defines how individuals perceive the causes of daily experiences, external or internal. Oftentimes, an unclear cause is attributed to either good luck or bad luck. This is an excellent example of the internal subjective ideologies existing from one individual to the other. Instead of, “How’s your luck been lately?”, the more accurate question might be, “What lens are you using to see and interpret your world?”

What is the lens you are using?

Four Variations of the Luck Lens:

Randomness

Those who believe luck is merely randomly distributed good fortune are helpless against the tides of fate.

“Luck always seems to be against the man who depends on it.” – Anonymous

Created

Those who see luck as a natural byproduct of their work control and create their own destiny.

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

Providence

Luck viewed through the lens of providence leaves fate to chance. Knowing inevitability chance is the master illusion.

“Serendipity is when you look for something, find something else, and realize that what you’ve found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for.” – Lawrence Block

Good Luck, Bad Luck, We Are Lucky It Exists

The optimist, seeing only luck, rarely having disappointment, things often turning out in their favor, both predictably and remarkably.

“You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.” – Cormac McCarthy