Jim Hunt for the News and Journal
Have you ever seen a lottery winner being interviewed and a common refrain is “I never win anything!” Even at the church bingo parlor, the elderly parishioners are giddy with joy and just as surprised. I sometimes wonder if there is some subliminal force in the world that dictates the winners and losers in the universe. I’ve always felt that attitude plays a role and that a presumption that “you never win anything” is probably not going to increase your odds of winning anything.
I don’t know exactly when I adopted a “winner’s attitude” but I believe it has served me well in life. While I have had my share of ups and downs, there have been so many times when I thought that something was a long shot and against all odds, I would win.
And that may be the lesson. It’s really not about financial rewards. It’s that the people who believe they were born on the sunny side of the street enjoy winning and losing, because with each loss, they are that much closer to winning.
Luck is a funny thing. Most of us do not get a flashing sign that says, “Congratulations, you are lucky.” Instead, luck shows up quietly. It shows up as a phone call you almost ignored, a conversation you almost didn’t have, a door you almost didn’t walk through, or a risk you almost didn’t take.
I’ve watched people who seem to have all the “luck” in the world. They always land on their feet. They always know somebody. They always end up in the right place at the right time. But if you look closer, a pattern emerges. A lot of their luck comes from motion. They show up. They try. They volunteer. They introduce themselves. They take the shot. In other words, they give luck a place to find them.
Someone once told me, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” It sounds like a slogan, but it’s true. People who stay engaged, who keep learning, and who keep trying tend to run into more opportunities. Meanwhile, the people who sit back and wait for luck to knock on the door often miss the moment when it does.
Of course, bad luck exists too. Anyone who has lived a full life knows that. Health issues show up. Jobs disappear. Plans collapse. People disappoint you. You can do everything right and still get blindsided. That is not failure. That is life.
The real question is what you do after bad luck pays you a visit.
Some people let a setback convince them they are doomed, and they carry that belief like a heavy coat for years. Others treat setbacks like bruises. They hurt, but they heal. They learn what they can and keep moving. The difference is not always talent or money. Often, the difference is perspective. The people who bounce back have a habit of saying, “That didn’t work, but something else will.”
Here’s another truth. Luck is often other people. Many of the best “lucky breaks” in our lives were a teacher who encouraged us, a friend who made an introduction, a boss who took a chance, or a spouse who believed in us when we were not sure we deserved it. When you look back, you realize a good portion of your luck was simply being surrounded by good people.
That is why gratitude matters. When you appreciate people, you tend to keep the right people close.
So when I hear someone say, “I never win anything,” I want to gently push back. Winning is not always a trophy. Winning is sometimes survival. Winning is sometimes growth. Winning is sometimes the ability to laugh after a hard year. Winning is sometimes waking up tomorrow and taking another swing.
Luck may not be something you find. Luck might be something you practice.
And I obviously have not “lucked” my way into a Powerball win yet, or I would be writing this column from a beach chair in the south of France, toasting everyone with a margarita. But I’m staying optimistic. My day is coming!