Thursday, January 29, 2009

Making Your Own Luck

J.D. Roth on Get Rich Slowly has an intriguing post today on luck -- does it just come to you naturally (that is, if you're one of the Lucky Few)...or do you take it for yourself?

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/01/29/how-to-make-your-own-luck/

His post was inspired by this Newsweek article by Ben Sherwood, What It Takes To Survive:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/181290/output/print

And the article itself is based in turn by research from Richard Wiseman, a psychology professor at Great Britain's University of Hertfordshire.

J.D. boils Wiseman's conclusions down to four points:

*Lucky people not only are in the right place at the right time
-- but they don't hesitate to take a chance when they see a good one.

*Lucky people listen to their hunches.
(Their "gut instinct," J.D. calls it.)

*Lucky people keep on in the face of failure.

*Lucky people can turn horrible circumstances into good,
in the long run.

Don't miss reading GRS's comments, either. As usual, J.D.'s readers have a great time agreeing, disagreeing and arguing among themselves.

I'd add another factor into this equation: your faith in God. I did not become a Christian until age 15, but it didn't stop God. Even during the darkest moments, something or someone have come into it to reassure me that yes, Someone cares and is aware of my pain and hurt. Someone is not only THERE -- but He loves me. Too many "God things" have happened at just the right time not to be aware of it: the opportune gig, the large order, the bags of groceries (at a time when we told no one we had little to live on), the fits-perfect designer clothing at the thrift shop (including a suit, when Husband desperately needed one for a special occasion). These moments remind yet again that God cares and loves me -- and my family.

He loves and cares for you, too. Talk to Him about it.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree completely about Faith in God. Right now I'm doing a Bible Study on Contentment and it is really really making me see just how blessed I am. Faith certainly makes me feel "lucky"!

Figures...