This is something I think about sometimes, and I’d love to hear your opinion. Taking it a step further, is there such a thing as good luck? Or bad? I have no idea, but I can’t deny that some people do seem to have exceptionally good luck, and no matter what they do, things go their way. Whatever the reasons, I can’t deny that those people exist…and they kinda get on my nerves. LOL!
Fo’ real, though. 🙂
I do believe that good luck and bad luck aren’t always up to chance. I’ll say that. I mean, there is always that element of randomness and being in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time, but like with lottery winners, how many cosmic coincidences had to all line up just right to place them at that specific 7-11 on that particular day to hit the Powerball? I don’t know…but I wish I did! Haha. Or, like, Gisele Bündchen? We don’t have control over our facial symmetry or our height or our long-leggedness (yet).
Personally, I don’t think it can hurt, though, to invite good luck into your life, but can a lucky charm (like my small but growing collection of maneki-neko Japanese lucky cats) really bring good luck? Your guess is as good as mine.
Where I think we do have some control over luck is how it relates to opportunities, and this is based on my personal experiences. If I go into a test with — yes, I recognize how corny this sounds — a good attitude, and I’m confident, and I think to myself, “This is going to go my way. I’m SURE of it,” I usually do better than I do when I feel the opposite way, which I’ve done before. Like, if I go into something feeling like Eeyore with a tiny storm cloud over my head, things almost never work out, and this has happened to me over and over again. I don’t know why, but I do feel that attitude has an influence over luck sometimes.
There’s also that old saying, “the harder you work, the luckier you get,” and I agree with that to a degree. I don’t necessarily think that it refers to how hard we work now, though, because you can work really, really hard and still not get the outcome you want. That’s for sure. But I think that when you consistently try hard, and it’s gotta be a Herculean effort. Half-@ssed doesn’t count. But when I’ve been consistent in my life, and I’ll be the first person to admit that I struggle with this because I get distracted so easily, but when I do whatever it takes to get certain things done, and I do it consistently, things are more likely to fall in my favor.
More likely…but not always.
So yeah, I think there are those people who just happen to be in the right place at the right time, but I also think that luck isn’t completely random. I think we can influence our luck sometimes.
How about you? What do you think? Do you believe in luck?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Indya says
Oh, Karen, I have so many bitter feelings about luck, but I’ll just say that yes, I absolutely believe in it, and mine is sh*tty!
Karen says
Hi Indya,
You’re a beautiful woman and nice person, and I hope some good luck comes your way soon!
Indya says
Aww, thanks! Me too!
Dharti says
Ah. I, not surprisingly, believe in karma. So that translates to both the points you raised – if it is in my karma to get something, I’ll get it, whether good or bad depends on the nature of my past karma. But I also do have to put in my effort to ensure that I get the full benefit of my past karma and also try to build up good karma for the future.
Karen says
Hi Dharti,
I hope you’re storing up lots of good karma today! Have a great week. 🙂
Jules says
I do believe in luck! And in the power of a positive attitude 🙂 You know, sometimes things don’t go quite the way you expect, but I find it easier to swallow if I keep in mind that the universe *probably* (hopefully?) had a reason to make it so. You know how dogs keep begging for chocolate because they don’t know it’s going to make them sick, but we do, so we don’t give it to them? Something along those lines… lol!
Anyway, hope your week is off to a great start. Hugs from rainy Brazil!
Karen says
Hi Jules,
I totally get it, and I believe that a positive attitude can make all the difference.
Hugs back to you from muggy Northern California. It feels like it’s just about to pour!
Savannah says
My husband says this thing, “that I used up all of our luck in finding you so young.” We met via YouTube just by happenstance when we were 15. He/we like to think that we’d have ended up together regardless, so he thinks we spent most of our luck on the simple aspect that we met so young and didn’t waste time finding one another. I like it, it’s kinda cute. Are we like cursed, now? No, not quite. But things could be better, ha.
Karen says
Hey Savannah,
I think every long-term relationship has something that can be better; there’s always some kind of element in the relationship both partners have work at (with me and my hubs it’s communicating effectively when we’re upset), so you’re certainly not alone in that aspect!
How did you guys meet on YouTube? Did you both have channels or did you meet on one that you both liked?
Tatiana says
I’m not sure I believe in luck any more than I believe in wishing upon a star. I believe you can influence your luck to some extent and work hard for it. There are multiple theories and strategies and articles on improving your luck.
Just a few for example.
https://nautil.us/blog/-the-key-to-good-luck-is-an-open-mind
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235400
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-blame-game/201601/these-are-the-8-habits-highly-lucky-people
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/how-to-make-your-own-luck-5-things-the-luckiest-people-always-do.html
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-miglani/making-your-own-luck_b_3988785.html
And if you’re looking to win the lottery, it helps to understand the odds and statistics. Depending on how much disposable income you have, it’s probably better to just save the $$ you spend on the lottery.
Chelsea says
I’m really good at finding four leaf clovers, sometimes even without looking for them, but I don’t think it translates into actual luck! I give them out to people though…
I’m not a big believer in luck but there are still things I won’t do because of Murphy’s Law. Like, I didn’t publically announce my new job on LinkedIn and Facebook until after the first day.
Miki says
I don’t really believe in luck. But I think you have a great view on it. I believe in destiny, fate, and also creating your own destiny/fate/luck. People can draw energy to themselves … be that good or bad. And often when it’s bad, they aren’t doing it on purpose, they just don’t know better. It’s on us to create our own luck, and attract good things to ourselves.
LindaLibraLoca says
I think we can influence our luck, but I don’t think we can do so by collecting lucky charms. It doesn’t hurt though, they are pretty.
Some people will always be more lucky than others though.
CL says
I tend to see life as Twain saw it: There are two possible ways your life can go – one is half good/half bad, and the other is overwhelmingly bad. Twain had a theory explored in one of his “Mysterious Stranger” manuscripts that your life is a series of acts, starting with your first act as a baby, and all other acts flow from that act, and you can’t change it – everything falls like a line of dominoes. In the same book he had a character who he describes as “having a billion possible careers, but not one of them was worth living.” I do think a lot depends on your genes, who your parents are, and for women especially, what you look like, as to whether your life will be “lucky” or not.