healthmedicinet

My Dad considers himself a “lucky person.”

While I am as delighted by this news as any good daughter would be, I have to admit that luck and I have our differences.

Specifically, I disagree with luck that it exists.

The other day I happened to mention this to a friend. He asked me, “So what does luck mean to you?” 45 minutes later….here is what I was able to come up with.

“Luck” is the stuff that happens to me that I define as “good” but which I can’t control (ie. I am born into a middle class family with a steady income and a healthcare plan; I have a naturally strong immune system; I am an American citizen….you get the picture.)

The rest – the things most people call “lucky” – are the things I put under the category of “hard work and determination.”

For instance, let’s say you are a working musician who wants to audition for my reigning fav reality show, “The Voice.” You have a pretty good following. You know you can move an audience. You’re pretty (or handsome) with stage presence and dance moves. But until someone at such-and-so record label hears your unmatchable style, you’re stuck touring from city to city in nowhere USA, playing to folks who a) prefer a jukebox or b) think you sound better when they sing along.

So….you need exposure. You send in a video to “The Voice.” They pick your video. You go on the show. You audition. One (or all four) judges turn around and fight to get you on their team.

Luck? Or hard work? Or both?

I’d say the ‘luck’ part is the being born talented (and perhaps attractive by the way our current attractiveness standards run) – if you happen to want to pursue music and you happen to like the current attractiveness standards and want to look like that.

But the rest – to me, that is a clearly vote for hard work and determination. You had to make the video. Show up when they called you. Walk on that stage and do a good job. So that when you are picked, it is not luck at all that called your name, but your own endless drive and determination (as well as your willingness to believe in yourself) that got you there.

But I could be wrong.

My problem with “luck” is that it makes me feel powerless. If some people are “lucky” and others are “unlucky,” which one am I? Can I change it? What if what I think is “luck” is someone else’s worst nightmare? Is there one defining standard for what constitutes luck, or is it open for interpretation (in which case is it really luck – or just personal opinion?)

See what I mean?

Recently my dad went for a medical checkup. He is 75. His doctor told him he should live a very long time and that he is one of the “lucky ones.” My dad was ecstatic.

And I went back to the luck drawing board. Again.

Today’s Takeaway: What is your take on luck? Do you believe in luck? How do you define the word “luck”? I would love to hear your insights!

 

 

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And they are apparently too stupid to realize how easy it is to ensure they are called out for their bad behavior.

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    Last reviewed: 5 Jun 2013