What’s LUCK Got to Do With It?
There’s obviously a lot going on in the world right now between COVID-19, the economic repercussions, and natural disasters (where I live we just had an earthquake that rocked the state).
I’ve been thinking about the things in my life that got me to where I am today, and while at the time they were devastating (cancer and divorce), they ended up serving as catalysts to something I always wanted… so I’m going to talk about luck.
Although I’ll be honest, I’ve always struggled with this word.
Its literal definition is “the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual.” On the surface, that is an accurate explanation. But, let’s dig a little deeper.
I realize what I am about to say is no news flash for you, especially right now, but I’ll say it anyway… LIFE HAPPENS. Some of it good, and some of it not so good. Regardless, there is very little we can do to control it.
Because of our interpretation of luck, we tend to drop these so-called life “events and circumstances” into one of two descriptive buckets: lucky or unlucky. Unfortunately, we don’t stop there…
Once we assign the appropriate term to our circumstances, we are often suckered into allowing them to define who we are. And, it is so tempting to just sit and soak there.
We either float and gloat on the waves of how good we have it OR we find ourselves drowning in the pity of how good we don’t.
Either way, we become focused on our circumstances and find ourselves settling for a numb-neutral way of life. That costs us something… it costs us opportunity.
“You’re so lucky you get to work from home with all of this going on.”
Because I’m able to keep up a relatively normal work routine in the wake of everything going on, I’ve heard a few comments like that…
And at first, they bothered me.
But then I started thinking about it, and I realized that in a crazy way, I am actually pretty lucky.
I AM LUCKY THAT:
I was unhappy in my job at the university
I was diagnosed with cancer
I got a divorce
Really, Kacie?
I know what you’re thinking.
You’re a little confused as to why I have thrown my circumstances into the “lucky” bucket instead of the one that most accurately describes them… the “unlucky” pail. Why would I do that?
Remember what I said earlier about “soaking” in the bucket? While it is beneficial to label our circumstances and give them a home (catch and release), you don’t have to take up permanent residence with them. You. Must. Keep. Going.
It was not luck that got me where I am today. It was an action inspired by the clarity I got from adversity… which moved me towards the life I desired.
The things that happened to me were simply the catalysts that lead to the intentional life I live today–even with everything going on.
It was clarity that inspired my actions…
I was presented with an incredible opportunity… and I said YES.
I was diagnosed with cancer… and I actively reinvented my life.
I got a divorce… and I became crystal clear on who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Before that all happened, I had been dreaming about bigger and better things… but I was doing very little about it. I was simply cruising along in autopilot mode, not knowing how to shift gears.
My circumstances became the compass that redirected my thinking, opened my eyes to opportunity, and influenced my actions…
Not because that’s what circumstances naturally do, but because I made the choice for them to serve me in that way.
When I began building my business, I had a vision of what I wanted that to look like; where I wanted it to go.
I spent time thinking about how to be a better wife, mom, and human being.
I determined who I wanted in my life…and who I did not.
I was deliberate about the kind of people with whom I would genuinely engage in conversation on a daily basis.
I paid attention to the people around me.
Luck looks like a condemning “circumstance”, but it’s simply an opportunity for clarity and action.
You must know and understand your purpose; be familiar with the space you want to live in so you can respond to life accordingly.
So here is my question for you… do you know where you’re trying to go?
Because if you do, you just might be able to find a way to turn all of this chaos into something that serves you and your family.
Divorce and cancer taking a swing at me in the same year felt anything but lucky… but because I had this vision of a life I wanted to create, I was “lucky” enough to get clarity from adversity.
Knowing your end goal can help you be radically intentional in all situations… no matter what you’re facing.
