Comments on: You Make Your Own Luck

By: danpaz

danpaz — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 06:51:01 +0000

I consider myself a lucky person, and though I know my outlook plays a large role in my luck, I don’t think it’s all about optimism. I think it’s more about being free of mind and not having too many attachments. I know quite a few people who always seem to get the short end of the stick, and one thing they seem to have in common is a kind of irrational clinging to things that are important to them. They might be clinging to favorite foods, to ideas about themselves or the world at large, it really doesn’t matter. What matters is the fact that they’re tying their fates in with some thought or inanimate object, which has no will of its own and cannot in and of itself affect any positive or negative changes in their lives. When conditions favor the objects of their devotion, they get “lucky,” and when they don’t, they become “unlucky.” Because there is no organized force behind any of it, they find themselves gaining half, losing half, gaining half, losing half, ad nauseum, until they’re left with very little save a very bitter outlook on life.

I think I’m lucky because I don’t get too hung up on the details. I just don’t get attached to the specifics. When I want something, it’s not because I’m attached to the thing. It’s because I’m attached to how it will affect my life. I don’t need to be a rock star to have fame, fortune, and prestige. So why get so worked up over being a rock star? Even those desires can be broken down further… why do I want the fame? Why do I want the fortune? Why do I want the prestige? What basic needs really need to be met? I take whatever opportunities come my way to answer those needs, and the hows, whys, whos, etc, are all incidental. In fact, I think the hardest part is finding ways to blend all these opportunities into something coherent, like drawing out a rough sketch using whatever paints and brushes are available to you to fill in the painting that is my life.

By: Opinion

Opinion — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:20:41 +0000

I feel I am genreally a ‘Unlucky’ person, but after reading this post, I am going to see if thinking positively and feeling you have ‘Luck’ helps.

I read this post..
uncontrollable_luck 14 July 2007 at 06:29 pm • reply
Interesting article.

What about luck that you don’t create. For example in recent news an airplane tragically crashed into two houses the other day. Two parents lost a 4 year old daughter and their son has 3rd degree burns on over 80% of his body – one of the worst kinds of pain. The father also received burns trying to save his children. How can these people ever feel lucky? I’m not trying to sound crass, really.

How horrible this is could the boy which survived be ‘Lucky’ because he made it. The plane could have killed everyone, but it didn’t, was that a act of ‘Luck’, or is it completly ‘Bad Luck’?

By: kc-guy

kc-guy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:06:08 +0000

How could it possibly have been three years before someone posted:
“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. “
-Attributed to Thomas Jefferson

By: allduerespect88

allduerespect88 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:34:33 +0000

Gosh Darn DI!! How do you do it?

By: a1c

a1c — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 22:50:18 +0000

Luck be a lady, tonight!

By: pittbulloncrack

pittbulloncrack — Thu, 22 May 2008 18:50:57 +0000

Good luck, Bad luck, no luck at all? I believe that these are words we have come up with to descibe the things that happen to us in our lifes. Ones man luck is another mans misfortune. So luck is different for all of us. I’ve never consider myself luck, but some people in my situation would consider themselves extremely lucky. Im in good health, i have 2 beautiful children, and im fixing to get married,( to a very beautiful and very understanding woman.) So im really far from unlucky. Yet i feel when i go for the things in life (such as money, power, fame) i fall short. Am i unlucky? Whos to say. These things dont matter to some people. So if this is how u measure luck. Look around you at the people less fortunate then you, those who have lost everything in natural disasters or born into poverty. Are you really unlucky or just in the middle of the spectrem.

By: almostz1

almostz1 — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 19:41:34 +0000

“Fortunately, one’s mindset is entirely within one’s control.”

I challenge you or anyone else to justify this statement. Nothing could be further from the truth, and several of your own articles here clearly disprove it.

By: Amilie

Amilie — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:54:55 +0000

I wonder how many pessimists saw the message and continued to count the pictures, just in case it was wrong?

Optimistic, social, “lucky” people are also more likely to be very trusting. They make wonderful targets for serial killers, who frankly have a hard time getting to depressed shut-ins.

But now I’m just being dark.

By: Beautiful Confusion

Beautiful Confusion — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 19:08:39 +0000

One piece of advice I’ve been known to give when someone is counting on luck for something is: “Think negative thoughts (i.e. think that the worse is going to happen) that way when you find the outcome you’ll be pleasantly surprised rather than sorely dissapointed.” I guess after reading this article I should stop saying that. (probably won’t happen, this outlook has kept me in a cheery mood for a long time)

By: Kao_Valin

Kao_Valin — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 18:04:46 +0000

I disagree with the assertions and conclusions of this Dr Dude. Opperunity is key in situations with chance. ie, having more opperunities for a positive outcome yeild better results. However, luck covers a vaster feild. For instance, I swing my golf club aiming for the hole in one. Now, there are tons of possibilities whereby my shot will land in that hole or not. However, I only get one chance. So you cant give me more chances, I can only do it right, or do it wrong.

However, there is one more element that goes into ability that isnt even mentioned here. That thing is timing. Wind may work with me one minute, then against me the next. Windows of oppertunity are based on timing as well as ability. With this in mind who cares if I have a 99% chance of winning the lottery if in this time the cards aren't in my favor. Chance isnt the important thing, it is timing, and that is where luck is. Those with lots of positive luck have good timing and good skills, and the ability to recognise (or just keep in sync with) good timing. Those with poor luck have a difficiency in one or the other. However, timing is the key to it all. So what if I can do a task well if I am off set by poor timing? If I drive my car down the highway, do I have good luck just because I am a good driver? No, I have good results driving because I timed my drive well and was able to apply my driving skills within that narrow operating window. So in order to actively increase ones luck, chance isnt as much important as forsight. More oppertunities do not automatically make one successful, just provide possibility. Probablity only increases with forsight and skill. Luck is generated in this order, timing, ability, and chance. With poor timing, nothing following it matters. Without skill, the task no matter how many times performed will be successful. Finally chance, without which there would be no oppertunity to excersize the former.