February 18th, 2017

February 18th, 2017


Affirmation: I follow up on my projects, responsibilities, goals, and dreams.


Word of the Day: protean (adj):

1. of or resembling Proteus in having a varied nature or ability to assume different forms.

2. displaying great diversity or variety: versatile.

Talking through the Door (1)

You said, Who's at the door?
I said, Your slave.

You said, What do you want?
To see you and bow.

We talked through the door, I claimed
a great love and that I had given up
what the world gives to be in that love.

You said, Such claims require a witness.
I said, This longing, these tears.

You said, Discredited witnesses.
I said, Surely not.

You said, Who did you come with?
This majestic imagination you gave me.

Why did you come?
The musk of your wine was in the air.

What is your intention?
Friendship.

___

On Luck

I sometimes read my horoscope for fun. I am usually amused by how vague most of them are - to the extent that they can be twisted to loosely apply to any person and any situation. But I am also somewhat unnerved by how accurately Scorpio traits describe and how accurately other close people in my life are described by their sign's ascribed traits.

I've also been on ghost tours and have watched supernatural shows and movies. But at the end of the day, I'm a pretty fact-based person. Some would say logical to a fault. I am not superstitious and don't believe in ghosts or mythical powers and the like.

Thus, my attention was piqued when I read about a purportedly scientific study on the nature of luck. Luck - while I'm played my share of bingo games and have even bought raffle and lottery tickets - isn't something that has ever struck me as remotely evidence based. But it turns out that it is... to an extent.

According to research conducted by psychologist Richard Wiseman, people have the ability to influence and enhance their "luck" by follow these four key principles:

1. Notice opportunities.

2. Make decisions by listening to your intuition.

3. Project positive expectations that become self-fulfilling prophecies.

4. Exercise resilience.


Each of these four tenets deserves a blog post dedicated to it, but at the same time, they are fairly straightforward and self-explanatory. To summarize these points, one might say that "lucky" people are aware and mindful; they exercise initiative; they are positive and decisive; and they always find a way to bounce back.

The biggest takeaway from this study for me, however, is that these things are all active choices. Meaning that luck is a choice. And it is an engaged, involved choice. Luck is not the result of merely thinking positively. (Not that positivity isn't important - I would argue that it is crucial; but it is necessary and not sufficient).

Interestingly, this notion is a part of many religious traditions, as well.

Jack Kornfield writes, “The Sufis have a saying: Praise Allah, and tie your camel to a post. This brings together both parts of practice: pray, yes, but also make sure that you do what is necessary in the world.”

Similarly, here are two things the Bible teaches about faith: One, it says that faith is like a mustard seed. The tiniest bit of it can grow tall and in its own time will sprout. The other thing the Bible says is that faith without works is dead. If you’re not doing something, then you’re not keeping your faith alive. In other words, God helps those who help themselves.

So think positive thoughts, but accompany them with positive action.

Stop waiting for someone or something to come along and rescue you.

Learn to rescue yourself.

Because you can.

If we did even a fraction of the things we were capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.

I would like to end by sharing a few of my favorite quotes and poems about luck with you that really speak to me. Quotations and poems are two of my favorites things to collect, and I will try to remember to share more of them with you all on here!

_______

"Fortune favors the brave." (The more accurate translation is actually "fortune comes to the aid of those daring" - notice the active choice in that!)

“Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

 “The sun doesn't just hang on one family's tree”
― Anchee Min, Empress Orchid

 “I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it”
― Thomas Jefferson

“Concentration attracts luck factor.” 
― Amit Ray

“Luck is where opportunity meets preparation.” 
― Seneca

“Luck is the residue of design.” 
― John Milton

“You just don't luck into things as much as you'd like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it's friendships or opportunities.”

- Barbara Bush

“I've found that what most people call luck is often little more than raw talent combined with the ability to make the most of opportunities.”
― Timothy Zahn

“Trust your luck, Taran Wanderer. But don't forget to put out your nets!” 
― Lloyd Alexander

“The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself.”

- Douglas MacArthur

Hard Luck

By Edgar Albert Guest

Ain’t no use as I can see 

In sittin’ underneath a tree 

An’ growlin’ that your luck is bad, 

An’ that your life is extry sad; 

Your life ain’t sadder than your neighbor’s 

Nor any harder are your labors; 

It rains on him the same as you, 

An’ he has work he hates to do; 

An’ he gits tired an’ he gits cross, 

An’ he has trouble with the boss; 

You take his whole life, through an’ through, 

Why, he’s no better off than you. 

If whinin’ brushed the clouds away 

I wouldn’t have a word to say; 

If it made good friends out o’ foes 

I’d whine a bit, too, I suppose; 

But when I look around an’ see 

A lot o’ men resemblin’ me, 

An’ see ’em sad, an’ see ’em gay 

With work t’ do most every day, 

Some full o’ fun, some bent with care, 

Some havin’ troubles hard to bear, 

I reckon, as I count my woes, 

They’re ’bout what everybody knows. 

The day I find a man who’ll say 

He’s never known a rainy day, 

Who’ll raise his right hand up an’ swear 

In forty years he’s had no care, 

Has never had a single blow, 

An’ never known one touch o’ woe, 

Has never seen a loved one die, 

Has never wept or heaved a sigh, 

Has never had a plan go wrong, 

But allas laughed his way along; 

Then I’ll sit down an’ start to whine 

That all the hard luck here is mine.

Luck is not a chance

By Emily Dickinson

Luck is not chance—

It’s Toil—

Fortune’s expensive smile

Is earned—

The Father of the Mine

Is that old-fashioned Coin

We spurned—

____


What is your take on luck? Do you "believe" in it?

What is your definition of luck?

Do you consider yourself to be a lucky person? Why or why not?