Luck?

I found this quote by the Roman philosopher Seneca “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” while trawling through some book or website and it resonated with me. (. (Thanks my Black Book!) The articles in the link below are also interesting if you have the time to read them.

http://lifehacker.com/luck-is-what-happens-when-preparation-meets-opportunit-821189862

As a related idea, with some life experience now, I cannot help but marvel at the wisdom of the ancient sloka from the Bhagavad Geeta. It encapsulates the whole notion of focusing on the process rather than on the fruits of labour.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 47, Chapter 2

karmanyevaadhikaaraste maa phaleshu kadaachana |
maa karmaphalaheturbhoormaa te sangostvakarmani || 47 ||

You only have authority over action, not ever to the result. Don't be motivated by the result, and don't get attached to inaction.
 

Ref:  http://journeygita.blogspot.com/2011/11/bhagavad-gita-verse-47-chapter-2.html

There was a time when I would argue with my mother and tell her that it is not possible to keep doing something without expectations. What I now find in my slightly (heh heh) wise-r, old-er age after all these years is that the focus on process is all we have in our control. We do not have control on the outcome. So if we find a good process (which again requires some work and maybe teaching or advice) focus on the process and stick with it, maybe we will have the preparation to meet the opportunity or even to recognize it when it arises. I can now honestly say that whenever one had done the work or preparation well, one could spot the opportunity much better. And if one listens to the inner voice without quelling it, that voice usually comes from our store of experience and exposure, telling us what we call our “gut feel”. Also, I have found that an ability to recognize and admit an error and change for the next time, at all ages and times is an attitude that I would strive to foster.

Let us look at someone not getting a job despite applying repeatedly. The first question would be to say what is the process being followed to identify possibly suitable contacts and jobs? How is the CV designed? How is the LinkedIn profile designed, etc? Then it would be about the number of contacts/applications per day, and so on. A focus on this process if defined and undertaken well has a much better chance of meeting with the opportunity and as long as one focuses on the process and does it everyday, there is less time to ruminate on joblessness. This is indeed very hard but it is the only way to have a sense of purpose and even a feeling of accomplishment over what is really within one’s control rather than on the outcome, which is not.

Lastly, whenever I hear comments about someone being lucky I cannot help but feel that most lives also fit on a “Normal Curve” as in Math. Most people fall in the middle in terms of luck. Some may seem to have extremely good luck and some the opposite. Also this “luckiness” is usually determinable, if at all one wants to evaluate it, only at the end of a lifetime. I think that in this “In your face” era it is very hard to not look at others’ lives but I find it a waste of time even though envy is a very natural emotion. First of all no one really knows another’s life. Yes, when someone has wronged our loved ones, or us or even been corrupt or wicked it pinches to see that life is not being fair and that luck seems to favour an undeserving person. But again that is something I do not control. Spectating and evaluating others’ lives is destructive in my opinion. In any case, as I heard for the first time from the excellent old Reebok ad “Life is not a spectator sport” (quoted from the Hunchback of Notre Dame).

I want to instead strive to work on finding, focusing and sticking with my processes and my chances of increasing my “luck” factor! Good luck to me!