In The Making of Luck and Opportunities
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." – Thomas Edison
“I believe in hard work and luck, and that the first often leads to the second.” – J.K. Rowling
Opportunities are an inherent part of everyone’s vocabulary. It’s basically the steps we take to ascend to our goals, the paths designing our growth, and the levels that define our success. The more we have of it, the luckier we believe ourselves to be. Luck is believed to be those happy accidents that happen here and there, like miracles, opening random doors to random people.
Unless we grew up with a parent that taught us otherwise, we all, at some point in life, believed to be more or less luckier than others, based on our daily occurrences and our adventures. I remember that my oldest sister was supposed to be a millionaire at a very early age, because she was extremely lucky, and my father was personally confident in that. He dedicated himself to exploiting this outpouring of luck himself – she went to the best schools and was taken shopping, etc., treatments that are luxurious for a typical Haitian family. I was personally convinced of that as well, after witnessing a few of her exploits and experiences… However, coming face to face with life on a personal level, my own experience taught me a new perspective on all of that.
It's easy to be caught up in a never-ending conflict of merit, envy, and frustration when it comes to opportunities at the workplace, at our schools, and even in our homes. Especially when we have the wrong understanding of things. Although I have a new perspective on opportunity and luck, there’s no denying that sometimes things happened at random for a person who finds him/herself at the right place and at the right time. But this is the exception to the rule that most, unfortunately, mistake for the rule itself. It all comes down to our mindset, which shapes our sights that lead our path. That’s why this article is geared towards helping your frame a new perspective of how luck and opportunity work.
Observably, those that are more prepared mentally, intellectually, physically, and emotionally find more opportunities, and those that develop more skills and work the hardest and the smartest have the most open doors, therefore are luckier. Self-development positions you above noise and complaints, which always block the path to growth.
One thing I realize that handicaps a lot of people, surprisingly, isn’t a lack of motivation, or goals, but a distorted understanding of opportunities and growth. I always had a huge vision and always believed that I was made for something big, but my mindset weighs more on the scale of realization than anything else. Instead of waiting around for opportunities to come by so I can step up and climb to the top, I set out to develop my skills. And the more I develop myself, the more opportunities I harvest. My focus flipped from being on alert of who can help me get there, to am I ready to get there. And that was life-changing. The right connection will be there, at the right time, at the right place as soon as you’re ready for the ride.
The mind is, to me, the master key to opening all doors anywhere, at any time, and for anyone who dares to use it properly. If the universe has many ways to relate to us, our mind is our only way to positively manipulate its powers to our benefit and live to our full potential. In other words, why wait for opportunities to come at random, when you hold the master key?
Consider yourself playing hide and seek with your goals. You need to find the right staircase leading to your destination, but they’re behind locked doors that people go through at random before they shut back and lock again. There are two possibilities: it’s whether you take advantage of someone opening a door or use your own key. The first one is unfortunately the path most people take, and that’s why most people think their fate depends on someone else – which is the number one source of entitlement and frustration built over time.
“Do what depends on you, and do it exhaustively, and put aside what doesn’t.” that’s what one of my mentors told me once. And I can testify that what depends on you is what builds up into opportunities leading you to fulfill your greatest objectives. You build luck by building yourself, and opportunities by taking action at your current level, using your master key accordingly.
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Rejection is not new to anyone, but those who make it to their destination do something that places them above the crowd. They make very beneficial use of it. In such cases, rejection can be two things: fuel and directionals. When we miss an opportunity, most people tend to let themselves down, especially after many rejections. It can become very depressing.
Missed opportunities can be your best opportunity if used properly. Used as fuel, it can motivate you to do your best and reach unimaginable limits. Used as directionals, which is my favorite use of it, it helps you do three things – 1. Self-reflect. When miss an opportunity, it’s important to step back and analyze what went wrong. Great leaders and achievers of the world have a habit of self-observation because it contributes to their self-awareness which is as critical to their mission as it is to yours. 2. Build focus. It’s important to have a habit of readjusting your focus from time to time, but it’s more critical after missing your aim. Instead of blurring your sight with tears, refocus it on what should be done. 3. Redirect. Missing an opportunity is like hitting a wall, and when this happens, you don’t sit there staring at the wall, you reevaluate your GPS, refocus, and steer your wheel to the open road. Sometimes missed opportunities are just wrong directions, and those like me who take responsibility for their lives, treat them as such and aim for higher ground.
We can be as lucky as we want, as long as we chose to be. The power to choose and create our path is undeniably the most impressive force we can ever have. Our destiny isn’t a prebuilt destination that we reach, but one that we create along the way, by the choices we make at every turn.
“The Cave of Time” (Choose Your Own Adventure) by Edward Packard is one great illustrated booklet I have enjoyed. Although it’s made for kids, there’s a great lesson in its pages – your choices determine your destiny. The fun about this small book is that you don’t read it from start to end. The story starts and then gives you options to choose from, which then gives you more options. Each of these options leads to a different ending. You can end up being rich, as a king or enslaved, in jail or eaten by a snake or an alligator…
Surfing through its pages is no different from going through life. We go by making choices, or should I be clearer, decisions. Decision-making is a top-rated skill known by all great leaders. In order to lead yourself or others, you make decisions or choices every day to define the steps that need to be taken and the direction to head for. Each of these decisions bears consequences that, in the end, are to be assumed by making other decisions to whether counter the effect or consolidate the results. Each of these decisions is an opportunity for us to create the life we want, but like going through the pages of this little book, you need to read carefully and understand each option before you flip to the next page. And this requires you to be two things: intentional and accountable.
Intentional means you know what you want, define it, and anticipate it. A lot of us are very proactive. We’re quick to flip to the pages and move on to the next chapter. That’s what happened to me when I read "The Cave of Time" for the first time, and I ended up dead several times. Then I realized I have to evaluate my choices and become more intentional about them, that’s when I started reaping better results. Accountability is a great virtue. It combines the humility to take responsibility for your own decision-making and the strength to recognize your mistakes. Without these two, actions are pointless.
Those with a bigger purpose are given a bigger test, and to whom higher ground awaits go through a steeper hill. Every problem is a test of something that isn’t functioning properly as it should. Problems are opportunities in disguise, geared towards bringing out the best in you. Every crisis conveys a hidden opportunity., and those capable of seeing the value of it reap the benefits.
Your capacity to see value through a crisis, when the majority are laid back and complaining, is a great asset. This sets you apart from the common people. Problem-solving is a characteristic of those who conquer great territories and reach beyond their borders to subjugate land they never thought possible. In ancient times, those who solve the people’s crisis got to rule over them, and until today, problem-solving skill is critical to business leaders, politicians, and leaders at all levels. It defines your merit at all levels.
Each problem you solve, whether it’s at your job or your home, it builds up your self-worth, which is made of two things: your confidence and experience and is very critical to your rise to the star you want to reach. So, instead of complaining about the crisis, strategize and bring a solution – this might be the biggest opportunity you ever find, or should I say, create for yourself.
I’m wrapping up to say that what we make of opportunities is more important than the opportunity itself, and your personal goals and self-development can determine the amount of luck we have in life. Someone can be extremely lucky in the meaning that he or she comes across opportunities that you envy and wouldn’t let slide, or would make greater use of. I feel like this sometimes. It’s the same opportunity we see, but someone is underusing it! This is because it is not intrinsically about the opportunity itself, but mostly the level of self-development. Who you are is and will always be more determinant to your goals, and more critical to your dreams than anything else, including the opportunities that come along the way. So, if you ask me what time it is, I’d say that it’s time to focus on self-development.