I Don't Believe In Luck

One Friday morning I sat down at my office after a bike ride and thought, “man I'm lucky.” Then I remembered I don't believe in luck.

My doubts about luck began in high school. My best friend and I played basketball every day after school. We were pretty evenly matched. He'd win some. I'd win some. He was a good post player and I played pretty well around mid range from the basket. Every once in awhile a shot of mine would bounce around and fall in. It happened enough to be a trend. He always called those shots lucky. It wasn't luck though. Back in the day I had a pretty good jump shot. It had a high arcing trajectory with a little bit of back spin. If my aim was off the ball would bounce around up there and just might fall in. It's called a shooter's roll.

After high school, time and experience only added to my disbelief in luck. I have seen that what looks like luck is actually the combination of timing – or opportunity – and skill. Take for example an actress that develops her craft over many years. When the the right opportunity comes along she is ready and is a success. Some people will always say she got a lucky break. Did she though? If she hadn't spent the preceding years working at becoming a good actress no amount of lucky breaks would have propelled her to success.

So it isn't luck that allowed me to start my own business and have the freedom to ride my bike on a Friday. I did such good work at one of my previous jobs that when the client wanted to change Architects they called me. When they called I was in the perfect position for the opportunity. So a good work ethic plus skill plus opportunity added up to the biggest opportunity of my career.

Lest anyone think I'm too full of myself after reading this let me temper my thoughts with a couple of things I do believe in. The luck of the draw and divine providence.

You can't control the cards you are dealt. It's what you do with them that matters. I was dealt some pretty good cards. Born a white male in The United States of America. My life was always going to be pretty good and way better than a large percentage of the world. Now it's up to me to do the best I can with what I've got. What that entails is somewhat complicated and is a good subject for another blog.

I also believe God is out there looking after each and every one of us and he has a plan. That plan has both good and bad experiences in it as he tries to bring us to him and for us that have accepted him to form us into the image of Christ. On this journey God will answer some prayers yes and some no. It is hard for us to know all of the factors that go into this decision. One prayer that God said yes to me on was about having my own business. The last time I was in New York visiting relatives I realized I didn't want to be tied to an employer. I wanted to be able to take my family to New York for the summer if I wanted. And even if that wasn't possible I wanted to be with my family more. Do more for people. Help at the church. Just be free from the daily grind. It remains to be seen if I can finagle a whole summer in New York, but the rest of it is starting to happen and I am so thankful for it.

”The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

- Samuel Goldwyn

“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 

- 1 Corinthians 1:31