“Oh, you are so lucky that you are____”
My friend Kathy is a workout warrior. Every morning she gets up at a ridiculous hour so she can drive to the gym (a half an hour a way) and work out. She works out hard for about two hours and then she showers and gets to her desk at work by 8:00 am. She does this five days a week without fail and also makes the drive on Saturdays. She is very fit of course, as she has been doing this as long as I have known her, which is over 15 years.
We were chatting yesterday morning for a minute about my knee and the progress I am making and how much work I have to put into it each day (3-4 hours) and she shared a comment one of her workmates had made the day before. She didn’t tell me the entire conversation, only the part where her less fit workmate told her that she was lucky she was naturally in shape and didn’t have to struggle with her weight. Kathy is a nice person so she didn’t react to the comment, except on the inside!
(Before I continue, this is not an about weight nor is it an affront to anyone who struggles in this area. Having worked with, and helped a lot of people get their weight under control, I know it is a substantial challenge. I am sensitive to this issue and sympathetic to those who are diligent in their effort and still struggle. This just happens to be the issue that spurred this article, which is ultimately about attitude.)
Lucky? Kathy works her self hard everyday so she can be lucky. The notion that other people are lucky is really an excuse for not doing what needs to be done. It’s like saying “Oh, I could be like Kathy if I had her metabolism. But I don’t so I can’t.” When the truth is “I could be like Kathy if I was willing to do what Kathy does or what I personally would need to do to be like that.”
Kathy works her self hard everyday so she can be lucky.
This applies to all areas of life. Whenever someone thinks someone else is lucky, they are not considering how they got lucky. And usually the answer is HARD WORK.
Yes, I know that every one is born with their own set of attributes. Some are genetically pre-disposed to gain weight. Some are introverted. Some are not inclined towards math. You can continue on with a million traits because there are millions of traits. But no one is stuck unless they choose it. Some of the most fit people I know were blessed with a predisposition to gain weight. Some of the most successful sales people I know are natural introverts.
No one is stuck unless they choose it.
It’s all a matter of choice. Not luck.
One of the things I teach when I am training leadership and management, is that your personality is either a blessing or a curse, depending on your level of personal development. There is little “luck” associated with what you see around you. It is ultimately the visible result of a massive amount of unseen dedication and toil.
So if you want to be lucky, decide what you want to be lucky in, and get to work.
