Luck

What is it, exactly?

This is a question that I have been venturing out to answer for quite some time.  It seems like a simple question.  At least I thought it was.  But, the reality is that it is so far from simple. In fact, it just may be impossible to answer such a question.

Luck, I guess, by definition, is the fortunate, (or unfortunate) occurrences in your life that just happen, well, because.  I would have to say that it is a phenomenon that is borderline inexplicable. We truly do not know why one has good or bad luck in particular instances, but we do know that it is poingant and always with us.

But can this omnipotent facet of life be as powerful and free-falling as is generally suggested? Is that even humanly possible.

Know what I think?

No.

I consistently labor over such questions as these ad nauseam.  My friends will tell you that I am a victim of consistent over-analysis of just about everything from a text message that ends in a period to why I ran 30 seconds slower on my 10 mile run today than when I did it three days earlier.

But this luck thing, I have concluded, that for the most part doesn't even actually exist as this spirit.  Truth is, luck is synthetic. It's man-made.   We all are responsible for our own luck.  People that are primarily considered to have bad luck have it because they put themselves in situations that will be unlikely to engender good luck. Therefore, they will have bad luck.  Whether that be not exhibiting healthy practices and eventually paying for it down the road, or being painfully unprepared to the point  where you could humiliate yourself publicly. 

On the contrary, those that have "good luck" are progressive. They're confident.  They do not fold at those tumultuous times.  Nothing phases them.  They have the gall and patience to see things through and make the right decisions when necessary. Those with good luck will downright refuse to just let life, the intimidating adversary it can sometimes be, come to them. They go to life. Thus, producing their own good luck.

Now, of course, there are outliers.  The mother of three who succumbs to vicious breast cancer after beating it decades earlier.  The dedicated man who works three jobs to support his family, and gets fired from one of them so he can't pay the mortgage.  The family who wins the lottery. These are just a few examples that just illustrate that there are some moments in life that have no explanation. There's no use in even trying to look at those examples because you'll drive yourself up a great wall looking for an answer. 

Instead, go make your luck.