Success is more pluck than luck
By Ella Rue
Ever notice that some
people have all the luck? They walk down the hall and find money on the
ground. They seem to make the grade in all of their classes. They always
seem to know what to say and do in any given situation. They’re the
people others are drawn to; in the classroom, in clubs and associations,
in the office, and in life in general.
Then there are others who aren’t as fortunate. They seem to be more
like Pig-Pen from the “Peanuts” cartoon, walking around with
a cloud of dust, and a rain cloud over their head.
Born winners? The Midas touch? Don’t believe any of that for a minute.
In reality, a surprising amount of what is perceived as “luck”
is simply the result of our own actions. It is a learned behavioral pattern.
Canadian novelist and journalist Robertson Davies said: “What we
call luck is the inner man externalized. We make things happen to us.”
Most “lucky” people have many traits and characteristics in
common: they create opportunities, they follow their hunches, they come
to expect good fortune, and they have the ability to turn bad “luck”
into good.
We create our luck by our attitudes and our behavior. Our body language
speaks volumes to those around us. It can let people know we are approachable,
easy to talk to, and welcoming of others; or it can offer evidence that
we are unapproachable, inaccessible, and aloof.
We also need to look at everyone around us as someone we can potentially
be of assistance to, and someone who can potentially help us. Life is
a series of relationships. Those most successful are those who, throughout
their lives, have fostered strong, solid relationships with others.
Consider your friends, and your attitudes toward them. Chances are, if
given the opportunity, you would be more than willing, even eager, to
help them out. Additionally, chances are, if an acquaintance were to ask
you for assistance, you would likely happily help as well. This is human
nature. It makes us feel good to help. It gives us a feeling of being
needed. It makes us feel important. Once we understand and accept that
others are eager to help us, our attitudes toward asking for assistance
change. It becomes easier to ask for, and ultimately accept, the help
of others.
Within the classroom, there is potential to cultivate innumerable relationships.
There are both people whom you can offer assistance to, and those who
can help you. Each person brings to the table varying levels of experience.
Each person also has an unknown amount of contacts that may be willing
to help as well. Remember to consider your professors, too. They likely
have professional and personal contacts and acquaintances that may just
help you land your dream job.
Those who are “lucky” also choose to respond positively in situations
that are out of their control. Accidents, illnesses, unfair treatment
at work or within the classroom at one time or another occur to us all.
We cannot always control our surrounding circumstances and situations,
but we can control how we react to these situations.
Instead of bemoaning the circumstances by saying, “Why do things
like this always happen to me?” those who are “lucky” consider
how much worse the situation could have been. Instead of dwelling on misfortune,
the “lucky ones” are convinced that, in the end, things will
ultimately work out for the best.
As a result, lucky people are more flexible, more resilient.
I’ll share with you how I came to write this column. I wanted more
journalistic experience. I’ve had work published, but journalistically,
my experience is limited. My degrees lean more toward the Fine Arts, rather
than Literary Arts. I’ve also had my share of rejection slips from
magazines and periodicals. My hope of eventually being hired for a job
that involves journalistic writing is stunted in that I do not bring with
me enough journalistic experience, or a solid educational background in
writing.
Seeking to gain additional experience I chose to be proactive and contacted
Bonnie Thornborough, advisor to The Record. Had I sat in wait, hoping
that someone might approach me to write a monthly column, I fear I would
be waiting for a very, very, very long time.
In the end, the most important and most effective way to become “lucky”
is to learn to trust yourself. Trust in your ideas. Trust that others
will believe in you as well, and ultimately they will. It really is as
simple as that.
I would love to hear personal experiences from showing readers how you
have taken a negative and created a positive. Please address all email
to erue@njcu.edu We reserve the right to edit submissions.
