The Tale of Probability and Luck: Why We’re in Control of Our Destiny

When people tell you that you can’t do something, often times, it’s based on their own insecurities, fears or experiences. It’s also consciously factoring in probability. You probably won’t be able to do this or that because of XYZ reasons. You probably won’t become a successful artist, athlete or professor because it’s less common.

Probability is a wonderful mathematical tool and it leads to fascinating statistical insights and analytics. But it can also serve as a deterrent and demoralizing tool that can discourage your dreams. I’ve observed far too many people who felt the odds were stacked too high against them. So they stopped and settled for the path of least resistance.

They probably weren’t or aren’t going to become the version of themselves that they imagined and played back each day in their mind in the form of dreams. So it probably made or makes sense to shift their energy to a more worn and trodden path, one where acceptance and fulfillment are perceived as more likely. Safer. I have a problem with the word “safe.”

Hunger Games

Safety, in the context of security, is paramount. Without safety and freedom from harm we cannot survive. However, there’s nothing “safe” about taking the “safe” way in our careers or the pursuit of our grandest goals. Eventually, it will catch up with us. There will come regret, frustration and concern that we may never get on the track to being and doing what we actually want.

People are going to tell you why you can’t write a bestselling book. You’ll be told that you’ll never be able to accomplish certain goals outright or that you won’t be able to achieve a particular objective in a specific amount of time. I say there’s a magic that comes with the odds being against you. In fact, I flip the figure of speech from The Hunger Games on its head and say the opposite:

“May the odds be ever in your favor?” Heck, no.

May the odds always be against you. May you work intelligently and vigorously to find the calling and journey you’re meant to take.

Probability exists and should be viewed as showing us a benchmark. By no means do we have to fall in line with what that is. In fact, every time in my life that I’ve told myself I would aspire to a particular number or date, I’ve always attained what I set out in my mind to accomplish. What I’m saying is- put that number higher. Take that date and set it as a marker. Your mind may wonder about with skepticism or doubt, but your heart will know just what to do.

Our minds and willpower are so much stronger than we think. We can achieve extraordinary things when we prepare our minds through visualization. We are ahead of the game when we process our goals by planning and physically, mentally and emotionally willing ourselves through force and grit. Combined with our natural God-given talents, we have a blueprint to follow.

Good Luck

“Luck is not a subject you can mention in the presence of self-made men.” — E.B. White

Merriam-Webster defines “Luck” as: a force that brings good fortune or adversity. The events, opportunities or circumstances that operate for or against an individual.

I believe luck is born from opportunity and through the extended arm of others. Good things arrive from the benevolence and goodwill of others, not by sudden, random happenstance. None of us make it on our own, though we do attract greater energy and synergy from the universe when we’re putting forth positive thought vibrations and actions.

When we’re working hard for something we deeply desire and believe in.

Perhaps you’ve seen this letter below. It’s a famous rejection letter sent to Paul Hewson, known to you and me as Bono, from one of the most successful music groups of all time, U2. When Mr. Sinclair sent this letter, he was fueling the motivation of a young Irishman and his fellow band mates. You see, it’s probable that most new bands will not make it. And by not make it, I mean even record a single record.

It’s probable that most groups will not achieve the success of selling even 1,000 records. But Paul Hewson, Edge and the boys were determined to defy probability and the odds against them. When we think of how slim the odds are of reaching spectacular levels of success, we tend to react in one of two ways. We either meet the challenge head-on and fight with all we have or we retreat in fear. We stop what we’re doing and start making excuses.

The people who tend to retreat in fear and make excuses are the same ones who will tell you that the success of U2 or others is “luck.” Because they cannot fathom how or why they got the breaks. Those people are likely not thinking positively or engineering every part of their mental and emotional being to position themselves for favorable circumstances when they arrive.

What Luck Is

Want to know what luck is? This is luck:

This is unbridled, unfettered luck. It matters not that this man is a professional basketball player who has likely taken more than one-million shots in the course of his career between practices and games. He made this shot, threw up his hands and looked around like he just won the lottery. Or that he just witnessed an angel. He couldn’t believe it.

Because it was not only improbable. It was pure luck.

“The day you decide to do it is your lucky day.” Japanese Proverb

There’s a difference between luck and harnessing positive energy and a believer’s mindset to attract opportunity. Re-read this past sentence and if you still think this sounds a bit sanguine or far-fetched, I encourage you to think of your life and the greatest opportunities that you’ve had. Ask your friends and study the lives of successful people like J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan.

Did they get some “breaks” along their path to becoming world-famous success stories? I suppose they did. I’ve studied their lives and at first, I marveled at the way the stars seemed to magically align. On second glance, I could see the perseverance, persistence and refusal to take, “No” for an answer.

Be Open to Opportunity

With each one of these people, as well as everyday people who work in jobs that we wouldn’t normally equate with glamour or stardom, I’ve observed and studied that many people achieve what they set out to accomplish by being open to opportunity and cultivating high-levels of self-awareness.

Take these studies from Psychology Today as examples to consider when deciphering what luck and opportunity are all about:

“Researchers at the University of Toronto recently demonstrated the benefit of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. They found that people in good moods actually take in more visual information, while those in bad moods don’t see as much around them. — via Psychology Today”

“Those who call themselves lucky score higher on the personality factor of extraversion. That means that they are more likely to have a fortuitous encounter because they meet lots of new people and keep in touch with a large group of friends and acquaintances. These advantaged souls also score higher in openness, and lower in neuroticism, the tendency to experience negative emotional states like anxiety, anger, guilt, and depression.” — via Psychology Today

And from Psychologist Richard Wiseman:

“Unlucky people are generally more tense than lucky people and this anxiety disrupts their ability to notice the unexpected. As a result, they miss opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else. Lucky people, on the other hand, are more relaxed and open, which means they see what is there.”

The move to analytics and advanced statistics leads some to refer to great opportunity and success as “luck.” The doubts and emotions of all humans, even scientists, are influenced by their own experiences and what they’ve observed from others. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t achieve your goals or dreams.

Probability scientists and mathematicians seem to throw “luck” out there when they cannot quantify something. We are emotional creatures influenced by strong feelings that drive us to do things. The science has proven we can attract “luck” in the form of opportunity.

As Wiseman found in his study of individuals: “First, they realized that an opportunity was being presented to them. Then, they seized the opportunity and took action.”

Luck exists but it’s not often what people ascribe things to or what we think. We create our own luck. You see, probability and science will never be able to measure or forecast the power of our will nor the dreams of our heart.

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