Great post. I think that part of being lucky is also being aware of when some opportunity knocks, and how to respond. I look back from later in life and see moments where there was an opportunity to take advantage of circumstances to do something in my “sweet spot” that was very creative, but I didn’t have enough maturity or self-knowledge to recognize the gift of that moment. This sort of awareness is something that improves w age, once one gets ahold of his “telos”, happy to say.
Great article, and motivational to my work. I've been working on the idea of taking control of luck, with the simple equation of
luck = opportunity + preparation.
While we can lament and envy the success of others, the healthier, Stoic perspective is to emphasize what we can control. As you say, by working on the right things, leveraging your effort to contribute more than you consume to create opportunities, and continue growing to better prepare for future directions, you take control of your luck.
Thanks for sharing and I’m lucky to come across this. Cheers!
This really resonates with my own experience. A few years back, I spent over 60 hours creating math art for the international Desmos art expo - painstakingly plotting equations and tweaking parameters until I had something worthy of submission. It was honestly pretty boring work, but I pushed through and ended up winning some recognition, money, and respect from the community.
But here's the thing - the best reward came way later. When it came time for class selections, my teachers remembered that project. They'd seen me tackle something difficult and see it through to the end, so they trusted me with harder courses I might not have gotten into otherwise. Some people might call that luck, but it was really just the delayed payoff of all that grinding work.
Your point about everything we do somehow affecting our future is spot on. I've been tracking my own "luck" patterns, and the moments when opportunities seemed to fall into my lap were always preceded by months of me getting obsessed with learning something deeply - whether it was perfecting those Desmos equations or just getting really good at listening to people.
What strikes me most is the Seneca quote about sowing again after a poor crop. The Machiavelli quote is fascinating too - there's something about combining that careful preparation with the willingness to move quickly when the moment presents itself. Most people do one or the other, but rarely both.
Thanks for putting this framework together. It's going straight into my notes as a reminder for when I start thinking success is just random chance
This is the second time I have come across a deduction of luck such as this, so I’ll take it as a sign. I was reading a manga called blue lock and came across the chapter explaining how luck is taken by those who are ready to accept it and that the only way to be lucky is to be prepared for those windows of opportunities. Luck “only comes to those standing where it’s going to land.” creating opportunity by preparing yourself mentally and physically so that whatever comes your way you have created a 0 to 1% possibility.
Reminds me of the The German expression “Jeder ist seines Glückes Schmied“ which means “Everyone is the smith of their own luck.” Just like a blacksmith shapes raw iron into tools or weapons through fire, hammer, and skill, each person shapes their own destiny or luck through their actions, decisions, and persistence.
Great post. I think that part of being lucky is also being aware of when some opportunity knocks, and how to respond. I look back from later in life and see moments where there was an opportunity to take advantage of circumstances to do something in my “sweet spot” that was very creative, but I didn’t have enough maturity or self-knowledge to recognize the gift of that moment. This sort of awareness is something that improves w age, once one gets ahold of his “telos”, happy to say.
This is a lesson that i got to learn about this year.
The more trials you make the luckier you be .
You just cant sit and wait to be lucky
Great article, and motivational to my work. I've been working on the idea of taking control of luck, with the simple equation of
luck = opportunity + preparation.
While we can lament and envy the success of others, the healthier, Stoic perspective is to emphasize what we can control. As you say, by working on the right things, leveraging your effort to contribute more than you consume to create opportunities, and continue growing to better prepare for future directions, you take control of your luck.
Thanks for sharing and I’m lucky to come across this. Cheers!
This really resonates with my own experience. A few years back, I spent over 60 hours creating math art for the international Desmos art expo - painstakingly plotting equations and tweaking parameters until I had something worthy of submission. It was honestly pretty boring work, but I pushed through and ended up winning some recognition, money, and respect from the community.
But here's the thing - the best reward came way later. When it came time for class selections, my teachers remembered that project. They'd seen me tackle something difficult and see it through to the end, so they trusted me with harder courses I might not have gotten into otherwise. Some people might call that luck, but it was really just the delayed payoff of all that grinding work.
Your point about everything we do somehow affecting our future is spot on. I've been tracking my own "luck" patterns, and the moments when opportunities seemed to fall into my lap were always preceded by months of me getting obsessed with learning something deeply - whether it was perfecting those Desmos equations or just getting really good at listening to people.
What strikes me most is the Seneca quote about sowing again after a poor crop. The Machiavelli quote is fascinating too - there's something about combining that careful preparation with the willingness to move quickly when the moment presents itself. Most people do one or the other, but rarely both.
Thanks for putting this framework together. It's going straight into my notes as a reminder for when I start thinking success is just random chance
This is the second time I have come across a deduction of luck such as this, so I’ll take it as a sign. I was reading a manga called blue lock and came across the chapter explaining how luck is taken by those who are ready to accept it and that the only way to be lucky is to be prepared for those windows of opportunities. Luck “only comes to those standing where it’s going to land.” creating opportunity by preparing yourself mentally and physically so that whatever comes your way you have created a 0 to 1% possibility.
Thank you!
Great piece!
Reminds me of the The German expression “Jeder ist seines Glückes Schmied“ which means “Everyone is the smith of their own luck.” Just like a blacksmith shapes raw iron into tools or weapons through fire, hammer, and skill, each person shapes their own destiny or luck through their actions, decisions, and persistence.
An encouraging and worthwhile read. Thank you for posting.