WEIGH YOUR LUCK
[A friend recommended Baltasar Gracian's The Art of Worldly Wisdom. Gracian was a Spanish scholar of the 17th century who set forth a series of maxims for ethical action. From time to time I'll write about one of his maxims.]
Gracian notes that luck, whether good or bad, is irregular, that we can't predict our luck. He therefore recommends that we base our actions on how lucky we are at a given moment. That is, when we're feeling lucky, act. When we're feeling unlucky, wait. He regards this as more important than relying on wisdom.
This is pretty good advice if we can recognize how lucky or unlucky we are at a given moment. Gamblers rely on this, pressing their advantage, sportsmen know to take chances during lucky streaks, some of us speak of changing our luck, of seeking omens. But if, as I believe, we can't really know our luck, this advice can paralyze us, make us fearful of acting, cause us to wait until we feel lucky before doing anything.
We all have moments when we feel unlucky, when we believe that bad luck has doomed our efforts, when we think that we can't do anything to change our situation. In my experience, that's the time to act, to change our behavior, to try new things. According to the old saying, the harder you try, the luckier you get. Action, constructive changes, optimism can change your luck.
The short answer to Gracian's advice to weigh your luck is to make your own luck. If you work toward your goals, seek optimistically to change your life, avoid passive acceptance, you'll be surprised how lucky you are. If you avoid blaming your luck for everything that goes wrong in your life, you'll be surprised how much you get done.
Whether you feel lucky or unlucky, be active. Seek your goals. Do your best at whatever you're doing. Then you won't have to weigh your luck, you'll succeed in both the lucky and the unlucky times.
10-30-00
Archives 2000 Archives 1999 Archives