Luck comes to those who act.  Fate decides who wins.  But acting often and acting smarter increases our odds of turning fate in our favor.

Luck needs action. We must play to win. In the Lottery, buying a ticket comes before success.
~ www.jaywren.com

Good Luck

I have had good luck and bad luck.  But without work, I could not have had the luck to do so many things I enjoy.

My luck in college increased greatly when I realized I didn’t have to be the smartest student.  At least for me to be lucky in school, I had to be the hardest working student.

I was lucky to get into Naval Officer Candidate School. However, if I had not worked hard in college, I would not have  had the opportunity to become a bridge officer on the carrier, USS Midway.

As a business owner, I had success and frustration.  I learned early on that I could not control the results.  Results are about fate.  However, by making the phone calls, working the extra hours, changing with the changes in technology, I had enough luck to run a successful business for thirty years.

You Can’t Control the Results

At least, I can’t imagine how anyone can control the results of their work.  The results are fate.  We work hard.  We do the correct things.  But the world changes.  Technology, industrial dynamics, economics, and other things change.   Furthermore, it is the things that we can’t control that decides our fate.

Poker is a game of betting on the cards you have and the cards you hope to have.

Poker players know as well as anyone how fate controls the outcome of a hand.  Holding aces never guarantees a win.  But playing the hand, and playing it smartly, increases our odds of winning.

Not only in poker, but in everything I do, I play to win.  I know that taking the right action increases my chances of prosperity. Also, acting helps me build stronger family ties, gives me greater friendships, and rewards with me better health.