Luck: A Skill Worth Possessing

What luck looked like in my early years!

Have you ever wondered within the secret walls of your own thoughts why "everyone else is so much luckier than me?" Have you ever wished that you could change the outcome of various events in which the odds are stacked against you? You are not alone. (*please note the Michael Jackson reference)

Since joining the Smart family tree I have been constantly bombarded with family mottos of which I am not allowed to question their validity. Further investigation into the meaning of these family motos on my part has only led to defensive reasonings from various family members such as "Our mottos are like us...never wrong." Of course believing isn't always seeing or is it the other way around? Lesson learned: Don't question the mottos!

Recently, I have had the opportunity to create some of my own mottos (of course founded on sound, indisputable logic). For all those who have answered yes to any of the questions presented at the start of this post, the following motto may be something you wish to incorporate into your various lifestyles as it will transform the way you see the world and the way others see you.

"I create my own luck!" Say it again. "I create my own luck!" There you have it...the secret to changing everything and before you go accusing me of stealing this gem from geniuses such as Mandino let me set the record straight, I gave birth to this motto, although maybe I should submit it as an 11th scroll.

I haven't always been skillful at creating my own luck. In fact, for most my life I never won anything. I scored baskets on the wrong hoop, touchdowns in the wrong endzones, and was even stung by a bumble bee in my early years because I thought it was a cute stuffed animal. Yes indeed, I have had my share of hard times without any hint of luck anywhere in sight. But I am here to say that with a little effort and some "luck" (term used in its original meaning, not mine) you can, just like me, become lucky.

You see, luck doesn't judge people by status or ability, but rather on the criteria of desire. Before you all jump in and say, "but I am always desirous to win the contests I enter" let me explain the type of desire that luck is looking to partner up with. It looks upon the heart of the individual, searching for genuine heartfelt desire. Not understanding? Let me explain further.

Recent events, made public knowledge due to many criticizing fans and their access to a plethora of social media outlets, have shown that yes I am indeed lucky. Yes, I won a pair of sunglasses for a contest I entered via my wife's Facebook account. Yes, I was up against stiff competition and there may have been others more deserving, especially considering that I submitted my entry after the deadline, but in my defense it was skill. You see I knew luck was out there searching for the right person to be declared winner of this worldwide, forever-changing event. Luck seized upon my heart like Syd and I on pumpkin bread or 30Rock, sensing that I personified best what it means to be desirous. (Fact: I can't help that genuine desire is prominent within my being.) Once luck and desire met within me, I knew the contest was mine for the taking. I simply entered and waited.

The world is a rough place full of two types of individuals, lucky and not. If you feel yourself to be a member of the latter, then maybe it is time to apply the motto that will change your life. Don't wait for it to come to you, you find it. If you feel that changing to the lucky side just isn't going to happen for you, please don't bring the rest of us and our mojo down with you. We need to focus on keeping our luck going.

In closing, I wish to share three things I have skillfully lucked out with that have been on my mind heavily as of late.

• Marriage to Syd (this one probably took the most skill)
• Family, both mine and Syd's
• Health/physical ability

I CREATE MY OWN LUCK!