I Embrace My Good Fortune, Do You?

"People really don't like to hear success explained away as luck -- especially successful people. As they age and succeed, people feel their success was somehow inevitable. They don't want to acknowledge the role played by accident in their lives. Life's outcomes, while not entirely random, have a huge amount of luck baked into them. Above all recognize that if you have had success, you have also had luck — and with luck comes obligation. You owe a debt, and not just to your gods. You owe a debt to the unlucky."

- Michael Lewis, June 3, 2012 - Princeton University

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S33/87/63A57/index.xml?section=featured

Seems so.

So far I have had pretty good luck in life. Things could be a lot worse off. I feel fortunate.

Knock on wood...

shut up faggit

This is usually how the stupid or lazy explain their station in life.

TRUTH!!!

All of those who were born on 3rd base and think they hit a triple !

"Dans les champs de l'observation le hasard ne favorise que les esprits préparés."
"In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind."
- Louis Pasteur

The majority of life circumstances are had by the decisions we make. People who make ill-informed decisions or poor choices tend to call it bad luck. Opportunities seem to favor people who are prepared and decisive while a lack of preparedness and inactivity breeds unlucky circumstances. I've noticed that moving forward and taking action seems to invite unexpected "lucky" circumstances and assistance from others. And as Pasteur said, the better you know your subject the better prepared you are to recognize the "luck" of an opportunity.

I don't believe I owe a debt to those who haven't done their homework and blindly make repeated mistakes or do nothing at all. For those reasons the "unlucky" will continue to flounder no matter how much assistance is offered them. I do believe in helping people who have been unlucky or victimized due to no circumstance of their own and I will always offer assistance to people who are making an effort to move forward.

Edit: I didn't mean it to sound as though I've never made poor choices. I have. But I didn't view it as my bad luck. I also wouldn't accept assistance if I wasn't already doing something to help myself.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD ! Not under Wall Street !

He was conceived and born on Third Base.

Opportunity is available to many, but seldom taken advantage of. I do not owe anybody but the people who I have already paid.

Went to a cancer walk this weekend . After hearing some of the stories I really am counting my blessings .

Also thought alot about health care costs. N just how your fiscal life can be destroyed if the big c comes your way.

I know what you mean, although in my case the c's were women.

about a year ago i got a really huge promotion. after that i sat down and wrote letters to 6 people , some i have not talked to in close to 20yrs. everyone from a family friend who gave me my first computer , to a teacher i had , some former bosses who had taken a chance hiring me early on in my career and my parents i thanked them each for the specific things they had done to help get me get to where i am today. mosst of them had no idea such minor things had affected someones life in a very profound way. anyway to make a long story short (too late) i freely admit it was pure luck having met these people and circumstances. if it wasnt for that i probably would not have ended up doing very well because i had no way to afford college without having the skills to get a high paying job while in school, furthermore i was not a very good student either and doubtful that even if i somehow afforded i would likely not have graduated

Nice one !

This guy I know has to go the bone marrow route. He' ll basically be in the hospital for a year .

Hard work being the most important.

You had better check on that one. Otherwise you need meds badly !

I've repaid the people I owed? I pass opportunity on to those that deserve it. I certainly owe nothing to those that do not deserve it. Right?

how is that determined,who doesnt deserve it

I guess you have a balance sheet showing everyone who touched your life and made difference? Did you send all of them gift baskets ?

People who I do business with, or decide to be charitable with. My taxes go to help the faceless, unwashed masses.

Actually I do, I was given an opportunity to purchase the business I'm in and I have a balance sheet to show what I paid.