We were at some friend's house the other day and the wife mentioned some other acquaintances of ours.
"It sure is too bad, all the bad luck they have," she said.
My first thought was, "Bad habits, not bad luck."
My second thought was, "Or is it bad choices?"
You see, there is a difference. What we many times call bad luck is merely bad choices.
Let me explain:
If you work hard, buy a new car, keep it up with regular maintenance and blow a tire driving down the road, that is bad luck.
However, if you drive on your tires until they are almost bald and drive at speeds higher than they are recommended for, and keep them at the wrong inflation level, and then the tire blows, that is not bad luck but bad choices. The tire blew because you chose not to buy new ones. The tire blew because you chose not to take the time to check your tire inflation level the last time you filled up the tank.
It is bad luck to leave your house on vacation and while you are away the gas line breaks and the house blows up.
It is bad habits to not tend to taking care of your house, replacing the roof, painting, etc until it is a junk pile. It is bad luck to be let go from a company that goes into meltdown because the CEO acted unethically and the stock tanks, forcing layoffs.
It is both bad choices and bad habits to be late to work everyday, display shoddy workmanship and have a bad attitude to the point that the boss fires you.
If you choose to frequent shady parts of town or risky establishments, and you get mugged, is that bad luck or bad choices?
You get the point.
How often do we call something bad luck when it is really the result of bad habits or bad choices?
This really boils down to a matter of ownership of our lives and actions. Do we take full responsibility for our lives or not? I know of a gentleman who was recently passed over for a job. It would have paid him $13,000 for a week's worth of work. The person who passed him over told me why. Knowing this gentleman, I said, "It is too bad, because with a few good choices, that guy could be living in a nice house, driving nice cars, and having very few financial problems."
What about you? Do you experience bad luck? Or bad habits? Or bad choices?
The next time you hear someone say, "He's down on his luck," perhaps you ought to ask, "Or is he down on his choices?" I have found that those who have good habits and make good choices tend to experience the best luck!
So, if you want a little good luck, make some good choices and develop some good habits.
"Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get." Ray Kroc
"When I work fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, I get lucky." Dr. Armand Hammer
About The Author:
Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.
To see Chris "live" at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on the subject of Secrets of Influence go to http://chris-widener.inspiresyou.com/ or call 800-929-0434.
whole house cleaning Deerfield ..Success can easily be compared to the "genie trapped in... Read More
The Law of Experience"Success comes from good judgement; good judgement... Read More
This revelation hit me the other day while I was... Read More
Material or physical success is often measured by the level... Read More
Unless you have been living in a cave, you have... Read More
Creating a goal tracking chart is as simple as drawing... Read More
I recently was made aware of two comparative statistics that... Read More
As a work-life and career coach, I regularly work with... Read More
Picture this scene: Little Johnny's mother places a large piece... Read More
The most under rated method to achieve success is: The... Read More
Today I am going to tell you the #1 secret... Read More
To realize that you determine the outcome of your own... Read More
Success is something that happens all by itself once you've... Read More
As a child you probably learned failing is bad...Failing meant... Read More
e-Learning is doubling yearly. Classes, e-courses, e-books on how-to and... Read More
Success could be just about making money, but I think... Read More
Self-esteem is very important. It is the way we view... Read More
The ten-year period which followed the stock market crash of... Read More
Mary and Susan were friends for years. They grew up... Read More
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.... Read More
We set goals, strive for them and only consider ourselves... Read More
Napoleon Hill coined the concept of the mastermind alliance in... Read More
If you look back to the 70s and 80s, many... Read More
What does a sharp saw have to do with lifelong... Read More
Everything you will ever have and accomplish in life will... Read More
home cleaning services Des Plaines ..Many years ago, forty to be exact, I started my... Read More
Why is it that most people still equate being successful... Read More
"If you think you can or you think you can't... Read More
Everybody suffers rejection at some time or another in their... Read More
Everyone wants a life that works effectively, whether that means... Read More
There are two things that will determine your success or... Read More
In the first part of this article you learned some... Read More
"When you talk to yourself, you listen. No matter what... Read More
I prefer to call the challenges, obstacles, side-tracks, and barriers... Read More
It has been truly said, and history confirms, that the... Read More
Life is not a competition.Not at all. Life itself is... Read More
Have a "Pitch Party" Invite friends and work together to... Read More
Your Head, think about what you want and move towards... Read More
Because Not All Skills Are Equal?Public Speaking MasteryHello,Tom Cruise is... Read More
"I am the greatest warrior. I have fought with gods... Read More
Have you ever made plans in your career but never... Read More
I succeeded. I achieved my goal. I am successful. I... Read More
If you help yourself, God and humans will help you... Read More
Material or physical success is often measured by the level... Read More
Today I was glad that I had bothered to read... Read More
Understand and apply this one secret to your own life,... Read More
It is accepted that most people have felt shy at... Read More
Choose a personal theme song and soundtrack that stirs you... Read More
Reading lots these days? Having trouble remembering and recalling? For... Read More
In the Greek tale of creation, a Titan (Greek god)... Read More
Success |