Dear Thomas, James, and Margot,
Luck is one of life’s greatest paradoxes. It is both something we seem to create through our choices, and something that arrives without warning, outside of anything we could plan or control. I believe, deeply, that you make your own luck in this life. Through hard work, through preparation, through discipline and showing up day after day—when others quit—you stack the odds in your favor. You build a foundation so strong that when opportunity appears, you’re ready to seize it.
At the same time, I cannot deny that luck exists. It is real. It can turn tides, open doors, and change lives in ways no amount of effort could guarantee. You will meet people you weren’t supposed to meet. You will stumble into moments you couldn’t have scripted. You will be offered chances that others, equally worthy, may never receive. That’s luck, too. Pure, uncontrollable, and humbling.
So how do we live wisely at the intersection of these two truths? How do we honor the work that creates momentum while also remaining open to the grace of chance? How do we position ourselves to benefit from both?
First, you build your life as if luck will never come. You do not wait for it. You do not depend on it. You do the work—the hard, unglamorous, often unnoticed work—because you believe in the life you're building, regardless of whether a lucky break ever shows up. You sharpen your skills, strengthen your mind, deepen your character. You create value in yourself that no one can take away. In doing this, you make yourself ready for the moment when luck, if it chooses to arrive, knocks at your door.
Second, you live with your eyes and heart open. Life is not a perfect equation. It will surprise you. Some of the best things that happen will be things you could never have plotted on a map. Stay flexible enough to adjust when a new opportunity presents itself. Stay curious enough to explore paths you didn’t anticipate. Stay humble enough to know that no matter how hard you work, there are forces larger than yourself at play. And stay courageous enough to say yes when life invites you to grow beyond the story you had planned.
You will hear people say, “He was just lucky,” or “She caught a break.” Smile when you hear it. Understand that behind almost every story of luck is a person who prepared tirelessly for a moment they could not predict. Understand, too, that sometimes you will do everything right and still not get the outcome you hoped for. That’s part of it. It doesn’t mean the work was wasted. It means you’re playing the bigger, longer game—the one where the quality of your life is measured not by what fortune gives you, but by who you become through the striving.
I want you to live in a way that invites luck. I want you to work in a way that deserves it. I want you to believe, fiercely, in your ability to create momentum in your own life, even as you stay open to miracles you cannot engineer. This is where true power lives: in the merging of effort and grace. In the blending of discipline and wonder. In the life that is strong enough to stand on its own—and humble enough to celebrate every lucky break that comes along.
If you live this way, you will never be bitter if fortune feels slow to find you. You will never be arrogant when fortune smiles upon you. You will know that you built something real, with your own two hands, while staying open to the beautiful, unpredictable gifts life sometimes gives.
In time, you will realize that the real luck was never the lottery ticket moment. It was the life you chose to build every day before it arrived.
And maybe, just maybe, the real secret is that the harder you work, the more the universe seems to conspire in your favor.
I love you more than words can say,
and I always will.
Dad
If today’s reflection sparked something in you—if it reminded you that your effort matters, even when the outcomes feel out of your control—I’d love for you to follow or subscribe on Substack, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. I post new reflections every weekday, each designed to help you live and lead with more clarity and conviction.
And if you’re carrying a dream or working toward a goal, remember: you’re not just waiting for luck—you’re building the life that deserves it.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more.
Until then—work hard, stay humble, and stay open to the miracles you can’t yet see.
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