"Nothing will work unless you do" ~ Maya Angelou
Often we hear people probing about how lucky others are. Naturally, it becomes very irritating to see a friend, colleague or even a stranger succeeding in everything they do. You get even more irritated when you think you work twice as hard. I personally call this irritation the edge of competitiveness. When I do get this feeling, I usually work harder in achieving my own goals.
Although it may appear that others are luckier than the rest, I do believe that luck is a major result of hard work. Reality is, if you linger around waiting for lady luck to swing by, you may wait a little longer that those who go about looking for her. In true Mandoza words - "Uzoyithola kanjani uhlel'ekoneni?".
One would argue that there is pure luck, where one gets an opportunity they were not even looking for. I always say that those people were probably at the right place at a right time. They were definitely not at home sipping coffee and Jesus called their house number. You may get 'lucky' once but its almost non-existent to get successful through pure luck alone. Samuel Goldwyn once said: "The harder I work, the luckier I get" I strongly believe in this quote.
How do you avail yourself to "luck"?:
1. Study and educate yourself. Education does not end at school. Research your field of interest, read and debate your findings, volunteer to acquire experience. When it comes to success, luck may mean having the right skills to get a job.
2. Socialize and network. Meet people and find out what they do, share your interests. Not everyone you meet will interest you or be interested in what you do, continue regardless! Some people may not help you, but they can talk about what you do to others.
3. Affiliate yourself with like-minded individuals. Its no use spending most of your time with negative and un-motivated people. I always say - keep people who add value in your life and those you add value in theirs. There is nothing more depressing than people whom you learn nothing from, and they seem to get nothing from you either. I call them "zone friends" or "zone colleagues". All you talk about is bad circumstances with no intention of finding solutions.
4. When you do find that job, work hard to excel in it. When it comes to jobs, luck may mean having to put on extra hours to get your job well done and get promoted.
5. You are a lady, act like one! Any woman can get a man, keeping a good man may take more than just luck. If you not sure on how to act like a lady, I recommend you read Steve Harvey's "Think Like A Man & Act Like A Lady" book. As they say, if you want to attract a pig - stay in the mud. One well known secrete that ladies don't take seriously is - you work hard to keep a good man! Luck follows when your relationship/marriage flourishes from your hard work.
Working hard means preparing yourself for an opportunity. You work hard at work so that when an opportunity for a promotion comes, you get it. You work hard in your marriage/relationship so that when an opportunity in your favor arises, you there to receive it. Careful, working hard in a relationship does not mean you lye down and your man walk over you. It certainly does not mean you vanish and become your man's shadow either.
It is the beginning of the year, I therefore urge you my ladies to prepare to get lucky this year. Get up and Show up! Work hard and persevere. Know what you want and stick to it! Of-cause, go to school - education is one asset that no one can ever take away from you! Not your boss, not your man and certainly not your friends.
Until next time, stay lucky!
Catch me on Umhlobo Wenene FM every Mondays at 16h20 for your entertainment news; If you married, follow 2014 year program on Couple's Retreat via http://couplesretreatexperience.wordpress.com/, on Twitter: @TamaraBooi, Facebook: facebook/tamarabooi. Events: www.temevents.co.za, Branding: www.villageseeds.co.za. Ukuba ungumXhosa, lets help revitalise the blog: http://EmboMaXhosa.blogspot.com and educate our youth on their roots.
Tamara Booi