Is “Luck” a Real Thing?
“She’s so lucky the economy was good when she started that business,” “What a stroke of good luck to have found a guy like that,” “You’re lucky to have that metabolism,” ” “Lucky for you that your baby is a good sleeper.”
Luck, luck, luck.
We hear about it all the time. But, what’s the actual deal with luck? Is it a real thing? Are some people just born lucky, destined to enjoy a life of smooth sailing and ease? Or is what we perceive as “luck” really something more like a combination of hard work, good timing, and a positive belief system?
How you feel about this probably depends an awful lot on who you are, where you came from, and the circumstances of your life so far. If you ask us, though, you don’t need “luck” to live a great life so much as you do grit, tenacity, and a clear understanding of your goals.
The Science of Luck
Famed film producer Samuel Goldwyn once said, “the harder I work, the luckier I get.” And if you truly believe in luck, this might sound like a slap in the face. If you get real science-y with it, though, you might start to see what he means.
While luck might not seem like a valid field of study, statisticians all over the world have been researching it for a long time. And one in particular - Jeff Rosenthal, a math professor at The University of Toronto - says that luck just does not exist.
In his words: "I think a lot of things out there are just kind of random, but people want to believe that there was a force involved.”
In other words, most of what we see as luck is just a series of events that were outside of our control or conscious awareness. While we can’t predict or manipulate these events, we can notice them in hindsight, which makes it seem like some external force was working in our favor.
What we just described is what most statisticians call “random luck.” Things work out for the best and we didn’t have any role to play in it. There is, however, another type of luck, commonly called “forceful luck.”
People who believe in what Rosenthal calls “forceful luck” (probably the ones giving you the lines we listed at the top of this article) believe they can actively predict and direct the power of luck to affect future events. Sometimes, this belief system manifests as declarations of “karma,” “fate,” or “magic.”
We Believe in Being the “Hero” of Your own Story
For people who take a lot of comfort in the idea of “luck,” it might be hard to imagine there is any comfort anywhere else. We’d argue that there’s some power in letting go of luck and taking charge of your own story, though.
Here’s why:
If you cast the concept of “luck” aside, it frees you up to, in the words of Maya Angelou, “grab life by the lapels.” Instead of assuming you’re not lucky enough for anything great to happen, you can get out there, take control, and make good things happen.
Here are a few examples we love (and ways we can support you on your journey):
- Taking charge of your health. You can’t control the world, but you can control what you put in your body. Cutting sugar or trying Whole 30? Let us support you with our delicious, sugar-free dark chocolate, salted caramel,white chocolate, spiced chai, and frappe smoothie mixes.
- Staying focused. If you have a goal in mind, flexing your hustle muscle requires focus. When you need an afternoon pick-me-up to stay on-schedule and honor your calendar, our sugar-free coffee creamers with stevia can help you recharge and get ready to dive back in.
- Betting on yourself. There’s so much power in believing in yourself. Instead of wondering whether lady luck will shine on you, commit to believing you can get it done, then go out and do it. Whether your goal is a big one (Starting a company) or something smaller, like taking ten minutes of me-time every day, believing in yourself is the first step toward crushing your objectives.
See? You don’t need luck. You have everything you need inside of you to create your ideal life. And we’re here to help make it delicious.
Creating Your Own “Luck:” The Power of a Positive Mindset
Okay, so “luck” isn’t really a thing, but we’re optimistic people who aren’t interested in becoming fatalists, so what are we going to do?
We’re going to focus on the only real thing we can do to create our own “luck,” if you will: adopt a positive mindset! Unlike luck, the effects of positive thinking are backed by strong science. Here are some facts to consider:
- According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “People with a family history of heart disease who also had a positive outlook were one-third less likely to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular event within five to 25 years than those with a more negative outlook.”
- A study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that “women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death — including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection — over eight years, compared with women who were less optimistic.”
- According to The Mayo Clinic, “some studies show that personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that usually comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits.”
As you can see, positive thinking is nothing to sneeze at. When you work hard and adjust your mindset, you can quickly become the hero of your own story. Here are a few “positive thinking” affirmations we love: “I am responsible for my own health and happiness.” “I have good instincts and trust myself to make good choices.” “I am healthy and I support my body in being so.” “I accept and love all of myself.”
And, if you need some visual accompaniment to hype you up, we recommend watching this video every. single. morning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg
Talk about the power of positivity!
Cultivating Joy This Year and Beyond
Bad things happen to good people, and vice versa. It has nothing to do with luck. Lots of life is just random, but lots of it is within our control, too.
While you can’t manipulate every detail of life to make it all go exactly the way you want, you can get your mind right, work hard, hone in on your goals, and crush your objectives. And when you need a little sweetness at any point in the process, we’re here for you. Because, hey - we all know it’s easier to practice positive thinking when you start your day with delicious, sugar-free coffee creamer and hot drink mixes.
Whether you’re hustling toward some health goals or just trying to take ownership of the day-to-day, focusing on the things you can control - like whether you sip on sugar-loaded coffee creamer or opt for coffee creamers with stevia, what you think, and who you spend time with can help you create your own good fortune - no Leprechauns or pots of gold needed.
Take charge and grab your good fortune by the handle - create great mornings with our delicious coffee creamers with stevia. Check out our selection of hot drink mixes or order your sample pack now!