Chadrack
This post is supposed to be a response to Russell Davison who in a comment to one of my posts, “Six Figure Pro-Blogging Secrets Uncovered!” said,
“The other point that I’d like to make is that there is a similarity between bloggers and musicians. There are millions of musicians in the world who earn (say) just $1000 per month from playing live. However, there are hundreds of musicians who earn (say) $2,000,000 per month from playing live.
The well-paid musicians aren’t necessarily better artists, they’re just lucky. It’s the same with bloggers”
In trying to respond to that comment I realized that there is so much to say about LUCK when it comes to success. I personally believe that success in anything in life is not about LUCK but your preparation, determination and readiness to take action.
But instead of just putting my thoughts as a reply to that comment, I thought it wise to bring it up as a post so everyone will have the opportunity of discussing this.
Everyone Truly Desire Goodluck, But…
As we begin this discussion, I want to draw our attention briefly to an episode from the classic,[amazon_link id=”956291254X” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ] The Richest Man In Babylon [/amazon_link]by George S. Clason. If you're familiar with the book you already know that it's a book that is pragmatic on creating wealth. In one of the chapters, “Meet the Goddess of Goodluck,” Classon relates an interesting story that is similar with what we want to do here.
There, the topic of LUCK was considered from every sides open to the discussants, from the gaming tables to legitimate businesses like trading and farming. At the end their conclusion was, “men of action are favored by the goddess of goodluck!” As Arkad, the richest man in babylon (the hero of the book) put it,
“Now, suppose we consider our trades and businesses. Is it not natural if we conclude a profitable transaction to consider it not good luck but a just reward for our efforts?”
Now, I must say that is my take, goodluck is actually you being in the right place at the right time and with the right knowledge to act on the opportunity at hand! So without you being prepared opportunities may come to you and you will never be able to act on them and what others may have called luck, if you've acted and received an outstanding reward, will definitely pass you by! 🙂 You may also want to read again my previous post about my Easter reflections where I said reaping definitely follows sowing. The point is, if you don't sow, you don't expect any reaping!
Can you now see why I really do not believe in the idea of LUCK? Any way I'm leaving the floor for you, let the comments flow. Let's know what you think about this topic. Do you think many probloggers succeeded because of luck?
I really believe that luck is something we create. I love the quote that goes: “Life is all about luck. The harder you work, the more luck you have.”
It’s amazing to see individuals who have come from awful, struggling backgrounds – and make something beautiful and fulfilling from their life.
Hi Christian, you truly understand what I’m aiming at in this post when you said, “luck is something we create!” It’s unfortunate that many thinks that those who are succeeding with their businesses are just lucky when in fact these ones has paid their dues in one way or the other. What many call “luck” is nothing but opportunities seized by those who are prepared!
Luck? Sure!
Lets say you go to the bar, run into a pro-blogger…buy him a few drinks, he tells you the secrets to the universe, then goes home and posts to his 200,000 subscribers about his new best friend.
Other then that, it’s all about the work my friend. 😉
@Dennis, ok so you regard running into a problogger at the bar as luck and not some coincidence? But did you notice that what led to his mentioning you in his blog post is not because you and him found yourselves in the same bar but because you took the initiative to get involved with him by buying him a few drinks?
So, it’s not luck that is bringing you those gains but your taking the initiative. And like you concluded, it’s about the work!
For better understanding I want to say luck is something which happens to one seemingly by chance. And you know chance is taking a gamble that a thing may or may not happen. It is a pure risk with a possibility to win based on that imaginary thing called luck.
Here is what Voltaire said about luck: “There is no such thing as luck. Everything has a cause.”
And back to your point, your taking the initiative to buy those few drinks is the cause that provoked what you now refer to as luck!
@DiNaRa, you’re right luck is what you make with your own hands!
I would like to have this luck!!!! but in general, I agree that luck is what you make with your own hands and what you believe in. I do believe in my luck!
I see why you don’t believe in luck Chadrack, but wouldn’t you say that is was unlucky that your blog went down when you were away? 😉
I agree with you in the main Chadrack, but I think that some things are probably just down to chance 😛
Frankly, I don’t think that the blog going down while I was away is anything about being unlucky. Like I explained in my email to you and of course in the blog post, I have neglected checking the stats for some time now. If I had done that before proceeding onto other things the unfortunate incidence wouldn’t have happened. So from the bigger picture it bears down to what I have done or left undone!
Comprende Chadrack 😉
Hi Chadrack,
I believe luck plays part in everyone’s success.Although its very small but you can say that 80% is the hard work and 20% luck.
Ok Shivam, as I mentioned above in my reply to Dennis, luck is a chance happening. It’s like a gamble that something will happen or not. And of course in gambling, some do win from time to time. But instead of the 80 to 20 ratio I’ll go for a 98% to a 2% ratio! 🙂
Hey Chadrack,
I agree with you and responses. I am against luck period. We create our path by the choices we make each and every day. Are there stories of say, the Zuckerberg’s of the world being lucky? Sure. That was proper placement (Harvard) at the right time (filling a need).
Fulfilling needs at the proper time in blogging or the off line world can bring a wealth of this so-called luck to your door.
I love Christian’s quote and it reminds me of another:? “I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately, I am inspired every morning at 9.” -attributed to William Faulkner
Quite an interesting quote there. We just need to understand that we have to do what we need to do and then wait for the luck to happen! That just brought back some other saying to my mind. It goes something like: Work as if you don’t know how to pray and pray as if you’ll never work!
Hey Chadrack,
That made me think of another quote by none other than Abe Lincoln, “My Father taught me to work, he did not teach me to love it.” 🙂
Hmm, that’s interesting. If I understand that very well it means don’t just do what you love but do what will produce results! I think that agrees with what I’ve always pointed out when some business coaches teach that if you want to start a business start a business based on what you love. But I believe that you don’t have to start a business based on what you love but on what the market love. You simply need to love what you do! Yes, love what you do and not do what you love. So even when you don’t love the work just do it if the market love it, for in that you will make yourself rich! Quote me 🙂
Hey Chadrack,
I surmise from the reading I’ve done on Lincoln that he meant it literally at least at that time, with no deeper intent. I don’t think from what I’ve read that Lincoln was big on manual labor. As it turns out, that was a pretty good thing for this Country.
I love the idea you put forward. I may write a post on it. I might add the idea that if you can’t love it, like it as much as you can and use it as a springboard to your next endeavor.
Thanks for the discourse.
I think a good measure of luck is whether the success can be repeated.
My first site went from 0 to 100,000 hits in the first week. Was it luck or my astute entrpreneurial ability? I’m happy to call it luck!!
Hmm, that is luck indeed! I advice that you build many more sites and sit down to repeat that lucky experience! At least, if it worked before it will work again. 🙂
Hey Chadrack,
You must be pleased with the calibre of responses to my off-the-cuff statement about the role of luck in unique visitor numbers. The responses to your post spawn a whole list of possibilities for further fruitful discussions on the top of luck, the wheel of fortune, the hand of fate, and pro-activity.
We start to venture into religion and philosophy, so a good moderator is required to avoid some being personally offended.
My belief, apparently different to yours and the majority of your readers, is that financial reward from blogging still cannot be wholly attributable to hard work. Mojo or “je ne sais quoi” is the only explanation for the different income between [Blogger A] who writes seven good 500-word articles over 80 hours per week and [Blogger B] who also writes seven good 500-word articles over 80 hours per week.
In my humble opinion, the financial rewards of blogging could be levelled – so that if you work 20 hours then you get $10.00 per week, $40.00 per week for 40 hours, and $160.00 per week for 80 hours. But this would involve forming a collective where every blogger in the world puts their Adsense revenue into a big pot to be shared out every Friday night in Mount Vernon, Ohio depending upon how many hours they’d worked.
Hi Russell,
I’m really glad that you’ve finally joined the discussion. Been waiting for you to say your mind you know! 🙂
But did you say we need a good moderator? But why would any one be offended anyway! We are in a free world and we are entitled to our different opinions.
On to your analogy of 2 bloggers who each writes seven good 500-word articles over 80 hours per week but produces two different results, is quite correct. But attributing that to luck on the part of one is not truly appreciating what goes into succeeding with blog marketing. You may be surprised, when you look critically, that one of the two bloggers is doing some other things that the other is not doing.
When most of us say you must be ready to create your success, it’s not about working “hard” as you’ve just pointed out in that analogy. It’s about you doing what needs to be done and not just folding your hands and expecting to produce results like others. I hope I’ve made myself clear.
I guess there’s more to life than just being lucky… I think it would be best to live a life full of determination and action rather than just by being lucky. Yes, being lucky is a good thing, it’s cool. But if we have determination we can explore ourselves even more. More opportunities can come. I understand why you don’t believe in the idea of Luck and i really respect it. This is a very good point of view. It is so inspiring to know that determination will lead us the way to success… and Luck is just a part of it. And we should not dwell into it.
Thanks Junrose, for the comment. I know everyone has an opinion as far as luck is concerned. What I’m really trying to say is this: don’t wait expecting things to work out. You need to put in the neccessary work to recieve your desired goal. Yes, somethings do appear to be luck but a careful analysis will reveal that something done in the past has produced the result. We must note the law od motion: nothing moves until an external force is applied!
Hi Chadrack,
I think we can’t just wait for luck. We have to capture it. It’s just the same with opportunity. Luck and opportunity are not gifted from the sky. We have to work hard to grab the luck and opportunity.
There is why is rightly said that opportunity comes to those who are prepared. What many consider to be luck is actually the opportunities you’re able to capture because you’re prepared. Thanks for joining the conversation.
Hello Chadrack first of thanks a lot for this wonderful post. Personally, I’m a fan of the positive attitude on luck. I’ve seen self-awareness and skills make an enormous difference in the probability of success. It’s less about what happens to you, and more about what you make of each opportunity.Thanks
Truth is, never allow what happens to you (external forces) to determine your success for that way your success will depend on others. The best bet is what you make of each opportunity matters the most!
Thanks for joining in this discussion.