I've been thinking recently about successful people and how they made it. Hard work, grit and determination lay a huge part in that endeavor, but we always hear about the pivotal part that luck plays in closing the deal.
I believe that some of that is just fate. John Lennon was fated to meet Paul McCartney and George Harrison to form The Beatles. Steve Jobs and Woz were bound to come up with something when putting those two great minds together.
But it was the curiosity of Steve, that made him wander into that calligraphy class at Reed College, which ended up highlighting the importance of fonts on the Mac.
Curiosity is key.
But another thing that helps is to envision the future success ahead of you, and position yourself along the most likely avenue that the Goddess of Fortune might walk.
How many of you remember "Marky Mark?" Years ago I was reading about his quest to get noticed when he was just starting out in music. Apparently, he sent his demos in and was ignored as usual. Then, decided to wait outside the studio where Madonna was recording at hoping to get the attention of one of the staff.
At his wits end, and determined to get noticed, he found out that many of her staff were gay and decided to use that to his advantage.
First went the shirt; nothing. Then down to shorts; nothing. And that's when the famous Marky Mark jockstrap look was born. So now he's standing outside the studio for hours when an assistant saw him on the sidewalk wearing nothing but a jockstrap, and THAT got his attention, and an offer to listen to his demo.
Now that's somebody thinking outside the box.
He didn't do what everybody else did, but he assessed the situation, and made his own luck.
So we're not only looking at the right place, right time; but also the right circumstances to line things up in your favor.
Practice Makes Perfect
The flip side to setting up that opportunity, is preparation, and putting the time in to be able to answer when fortune calls. I'm reminded of that famous quote from our greatest President; Abraham Lincoln:
I will prepare, and some day my chance will come.
And when it did, he was prepped and ready to lead this great nation to both win the Civil War, and free the African-American slaves at the cost of his own life. Lincoln soaked up knowledge like a sponge, and all of it served him well when he needed it most.
I was honored as a kid on a class trip to visit both The Lincoln Memorial (We were able to touch it back then and I did), as well as Ford's Theatre, where I got to see the box where President Lincoln was shot. I recall reading that the final attempt on his life was but one of many, including one from 1864 where his famous stovepipe hat was shot off of his head:
A would-be assassin fired from near the road, shooting the stovepipe off Lincoln’s head. Soldiers who found it said there was a bullet hole through the crown. This incident gave rise to the popular notion that the hat saved Lincoln’s life.
The point is that Lincoln was ready to deal with the issues of his day, and his solutions freed the people and left a legacy which we honor to this very day. Basketball star Michael Jordan made thousands of free throws long after the other players had stopped and gone home. Here's an importnt quote from him about failing forward:
I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
His seemingly endless hours of practice allowed him to make those difficult shots look easy on the highlights reel. But he put the time in and reaped the rewards he so justly deserved.
We never when the road ahead of us will fork, giving us a choice between peril and opportunity. Smart effort can change our lives for the better and give us the chance to grab the brass ring of life when it swings around our way. I wish you well. :)