We were at some friend's house the other day and the wife mentioned some other acquaintances of ours.
"It sure is too bad, all the bad luck they have," she said.
My first thought was, "Bad habits, not bad luck."
My second thought was, "Or is it bad choices?"
You see, there is a difference. What we many times call bad luck is merely bad choices.
Let me explain:
If you work hard, buy a new car, keep it up with regular maintenance and blow a tire driving down the road, that is bad luck.
However, if you drive on your tires until they are almost bald and drive at speeds higher than they are recommended for, and keep them at the wrong inflation level, and then the tire blows, that is not bad luck but bad choices. The tire blew because you chose not to buy new ones. The tire blew because you chose not to take the time to check your tire inflation level the last time you filled up the tank.
It is bad luck to leave your house on vacation and while you are away the gas line breaks and the house blows up.
It is bad habits to not tend to taking care of your house, replacing the roof, painting, etc until it is a junk pile. It is bad luck to be let go from a company that goes into meltdown because the CEO acted unethically and the stock tanks, forcing layoffs.
It is both bad choices and bad habits to be late to work everyday, display shoddy workmanship and have a bad attitude to the point that the boss fires you.
If you choose to frequent shady parts of town or risky establishments, and you get mugged, is that bad luck or bad choices?
You get the point.
How often do we call something bad luck when it is really the result of bad habits or bad choices?
This really boils down to a matter of ownership of our lives and actions. Do we take full responsibility for our lives or not? I know of a gentleman who was recently passed over for a job. It would have paid him $13,000 for a week's worth of work. The person who passed him over told me why. Knowing this gentleman, I said, "It is too bad, because with a few good choices, that guy could be living in a nice house, driving nice cars, and having very few financial problems."
What about you? Do you experience bad luck? Or bad habits? Or bad choices?
The next time you hear someone say, "He's down on his luck," perhaps you ought to ask, "Or is he down on his choices?" I have found that those who have good habits and make good choices tend to experience the best luck!
So, if you want a little good luck, make some good choices and develop some good habits.
"Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get." Ray Kroc
"When I work fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, I get lucky." Dr. Armand Hammer
About The Author:
Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.
To see Chris "live" at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on the subject of Secrets of Influence go to http://chris-widener.inspiresyou.com/ or call 800-929-0434.
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carEffective listening is almost certainly the most important communication skill,... Read More
To have a high probability of becoming prosperous, you have... Read More
Self-improvement; A great deal has been written on the subject,... Read More
Believe it or not, there is a special 3-step formula... Read More
Dr. Deepak Chopra is a well-known author of more than... Read More
How many times have people asked you what you really... Read More
Whenever I'm feeling stuck in a rut, I go out... Read More
Use birthdays and other gift-giving holidays to help reach your... Read More
Formula For SuccessThe winners in this life know the rules... Read More
I have noticed that though my clients often have created... Read More
There is one big "secret" to success that can help... Read More
Cool Facts: Walt Disney went bankrupt several times before he... Read More
Wealthy people share common traits. That's why they are wealthy.... Read More
As a child you probably learned failing is bad...Failing meant... Read More
I prefer to call the challenges, obstacles, side-tracks, and barriers... Read More
Authors such as Napoleon Hill have produced a great deal... Read More
It has been truly said, and history confirms, that the... Read More
Having clear goals and desires for our future, and planning... Read More
Okay, so you've finally made that big decision to start... Read More
Step 1 ? Learn a powerful key to increase financial... Read More
One of the greatest challenges people face when trying to... Read More
The most under rated method to achieve success is: The... Read More
Give back Once you've achieved success, use your skills, talents,... Read More
Jobs are heating up. We're all feeling the pinch of... Read More
Many people talk or write about the science of success... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..Being busy has become a way of life for many... Read More
"If you think you can or you think you can't... Read More
Bring in the big guns People love to be needed,... Read More
A person who is illiterate can look at a word... Read More
We all want success. You do. So do I. Some... Read More
Why do so many of us lack belief in ourselves?... Read More
Do you ever stop to consider how much we change... Read More
Five-time gold medal-winning figure skater, Jenny Kilmer, has won the... Read More
We all strive for a 'balanced life'. Although we may... Read More
You've tried and failed. You've watched others fall. You're wiped... Read More
One of the hallmarks of all successful and high achieving... Read More
Human beings are visual creatures. Our imaginations are powerful tools... Read More
Self-sabotage is one key factor that keeps our business from... Read More
We all know as we are progressing towards our personal... Read More
The secrets of our body language have been around forever... Read More
I spoke to a group of salespeople in Kansas City... Read More
Do not make the mistake of looking at your failures... Read More
Anytime you are making ground and moving toward success, there... Read More
Hi, Jim Rohn here. This month we focus on accelerating... Read More
"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key... Read More
Too many times in the pursuit of our dreams, we... Read More
Several years ago, I attended a "success" seminar in northern... Read More
Have you ever made plans in your career but never... Read More
Our expectations get us into a lot of trouble and... Read More
We've all been driving down the road and seen those... Read More
Success |