Reaching an objective frequently calls for a lot of work, tenacity, and a clear vision. Whether it’s advancing in a company, learning a new talent, or just getting through a difficult situation, hard work is usually seen as the key to success. But sometimes, everything comes together fairly naturally, and success just appears to come. Luck is a crucial component that is frequently disregarded in both situations. Success can occasionally be attributed to fortuitously avoiding a catastrophic consequence or simply being in the right place at the right time.
The stories that follow demonstrate how fate is erratic and can have significant, unanticipated effects on our lives.
I had spent the evening with friends and relatives at a party with my wife. When the night was over, it was nearly two in the morning, and we were on our way home. We were traveling through a secluded, forested area when our automobile unexpectedly broke down, much to our dismay. Our alternatives were limited because we didn’t have cell phones at the time. We felt vulnerable because we were isolated and had no way to call for assistance in the barren area.
An automobile emerged in the distant an hour later. One of the young men, a college student from a nearby town, had pulled over to help us. He graciously volunteered to take us to the closest town. We tried to give him money for his trouble, and my wife and I were really appreciative, but he just said, “I’m happy to help.”
After expressing our sincere gratitude and ensuring our safe departure, we said our goodbyes. More than anything, the encounter seemed like a random act of kindness. Years later, though, my wife called me in a panic. She requested me to switch on the news in a tremulous voice. We were deeply horrified by what we witnessed.
The young man who had aided us was actually a felon, a convicted serial robber who had allegedly preyed on more than thirty victims. His approach was cold and strategic. In order to get a ride, the man would pose as a lost hiker or volunteer to drive stranded drivers. After gaining his victims’ trust, he would rob them and abandon them in isolated areas.
The most disturbing aspect was realizing that he hadn’t robbed us despite his criminal past. We were never able to explain our exception. My height and muscularity might have put him off, or perhaps it was the fact that there were two of us. We were lucky, though, for whatever reason. If we had been a different couple and the situation had been somewhat different, things may have turned out quite differently.
In retrospect, we can see that this incident was largely the result of luck. We were in the right place at the right time, and what appeared to be a small act of generosity turned out to be one of the most important pieces of good fortune in our lives.
In a different case, my friend was in an unforeseen circumstance that ultimately saved his life. Normally, he stays away from social situations in bars, but one night he made the bold decision to approach a woman at a nearby bar and start a conversation. She was intriguing and appealing to him, so he asked if they might get together again. To his satisfaction, the date proceeded without incident, and they relished one other’s company.
As the evening wore on, the woman—who was also a nurse—put her head on his chest as they hugged on the couch. She listened to his heartbeat and heard something strange, a rhythm that seemed off-kilter and unsettling. She immediately demanded that he see the emergency department.
My companion reluctantly consented, and the woman’s suspicions were validated by the hospital’s medical staff. My acquaintance had a terrible cardiac issue that needed surgery right away, it turned out. The physicians informed him that he would have most certainly passed away in the following 24 hours if he hadn’t sought medical help that evening.
My companion did not exhibit any warning indications or symptoms of the disease at that time. He was unaware that anything was amiss and felt completely well. By chance, however, he ran into a nurse who saw the erratic heartbeat and encouraged him to get care. He would have been unaware of the condition until it was too late if she hadn’t stepped in.
This tale demonstrates how erratic life can be and how, on occasion, good fortune simply comes from being in the right location at the right time to meet the right person who can provide support when it’s most needed. My friend’s survival in this instance was due to an unexpected encounter rather than his actions or foresight. It was pure serendipity.
A key theme in each of these tales is that, although perseverance and hard work are vital for reaching objectives and navigating life, luck is sometimes disregarded but has a big impact on our results. In the first story, we were lucky not to become victims of a criminal, but our unexpected safety came from a spontaneous act of generosity. A fortunate encounter with a nurse in the second storey resulted in a life-saving intervention that my friend was unaware he required.
These incidents serve as a reminder that even though we may put in a lot of effort and plan to reach our objectives, luck will always play a part. Being at the right place at the right time, meeting the right people, or just avoiding the worst potential consequence without taking any action on our own can all lead to success. It serves as a reminder that circumstances outside of our control frequently affect how things turn out, which is when luck enters the picture.
It’s critical to acknowledge and value the times when fortune is on our side as we work toward our objectives, even when it appears that hard work alone was the only factor in success. Whether it’s a chance encounter, a lucky break, or just escaping a catastrophe, luck is still an unseen force that can occasionally make all the difference in our lives.
