What to do with good luck
“I can only make sense of my unaccountable good fortune by assuming that it means I am under special obligation to make good use of it.”
–Marilynne Robinson
It’s always refreshing when a successful person recognizes the sheer amount of luck involved for them to arrive at their current position. Of course, strategic hard work is the main driver of success, but when someone fails to admit that there was any luck involved, it makes you roll your eyes.
That’s why I chose to share this quote from Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Marilynne Robinson. Even if you don’t feel like you’ve had a lucky life, the fact that you have an internet connection, a device to read this on, and are able to comprehend English puts you in a statistically “lucky” category. Even more so when you consider that your health (mental and physical), your access to education (free or paid), and the opportunities available to you.
What must we do with all this luck? “Make good use of it.” Be generous. Work hard to share what we know, and help others along the way.
My friend Ben and I unwrapped a similar sentiment on his podcast recently. With all this good fortune, or blessing, we should feel a weight to help others with what we have. Whether through our work, or enabled from our income: “we are under special obligation to make good use of it.”
