Ask Coach Catherine:
Here’s a great question from Emma of Oyster Bay, just in time for “St. Paddy’s Day”:
Why do some people seem to have all the luck? How can I get lucky, too?
Yes Emma, I know what you mean. People who seem “lucky” always have projects that work out, they meet the right people, get the right breaks and things just flow. Sure, there’s blind luck involved in everything, but these consistent “success” stories always have a pattern. I believe that pattern for being lucky comes down to one formula: Luck is where preparation and opportunity meet.
You can’t be lucky — or successful —if you don’t show up. Know who you are, the things that excite you and the difference you want to make. Know the people who inspire you. Know the influencers and authors you want to meet. Know your everyday elevator pitch. Know the unique ways you can help people. Know the things, ideas, people, places, and events you care enough about to make time for. Have the courage to share your work and ideas, even when they may not be ready, or perfect.
Be You
Step into the person you are, and you know you want to be. It’s your mindset that creates your thoughts that become your reality. Practice being open minded and allow creativity to guide you on your path of discovering your talents. Be someone who decides to refresh the world by being unapologetically and vulnerably you. Because when you’re you, you give the people you are with permission to be them. That’s the greatest gift.
Instead of finding excuses for being too busy with things that probably don’t matter, find reasons to meet that friend for lunch, to attend that last minute event, or say hello to the interesting person in the seat next to you on the plane. Adopt the expectation that the time you invest will be worthwhile.
Believe in Yourself
Believe that you’ll meet the person who will help you to go the next step- and just as importantly, the one who you can inspire to take their own step. Because when you expect magic to come from the things you do, and lean into that belief, magic starts to show up. “Coincidences “start to become commonplace. The “lucky” ones don’t fail any less than you do. In fact, they probably fail a lot more. But to them, it’s not failure. They do something with it. They’re habitually resourceful.
Be Positive and “Luck” Will Follow
This is what I call serendipity – fortuitous luck. The coincidences that can’t be explained. The luck that starts to feel normal; when the student is ready, the teacher appears. If you go to an event thinking it will be a waste of time, it will be. If you show up excitedly wondering who you’re going to meet, you’ll connect with someone. If you think the world is out to get you, it is. If you lean into the possibility and embody what matters to you, the world will be in your corner.
When we know who we are and consistently show up and represent that to the world, our conversations change. The people we hang around with and those we attract are those who align with that vision. People notice. Doors start to open. It all starts with your decision to show up. And get lucky.
