February 19, 2009

Thing about Luck...

...is that it's too twisted. Twisted to suit one's convenience and need. If someone tries a lot to achieve something and does not get there, he's unlucky. But if someone tries a lot and gets there, he might have been plain lucky. This makes it look too simplistic.

I happened to see Luck by Chance the other day. A decent movie. Not an entirely new plot. Yet refreshing to see the journey of a struggler getting it right. The movie is not about it per se, but about the way things change when someone becomes successful. There is this dialogue from SRK towards the end of the movie that forms the perfect precis for the script. When you are successful, do not forget the ones who were with you when you were no one, because only they are the ones who say the truth you want to know about you. A cliched thought we have heard many times before, yet never practised much. It is perfectly okay if you want to be arrogant about things. I am no one to suggest that everybody must remain modest and down-to-earth. But, the arrogant ones would do well to remember that people around them may not be nice with them if they are needed later. Of course, you can't crib about the world being unsupportive then.

The character in the movie is, as they say, at the right place at the right time. Again, a cliched line. Yet it is relevant. We are a function of the opportunities we were given in the past. In that sense, we have been 'lucky' to get those opportunities. One of my basic premise in life has always been that the difference between the successful people and the others in most cases could be zeroed in on the opportunities they had. The day you under-estimate the opportunities you had, you start to reverse your fortunes. Thing about luck is, it is a highly 'mis-used' term.

However, that's not what makes them successful. Being at the right place at the right time is helpful, but if you are a dud you won't be successful. You can be as lucky as you want in getting the right opportunities, but if you are intrinsically incompetenet, you will soon be termed 'unlucky'. Irony is, even then it won't be termd as lack of talent or skills. Thing about luck is, it makes the difference only for the deserving!

I have had my share of brushing with 'luck'. Like both in my intermediate and final examinations of CA, a single mark helped me in clearing! Even if that is being lucky, I had earned all the other marks before that single mark became important! If someone fails by 20 marks, he is incompetent. If someones just manages to clear, he is lucky! :) Thing about luck is, it can be easily modifed the way you want to, like a prop.

I have no problems with being termed as a lucky guy. Never thought too much about the marks beyond the day when I got it. What matters is what you do with whatever you received for being 'lucky'. It boils down to how you handle the 'lucky' success. Use it the best possible manner, people will stop tagging you lucky. Do the right things in life, you will be always tend to me more lucky than others. Thing about luck is, it is not the end of things, it is the beggining that you would be looking for.

Apart from the family where you are born in and how you are taken care of during your formation years, pretty much everything else is a function of choices you make. The highly successful must realize that a lot of things were set right by others before they reached wherever they are. Hence, they must be the catalyst for making others successful by 'spreading some luck to others'. The not-so-successful just needs to keep doing the right things as they keep moving, rather than blame the four letter word. Almost every time, sooner or later, they will fnd their 'lucky moment', the moment when they join the rank of successfuls. Thing about luck is, it makes it seem that there is an invisible hand that sets things right.

There are definitely few instances where luck over-shadows everything. Winning a lottery, a close shave with a major accident, etc. But the moment you start to associate luck with everything you do, it loses the 'charm' it has. There are few things that is a function of what you do. The sooner one realize this, good for everyone. Modifying a famous Sunny Gavaskar quote on cricket, luck is temporary.. class is permanent.

Thing about luck is it chooses to stick with them who spends the least amount thinking about being lucky!

Stay focused, stay lucky!

11 comments:

Some Little Greens said...

Is it written by you ? Then you really have great writing skills. If taken from somewhere then great information sources.

U No Hoo said...

Someone doubts it :) Yeah, I have written this. Purely mine.. not pirated :) Luckily, got it right :D

Anonymous said...

Somehow I'm never lucky and it sucks! :(
I wanna watch the movie too... I think the music of luck by chance is super! :)

Jumana Badshah said...

Good one HM, impressive... especially thots on luck from Mr. HM is always special.. dont worry I believe you deserve every bit of luck... I m sure the luck is also due to the good wishes you collected on your way ... without which things dont happen...

Cheena said...

Good One Sir... :-)

rohan said...

this is simply wonderful
i totally agree with u on ur thought of invisible hand.I hav experienced it during my 10'th exams.I hav also seen people who r termed as unlucky now,but wen i think practically somewhere i find that it was beacause of their mistake or ignorance.Yes everyone needs luck but one can't forget the hardwork behind every success

Joamoo said...

hmm....WINNERS are always LUCKY :D
If one can understand this one can really understand luck factor.

When we lose control over things around us....LUCK comes into play.
Whether one agrees or not.....there is always PLUS MINUS game that nature is playing with the numbers that we give consciously or unconsciously.

Itz always better not to think about luck and just go ahead with the processes that we can carry out.

You should actually write a book on the parallel world that u have explored so far....

Nilima ;) said...

Hmm... I think I've been lucky, but still believe more in hardwork than luck. Maybe because one can not always be lucky and rely on luck to come and give them what they want. But can achieve anything by hardwork :)

D3 said...

Luck is dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.

Amu said...

awesome..loved it truly....one of the bests u have written...:)

Anonymous said...

Unless and until we work hard There is no luck factor invovled. And very rightly said by u sir That " It makes the difference only for the deserving!"