We often hear tales of fortune: the grandmother who stumbles upon a life-altering lottery win, the entrepreneur who seemingly effortlessly builds an empire, the artist whose vision captivates millions, or the commentator whose unique voice resonates globally. A common thread whispered in these narratives is "luck." But what if this enigmatic force is more than just a random roll of the dice? While a dictionary might define luck as a favorable outcome born of pure chance, the experiences of those who have achieved remarkable things suggest a more nuanced picture. Perhaps, as some of the most successful individuals have hinted, luck isn't merely found, but forged.

Benjamin Franklin believed that “Hard work is the mother of luck.” Seneca noted that “Luck is where opportunity meets preparation.” Thomas Edison is said to have remarked, “Luck comes to those who take risks.” These perspectives challenge the simple notion of luck as a passive accident, suggesting instead that it can be actively cultivated. Let's explore the different facets of luck to understand how we might invite it into our lives.

Type 1: The Luck of the Draw – The Uncontrollable Start

This is the form of luck most of us recognize – the sheer, unadulterated chance that dictates circumstances beyond our control. Think of the lottery winner; no amount of skill can predict those winning numbers. But this type of luck extends far beyond jackpots.

Consider the profound impact of one's birth. Imagine being born 120 years ago in a land consumed by upheaval. At 14, a devastating world war erupts. By 17, revolutions tear your society apart, leading to a brutal civil war claiming millions of lives. Later, a new regime emerges, under which tens of millions more perish. At 41, another colossal war engulfs your nation, bringing unimaginable tragedy. Even in old age, you witness the disintegration of the very country you've known your whole life.

Now, picture a different scenario: being born in the United States on August 30, 1930, as a white male. Your father is a stockbroker. The currency of your nation becomes the global standard when you are 14. Though initially rejected by one prestigious university, you are accepted by another, where you happen to be mentored by a legendary investor, Benjamin Graham. At 26, with the backing of family and friends who can provide $100,000 in initial capital, you launch your first investment fund. This isn't a fictional tale; it’s part of the early life of Warren Buffett, one of history's most renowned investors. While his skill in navigating the opportunities presented to him is undeniable, elements of "blind luck" – being in the right place, at the right time, with the right connections – are evident.

This first type of luck is about the hand you're dealt. You cannot choose where you are born, who your parents are, or the broader socio-economic currents of your youth. All you can do is acknowledge the cards you have and decide how to play them. The unique aspects of your starting hand, whatever they may be, set the stage for the game ahead.

Type 2: Luck from Action – Forging Fortune Through Persistence

A more dynamic form of luck emerges from deliberate effort and relentless action. Consider the story of Jack Ma, who faced a staggering string of rejections: failing elementary school entrance exams twice, high school exams three times, and college entrance exams repeatedly over three years. He applied for jobs 30 times and was turned down. When a major Western fast-food chain opened in his city, 24 people applied; 23 were hired. He was the sole reject. He applied to Harvard ten times and was denied each time. Yet, he became one of the wealthiest individuals in China.

This is luck born from sheer tenacity, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to moving forward. It's about embracing opportunities, even small ones, and generating enough activity and energy that positive coincidences are more likely to occur. This type of luck is arguably the most accessible. Even when circumstances seem dire, the capacity for hard work remains a potent force.

Imagine someone who, after a significant career disruption that saw their income vanish overnight, chose not to succumb to despair. Instead, they committed to showing up daily at a co-working space in a new city, diligently working on developing new skills and exploring potential avenues. Months into this routine, a casual conversation with another person in that space led to an unexpected proposal: to co-found an advertising agency focused on an emerging social media platform. Despite having only superficial knowledge of that specific platform, they said yes. The path was arduous, marked by rapid growth, financial challenges, and moments of near failure. Yet, through persistent effort, about a year and a half after that chance meeting, they became official partners with that major platform. When asked why she had approached him initially, the new partner explained that she'd observed how most people in the shared space were merely passing time, while he was consistently, intensely focused on his work. His visible dedication made her curious. This illustrates how unwavering effort can create a gravitational pull for opportunities.

Type 3: Luck from Awareness – The Power of Unique Interests and Insight

The third type of luck stems from a distinct awareness cultivated through unique interests and deep knowledge. One of the hallmarks of Apple's success is its design philosophy. This didn't appear out of thin air. When Steve Jobs formally left university, he continued to attend calligraphy classes simply because they interested him. The typography we now see on our devices is a direct legacy of those lessons. Later, a journey to India in search of spiritual understanding led him to Zen Buddhism, which profoundly influenced his appreciation for minimalism. This principle became a cornerstone of Apple's design: products that are as simple and intuitive as possible. Calligraphy and Zen Buddhism, seemingly unrelated pursuits, became foundational elements for one of the world's most valuable companies. Was this luck? Absolutely – but it was luck that found a prepared mind.

Consider another example. It's 2009. Perhaps you are a system administrator, deeply involved in online communities discussing personal freedom and decentralization. You encounter the term "bitcoin" on a forum. Intrigued, you begin to research it. Information is scarce, but you diligently gather what you can. One day, you decide to invest a small sum of local currency, enough to acquire, say, 1,300 bitcoins. Fifteen years later, that modest investment could be worth a fortune. This outcome wasn't just random; it arose from your unique interests and the awareness that allowed you to recognize the potential of something novel when most others were oblivious. If someone without that specific background or set of interests had heard about Bitcoin then, it likely would have meant nothing to them. The depth of your knowledge and your ability to connect disparate ideas are key to this type of luck.

Type 4: Luck as Destiny – When Your Uniqueness Becomes Your Fortune

The final, most elusive type of luck is where your unique character, your distinct way of seeing the world, and your passions coalesce to shape your destiny. Imagine a stand-up comedian with a black belt in jiu-jitsu, an interest in unconventional topics like aliens and altered states of consciousness, who enjoys lengthy, in-depth conversations with a wide array of people, recording them for anyone to access. Initially, the production might be rough, but his genuine curiosity and passion drive him to continue. After eleven years and over two thousand recorded conversations offered freely, a major corporation approaches him with a nine-figure deal for exclusive rights to his content. This is the story of Joe Rogan, a pioneer in the podcasting industry.

He sculpted a unique persona and a distinctive worldview, and eventually, luck seemed to become an inevitable consequence of who he was and what he did. How does one cultivate this? Superficially, it appears that highly successful people simply work a lot. But often, what appears as "work" to an outsider is "play" to them. They’ve found something that aligns so deeply with their interests that it doesn't feel like a laborious task. You can rarely outcompete someone who is genuinely playing their own game.

The crucial insight is that everyone can find their own "game." In an era where people build livelihoods around incredibly diverse passions, there's less need to chase trends. Instead, follow your genuine interests. A simple exercise can be illuminating: put aside distractions and list everything you are genuinely interested in doing.

Perhaps, after a professional setback, one might have the time to reflect on their true passions. Maybe they recall being 14, fascinated by an early model camera phone, spending hours filming friends and editing videos, long before content creation became a mainstream pursuit. This was a natural inclination. Another innate interest might be in numbers, driven by an appreciation for the objective truth they can reveal. This fascination with numbers could evolve into an interest in internet marketing, seeing how strategic investments could yield significant returns. This, combined with an interest in creating engaging content, could lead to exploring how these skills translate in a global market – a new, challenging, yet exciting direction guided by authentic interests.

The Equation of Attainable Luck

If we distill these observations, we can propose a kind of formula: Luck = Preparation + Opportunity x Action.

In this equation:

• Opportunity represents the first type of luck – blind luck, the circumstances we're given, which we can't fundamentally control but must be ready to acknowledge.
• Preparation aligns with the third type of luck – your awareness, the knowledge, skills, and unique perspectives you've cultivated.
• Action characterizes the second type of luck – the persistence, hard work, and willingness to engage that creates motion and invites possibilities.

When preparation and action are maximized in the context of even small opportunities, something remarkable can emerge: your unique path, where luck begins to feel less like a random visitor and more like a natural consequence of who you are and what you consistently do. This is when luck can, indeed, become your destiny.

References

• Austin, James H. (1978). Chase, Chance, and Creativity: The Lucky Art of Novelty. Columbia University Press.
  This book by a neurologist explores the role of chance in scientific discovery and innovation. Austin identifies four types of chance that resonate with the article's themes: Chance I (blind luck), Chance II (luck favored by motion and action), Chance III (luck favored by a prepared mind and sagacity, aligning with Pasteur's "Chance favors the prepared mind"), and Chance IV (luck that stems from distinctive personal hobbies, tastes, and actions). The discussions on Chance II, III, and IV particularly support the article's concepts of luck from action, awareness, and uniqueness. (See Chapter 3, "The Four Kinds of Chance," for a detailed breakdown).

• Wiseman, Richard. (2003). The Luck Factor. Century.
  Psychologist Richard Wiseman conducted extensive research into the beliefs and behaviors of people who consider themselves lucky or unlucky. He found that "lucky" people consistently generate their own good fortune through their thoughts and behavior. The book outlines four main principles of luck: maximizing chance opportunities, listening to lucky hunches, expecting good fortune, and turning bad luck into good. These principles strongly support the idea that luck is not purely external but can be cultivated through attitude and action, as discussed in the article's Types 2, 3, and 4. (Particularly, see sections on how lucky people create, notice, and act on chance opportunities).

• Krumboltz, John D. (2009). The Happenstance Learning Theory. Journal of Career Assessment, 17(2), 135-154.
  While a journal article, Krumboltz's Happenstance Learning Theory (HLT) is highly relevant. It posits that unplanned events play a significant role in career development and that individuals can learn to capitalize on these chance events. The theory emphasizes that traits like curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism, and risk-taking enable individuals to transform unplanned events into opportunities. This directly supports the article's "Luck from Action" (Type 2) and highlights how an active and open stance towards life can "create" luck. (See pages 139-143 for descriptions of the skills for career counselors to foster in clients, which are essentially skills for cultivating luck).