Some people are so fond of ill-luck that they run half-way to meet it. —Douglas William Jerrold—
It’s not wholly true in this world that we make our own luck, but we certainly have a share in it. Opportunity shakes out pretty evenly for most people, but what we do with it, whether we’re willing to grasp a chance when we see one, is an individual matter. Some of us even have trouble seeing opportunities for growth. When we feel abused or resentful, we need to examine our own part.
Have we mistrusted our own powers that we’ve not let ourselves see the chances life has dealt us? It’s important for us to recognize that we have a choice. If we’re dissatisfied, we can choose to change. We can also choose not to change, and to complain about being stuck; but we should realize the choice is our own.
If we had a long stride of bad luck, maybe we need to at what we’re doing. If our self-esteem is very low, we may want to punish ourselves somehow, to prove that we’re no good. The knowledge that we’re lovable and necessary people may have slipped away, and we may need to do some structural repair. But that’s ok; we’re worth the effort.
I deserve to be happy and I know how—whether I’m using the knowledge or not.