Why are some people lucky?

[Jokarva]

I'm not talking about people who make good decisions, work hard, plan well, etc and are considered 'lucky' by some....I'm talking about pure, unearned luck.

DH and his mom are just lucky people, always have been. MIL used to enter sweepstakes and radio call in contests back in the 60s/70s and won all kinds of things. TVs, kitchen appliances, cash....any extras they had (they were pretty poor) came from her wins. DH is the same way....things just work out for him so often it's scary. We went to the casino yesterday and DH tripled his money (slots and roulette only, games of pure chance) while I barely kept the shirt on my back....very annoying since he feels obliged to rub it in all the way home!

Being in the right place at the right time, a situation suddenly resolving in his favor, a 'feeling' that pays off.....he just is consistently lucky. Everything doesn't always go his way of course, but does enough to be remarkable.

But why are some so lucky while others (who are good, hard working people) just can't win????

[nostawmama]

I don't have a clue why that is. I just wish sometimes I was in the "lucky" category instead of the "hardworking, solid citizen" category!

[mamita]

just the fate of life sometimes I think. sometimes luck is with others, sometimes with you. a darn good mystery.

[notbutanapron]

I had notoriously bad luck for the longest time. Really bad. One day, I decided I wasn't going to have it anymore, I was going to be lucky. It took a few weeks of trying, but it actually worked, telling myself I was lucky! Every time I was all, this isn't gonna work, I'm unlucky I'd go, "NO, I'm LUCKY. Of COURSE I have a chance. I'm lucky lucky!" Bizarrely, I started winning things. I won a two hundred dollar shopping spree at a kitchen store. I won forty dollars on a scratchy. I randomly got a cheque in the mail because I overpaid rent on a house five years ago I didn't even know about. Then I got an email asking me about work and the rates that were offered were double my normal ones. Brilliant!

Just lie until it's the truth. ._.

[sidepasser]

That's the way my Mom is. That woman wins every.single.contest she enters. For the longest time she would enter local contests, like the bank would have a drawing and she would enter ONE time..

she has won cameras, televisions, a 100.00 grocery certificate, gas for her car, a year's worth of dogfood (and she did not own a dog!), and a trip.

me, I could enter 1000 times and never win squat. Best thing I have ever done was at the slots one time. I put in 18 bucks in the dollar slots and won 60. Walked away. Later that week the day I was leaving Vegas, I went back to the same machine and put in 20. and won 100. and grabbed my winnings and left.

that has been the only time I have ever won anything. I wish my mom played the lottery...

[emdeengee]

I have never been envious of those who have material luck. Like winning at a casino or a radio call in. I however am envious of those who have what I call life luck. They have great health,they have loving parents and don't lose them when they are young, their house is never flooded or fired, their children all live and grow up with the usual problems but not the really desperate ones, they are never the victims of a crime and life gives them lessons but nothing that breaks them and removes the joy from it - only makes them stronger. That to me is being very, very lucky.

[mamita]

my sis won $30,000.00 on a dollar scratch off lottery ticket. she never plays. she was only buying a couple for her MIL that was staying for a visit. now..that's lucky! she still never plays. why try again? her lucky day was that one time!

[mmoetc]

While I know that some people appear to have better fortune than others, I very seldom hear these same people talk about the times things didn't work out. It's much more fun to talk about the winning casino trip than the 5 previous trips where they lost money. By the same token we all know people who will only speak of their misfortune, even while the slot machine is paying them out.

[Tracy Rimmer]

I'm not a big believer in "luck" -- it's been my experience that the people with the best luck are the ones who put themselves out there, risk more, or just plain work harder.

However, I am a strong believer in karma -- aka, the theory that good things happen to those who do good things for others.

Some of the "luckiest" people I know are those who are involved with their community, out there, doing (rather than talking about it), and who give freely of themselves and their own time.

In short, it's all in your attitude.

[emdeengee]

The way I see Karma used by most people is as the cosmic form of "I'm rubber, you're glue."

It is a nice concept but absolutely untrue in my experience. People who put nothing out into the world but negatives and pain are doing just fine while people who give all of themselves have nothing but heartache and problems.

Personally I like to participate in the life around me and enjoy people immensely but I don't look upon doing good deeds as a way to improve my life and can categorically say that doing good things for others bring you good things 'sometimes' but other times it just brings troublesome complications. No good deed goes unpunished is a truism because it happens so often. But then if you do good things expecting reward why bother?

[Haven]

Law of attraction, some people call it karma.

I think many who are always winning sweepstakes do it because they don't work and have all the free time in the world to gamble and enter contests. Then there are the random people who rarely play, and randomly win - someone has to win afterall, and luck/odds truly fell in their corner on that random day. The rest of us are at work making sure there is no gamble on our future...

[emdeengee]

Originally Posted by Haven

Law of attraction, some people call it karma.

I think many who are always winning sweepstakes do it because they don't work and have all the free time in the world to gamble and enter contests. Then there are the random people who rarely play, and randomly win - someone has to win afterall, and luck/odds truly fell in their corner on that random day. The rest of us are at work making sure there is no gamble on our future...

Whoa. That is a bit sanctimonious. I am always amazed that the "it is because I work and you don't' crowd instantly assumes that this is the case for everything. I worked with a lot of people who played the lotteries, entered contests and sweepstakes, played Bingo etc. I also worked with a lot of people who played hard at sports spending a lot of money. None of this was a waste of time as it was their enjoyment. They did it on their own time. They worked hard on their futures but also enjoyed a flutter. Like some people enjoy a drink after work or to buy dozens of shoes. The luckiest winner I ever knew was a retired accountant who worked part time at the store where my husband worked. She won a multi million dollar lottery one year and another two years later. I don't know of any unemployed people who ever won anything.

[Common Tator]

When people hear that hubby and I own a ranch, you would be amazed how many say Wow! You're lucky! I used to smile at their silliness and go about my business.
The last time, about a week ago, I unloaded on the guy. A bit. I explained that we had lived frugally for many years, bought rental property, and sold it when the market improved. invested everything we had. Luck had NOTHING to do with it.

He sat there blinking at me, not knowing what to say. I said that if he was willing to make those sacrifices and take those risks, he could be "lucky" too. I don't know if any of it sunk in.

[snoozy]

Lotto? WHO CARES!! Luckiest day of my life might have been when my transmission seized up in the fast lane of the darkest part of the interstate with semi-trucks bearing down on me. OMG . When there was a break in the traffic, I managed to get the truck into neutral and push it across 3 lanes to the shoulder. I knew then if that I were going to die on a hwy, that would have been it. But I didnt'!

[Dusky Beauty]

Originally Posted by Common Tator

When people hear that hubby and I own a ranch, you would be amazed how many say Wow! You're lucky! I used to smile at their silliness and go about my business.
The last time, about a week ago, I unloaded on the guy. A bit. I explained that we had lived frugally for many years, bought rental property, and sold it when the market improved. invested everything we had. Luck had NOTHING to do with it.

He sat there blinking at me, not knowing what to say. I said that if he was willing to make those sacrifices and take those risks, he could be "lucky" too. I don't know if any of it sunk in.

No joke--- I get this one a lot when I mention we have a small farm; "Oh... baybee ANIMALZ!! You're so LUCKY!!!"
Drives me bonkers.
No-- not lucky. Have to live an hour away from the city 2 miles away from a nuclear power plant to find useful land cheap enough to afford, DH burns over 2 hours a work day in commutes, my "fun money" is spent on extra hay, tack, or much needed new breeding stock or building materials--- not in pretty clothes, a nice car or new flooring or furniture, or indeed DOORS in my house.

The whole shebang is a product of hard work, sacrifice, patience, planning and skrimping and saving.

I think the only "luck" involved is if you happen to be born with parents that help you be productive rather than hinder you (like taking out credit and utility accounts in your name and not paying them... nothing like starting out at 18 and six months with trashed credit.... )

People say DH is "lucky"
-- He tends to never be unemployed long even in a bad economy; he networks, searches hard, has a great work ethic and knows how to impress an interview panel, and his work history brings great references to the table.

--He has a great marriage; smart fella went for substance over flashy looks, and he puts in the work to keep me sweet and loving.

I don't think a lot of people at large know how "luck" and "good fortune" work.
It's not like we were born heirs of a family of cattle baron debutantes or something... I'm just willing to get sh^t on my boots.

[tnokie]

[QUOTE=emdeengee;
It is a nice concept but absolutely untrue in my experience. People who put nothing out into the world but negatives and pain are doing just fine while people who give all of themselves have nothing but heartache and problems.

Kind side tracking the thread but this quote is the way I seem to feel about the world. I keep trying to believe the old saying"what goes around comes around" and that these people will get their due someday,but the fact is they always seem to keep going! At least in my case it would sure do me good to see the old saying come true at least once in a while and strengthen my belief in the all powerful good in the world!

[snoozy]

Yes, but all those negative people fester in their own negativity. They ahve to live with themselves, and all the dissatisfaction they pelt other people with is fed by their dissatisfaction with themselves. Don't buy into it.

[highlands]

Is it really luck though? I have a lot of people tell me that I am lucky but they fail to see all the hard work, patience and flexibility that goes in to making that 'luck'. Yes, sometimes there is chance but most of it is making yourself ready, setting up the situations, getting the word out, persistence, not dwelling on the negative but reaching for the next positive and even skill.

[Mid Tn Mama]

Yes! I've also noticed that some people have that luck thing going --as it applies to random luck, like contests and lotteries. In my whole life I've only won one thing like that.

And I will say that a large part of life is luck-as mentioned before: whether or not your house burns down; your company goes belly up; you get cancer; your spouse leaves you. Some things you just cannot control, only survive and prepare as much as you can for (and that doesn't always work.)

As for people who say your are lucky to own what you own or do what you do--sometimes they are just making conversation or admitting they admire what you have or what you are able to do. It may not be with malice.

I do notice that folks that say it a little less admiringly (with malice) are usually folks who would never do the things needed to get those things. I've known some "lucky" people who have worked, saved, invested, taken risks that I'd never have taken who have nice things/lives. Good for them, I say!!!

And for those who say something snidely ("Must be nice....")one day, are usually also making an unkind comment about your homegrown, homemade leftover frugal lunches the next day. Doesn't bother me--just points out what their problem is. The people who do that are never people who have legitimate bad luck--just don't understand what to do.

[frogmammy]

Sometimes people will say you're "lucky" because they wish they had what they're saying you're lucky for...if that makes ANY sense at all! Doesn't mean they don't want to work for it.

Mon