Luck is real, but...
A Reflection by Gabriel Del Valle
7/4/20234 min read
Luck is very real, but luck alone is often not enough. Luck falls under the category of things that is– nearly all the time in my experience – a necessary but not sufficient ingredient to success. What I mean is that it’s quite rare that I hear of someone’s success story that didn’t involve some sort of luck or encounter that had no logical reason for happening but paved a way forward. There are times where the universe, for whatever reason, decides to throw you a bone and help you out. But that won’t sustain you. Luck can jumpstart you, but it won't carry you much further. What you do with that luck - the steps you take from that moment onward - is what matters most.
As a follow-up to the [Just] Show Up post, I’m looking to dive a bit deeper into this luck aspect of success. I talked about how sometimes all you have to do is show up and that can make all the difference. What I talked about was that showing up, and committing to showing up over time, can lead to opportunities. Sometimes those opportunities are the ones you’ve been chasing for some period of time, while others are just… random. Random chances that can take you down a path you never imaged. Chances that turned out to be a blessing in hindsight. That “chance” moment - that luck - is sometimes absolutely that: chance or luck.
My journey to university was one of these scenarios where I got a dash of lucky. I was never the best academic student or pupil in high school. I wasn’t bad, not by any stretch of the imagination, but I wasn’t the straight-A person (not in any of the 3 high schools I attended). I had a deep interest and curiosity for many subjects and topics, and for others I simply went through the motions of doing what I was expected to do - doing the bare minimum to get by unnoticed. One of the areas where I mostly went through the motions of things was in post-high school planning; specifically, applying to universities. I knew with a high degree of certainty I was going to go to university, but I didn’t know where I was going. One day during my senior year, my high school hosted a college fair. As a preparation, we students were supposed to create a CV and print out copies so we could hand them out to the recruiters who were representing the colleges and universities.
I did what I was supposed to and created the CV with a few copies (i.e., the bare minimum). I walked around the gym hall where all these banners and posters were hung highlighting the best qualities of the university, awards they had won, rankings of their athletic programs, and so on. None of them really “spoke” to me until I came across a booth where the recruiter was just sitting there quietly – very nonchalant. For some reason, that attracted me. I walked up to the recruiter, introduced myself, he asked for my CV, we exchanged some words, and he offered me a CHANCE to apply and interview for a scholarship, which I was definitely going to need as I did not come from money. I attended the interview, prepped as much as I could, put my best foot forward, and within a few weeks I was awarded the scholarship. He was the only recruiter I spoke to that day, and that school – Indiana University of Pennsylvania – is the school I went to on a scholarship later that year. That school and the set of experiences that flowed from that are what launched my life into what it is today.
It's likely a combination of dumb-luck that things went down that way: “dumb” in that I probably could’ve (and should have) put forth more of an effort to diversity my university applications and not place my bet on one nonchalant recruiter, but "luck" that I talked to a recruiter who saw something in my CV, and me, that said I was deserving of an opportunity to ease the financial burden of university. Whatever the case, there was luck involved and I took advantage of it. When the chance came, I buckled down, focused in, and gave the chance my best. And it worked out.
I trace most, if not all, of my professional career all the way back to that moment: someone giving me chance in a gym hall. From there, I worked and more chances – or luck – appeared. And each time, I tried to capitalize on them. Do they all work out? No. But that’s okay. They’re not all supposed to work out. At least I don't think they're all supposed to work out. Some of the best “luck” I’ve had are things that failed and pushed me into a different direction. Luck isn’t always served on a gold platter. Sometimes the luckiest thing that can happen to you is actually the thing that doesn't happen to you or go your way. In the moment, it can suck. But with time you may come to realize that a specific failure was an essential growing pain or lesson for you to be prepared for the real chance that had yet to come. So, either way, you can win. Or, to steal a quote from I don't know where that echoes this idea: either you win or you learn
This is, of course, is also a matter of mindset and perspective, but I think that adopting the view of life being a series of opportunities or challenges is helpful (as opposed to seeing life as a series of pointless obstacles and failures). Simple example of this mindset: have you ever been interested in something new – maybe a pair of glasses, or a watch, or a car – and then suddenly you see it EVERYWHERE? Well, I believe luck can be the same. If you see life as opportunities, you will find more opportunities. You’ll find that life is brimming with chances and luck. But, again, getting these chances are just a part - and maybe only a small part - of the battle. What you do with them is what will matter the most. Your willingness to act on whatever luck comes your way will be the key to your success.