#3 Trying Your Luck

Transcript: You’re listening to mornings with Mary where I share everyday thoughts about everyday things before my second cup of coffee. [[coffee machine noise]] I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of luck this year. We went to Ireland at the end of March and while luck seems like a very cliche thing to associate with Ireland, it is literally everywhere. They really do lean into it. On day one we landed and we drove to Killarney. It was like 8 a.m. and we went to a cafe for breakfast. The owner ended up talking to us for a while and he asked where we were staying. I mentioned one of the local hotels and made a joke about not getting to check in until 4 p.m. If you’ve ever been to the UK, they take these things very seriously so we assumed Ireland was probably the same. This guy then just suggested that we try our luck on checking in early. Try our luck. In Ireland. Genius. When we got to the hotel we asked if it was possible to check in. She confirmed our room was ready. Incredible. That set the tone for the entire trip. We began trying our luck any way we could. Fast forward a few months and I was listening The Psychology of Money. And in this book he points out that Bill Gates and Warren Buffett didn’t just get lucky, they were consistent. And on top of that, they were both children when they made these choices. Of course, being a white man increased their potential for luck, but they still had to do something to access that luck. And I think that must be how a lot of opportunities show up, but we’re just too embarrassed to act on them. And I think the fact that they were both kids actually has a lot to do with why this worked for them. Kids don’t understand embarrassment yet. They repeat themselves, ask for what they want without hesitation or overthinking it, and they speak up publicly. I think consistency is what increases our contact with luck. And I’m trying that now by making more episodes of this podcast and continuing to write on my substack. I decided I was done rejecting myself first and considered there might be more opportunities out there that I’m not acting on. That’s supposed to be the benefit of adulthood, right? Being able to discern if something is really worth the risk. So anyway, take this invitation to try your luck once in a while, especially when the stakes are low and the vibes are high. [[coffee machine beeping]] Substack about Luck: https://mhonline.substack.com/p/exploring-luck This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mhonline.substack.com