I am that person who always makes a wish at 11:11 and gets genuinely disappointed when I happen to glance at the clock at 11:12. My lucky number is seven and I instinctively cross my fingers when I really want something to happen–because obviously the act of putting one finger over another can change the future. But let’s get real here. Although all of the superstitions about luck are fun, what does luck really mean? In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here are some accurate and insightful quotes that help to answer this question.
1. “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck”-Dalai Lama
You will probably end up with something even better or maybe that thing you thought you absolutely needed would not have turned out to be as amazing as you thought.
2. “Success in life is not about luck! It is about managed thoughts, focused attention and deliberate action” –Trudy Vesotsky
Figure out what it is that you want, plan what you need to do in order to get it and take whatever action necessary to make it happen. Nothing is over or impossible until the moment you stop trying and putting forth the effort.
3. “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity”-Oprah Winfrey
Both components of luck carry equal weight. However great an opportunity is, it will often be useless to you if you have not prepared for it. So do the work now so you are ready for the next opportunity life sends your way!
4. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”-Winnie the Pooh
This is how we feel every time we leave home to come back to UConn, and leave UConn to go back home, and then leave home again…you get the idea. Goodbyes can be really difficult and we often wish we never had to deal with them. But the reality is that if you have ever had a hard time saying goodbye to someone or something, you were actually very lucky.
5. “You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.”-Cormac McCarthy
So really, missing the bus to your 8 a.m. class located all the way across campus may have been a blessing! That may sound like a stretch, but you never know what worse circumstance that bus ride might have led to.
6. “A good guy is like a four leaf clover; lucky to have but hard to find.”-Unknown
We wish this one was not so true but sadly, it is 100% accurate.
7. “When it comes to luck, you make your own.”-Bruce Springsteen
The only place luck comes before work is in the dictionary. Lucky things don’t just come our way while we are lying around binge watching Netflix. Doing the work that leads to good opportunities is the real luck.
8. “Luck is believing you’re lucky.”-Tennessee Williams
Optimism is very powerful. If you spend more time loving what you have than wanting the things you don’t, you will feel like a pretty lucky person.
9. “Night will change into day without any effort on your part, but destiny won’t. Good morning and good luck for changing your destiny.”-Unknown
What are you waiting for? Get out there and create amazing destinies for yourselves, collegietes!
So, there you have it! I am not saying to stop making wishes on stars and at certain times of the day or to retire your lucky pencil (you know, the one you used when you got an A on that exam you barely studied for). But if you ask me, the fact that we have control over our destinies and can make great things happen for ourselves is, in itself, a great stroke of luck.