I know it’s easy to say “you’re so lucky” when someone has good fortune. As someone who has heard this phrase one too many times, I’d like you to see things from my side.
I am blessed to have had so many opportunities and successes in life, but it wasn’t luck that got me there. It was hard work.
I understand that you usually only see the final product of my work. You don’t see the effort, the failed attempts, and even the amount of sleep I sacrifice in order to attain my goals. Trust me when I say that I have spent countless hours, days, and sometimes even months working on certain projects. I have pushed myself to limits I didn’t even know were possible. That’s the beauty of hard work; it’s not the skills you have, but the will to succeed.
Certain projects take a lot of initiative. I have often had to go outside of my comfort zone, and sometimes I get rejected. I know I don’t share these failed attempts, but they are not few and far between. Over time, I’ve learned that it’s okay to fail. It serves as motivation to work harder in the future. Once I do succeed though, it stings to hear “you’re so lucky.” In some ways I am, because the opportunity existed, but it was my perseverance and determination that pushed me to succeed.
This letter isn’t to make you feel bad or for me to complain; I just want you to understand how hearing the word “lucky” time and time again becomes extremely frustrating. I work hard for what I have, just like you.
An example might help you see things from my perspective. Let’s say you worked really hard on an essay. You stayed up late for several nights, you sacrificed time with your friends in order to do research, and you re-read your essay several times perfecting it. The day finally comes for you to hand in the assignment you worked so hard on. Days go by as you anxiously wait for your results. You get your essay back, and you get a good grade, but the only comment you receive from your peers is “wow, you’re so lucky!” It would sting to not have your work acknowledged, right? That is exactly what I feel every single time someone ignores the work I put into realizing my goals.
Sure, luck has a little bit to do with it, but I have to work hard to take advantage of the luck. The next time you tell someone that they’re lucky for receiving a good grade, for getting a job, or for completing a successful project, try saying “hard work pays off” instead.