My friend used to jokingly say, “If I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all”.

Not quite.

There is misfortune that can always be turned into opportunity down the road.  And there is self-reliance, our ability to take ownership of both the good and not so good that happens in our lives.

Bad things happen and it doesn’t take us long in life to learn this.  What we tend to have trouble with is how to turn disadvantages into advantages which is why I wrote my book Out of Bad Comes Good – The Advantages of Disadvantages.

But terminal bad luck can be cured – fairly easily.

• Take this test – spend the time to investigate anyone else’s “good luck” and you will find that it often if not always followed one or more unfortunate sequence of events – some even terrible.  In other words, persistence always leads us to good fortune eventually so this is what motivates us not to give up or turn sour.
• Talking about bad luck is of no use.   I had a dear friend who suffered from bladder cancer for years but you’d never know it.  He refused to spend more than a few seconds on the topic if you asked him about it.  Know what his secret was?  He interrupted and asked about you.  There is great wisdom in this approach to avoid being a victim.  Focus on the other person not on ills and misfortunes.

Out of bad comes good – always and in all ways.

In the meantime, there’s a good attitude to keep us prepared to succeed.

“Chance never helps those who do not help themselves” — Sophocles

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