Where luck is lacking

I like to say that I have the luck of the Irish, which – historically speaking – is fucking awful.

From missing the bus to breaking my ankle during playoffs Having the wifi go down just as I’m handing in an assignment to finding myself in the most disgusting stall in the public washroom – luck never really seems to be on my side.

I think a lot of us like to believe that we are in control of our own lives, but it’s never really true. There are so many outside influences that affect our everyday lives and that can be a scary thought.

In the words of my guide, Harry Potter: “We plan, we get there; all Hell breaks loose.”

Whether you believe in fate, destiny, luck or just coincidence, there’s no denying that there is something in this world – beyond all of our control – that impacts how we live our everyday lives.

We can plan and organize until our horseshoes go rusty. We can perfectly set our schedules and avoid procrastinating until pigs fly.

Something is always going to go wrong. Something unexpected will come up and we have to be ready to deal with that.

The mentality that we can overcome these conditions by willing them away is absurd.

If each of us were completely out for ourselves, making sure luck was on our side, we’d all have to be absolutely perfect human beings. Every outside force would have to run perfectly and I don’t think there’d be much room for choice.

That sounds pretty bland to me, so I’ll just take my chances.

Sometimes, no matter how hard we work or how much effort we put in, things just don’t work out.

Even for those of us that always like to place the blame on ourselves – if we were only smarter, articulated ourselves more clearly, got up a little earlier – life is often out of our control and there is nothing we can do.

That said, having things out of our control is still an incredibly terrifying thought. All we can really do is to roll with the punches and continue on in our lives despite the cards we’ve been dealt.

If I’ve learned anything so far in my life, it’s that it continues on despite any amount of bad luck.

Moving forward, whether from a slight inconvenience or from staring your worst fears in the face, is never going to be easy.

But days will come and pass. We’ll keep trying no matter jabs that luck may throw our way.

If carrying a four leaf clover makes you feel more comfortable in the world, all the more power to you. I refuse to change my day calendar until I wake up in the morning, even if I go to bed at 2 a.m..

All of us have to face what we’ve been given, whether we deserve it or not.

If real luck is going to come to anyone’s aid, it’ll be those who’ve suffered but still decided not to let it beat them down. It’ll come for the people who put in the effort to work hard, but can also deal with the pain of rejection, disappointment and just plain ol’ unluckiness.

No one ever gets what they want on the first try. What’s important is staying true to who you are, your values and the way you treat others.

No amount of luck should ever be able to define who we are.