Lucky by Choice

Have you ever had a moment where everything in the universe seems to align in your favour? It may be the shortest or rarest of moments, but I believe it does happen when we let it, even in the midst of very difficult and trying circumstances beyond our control.

This photo was taken early one morning at our annual Rover reunion camping weekend many years ago. The dew and the sunrise were both fleeting, but following the spontaneous instinct to get up for an early morning walk meant being in the right place at the right time and receiving this unexpected visual gift, as well as an inner sense that all was right with the world. 

We can paralyze ourselves with the conviction that we are unlucky—that we are not receiving the rewards we deserve—while others are blessed with better luck and seem to get everything that they want out of life. While it's true that life often doesn't go the way we expect, our sense of being unlucky can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we are entirely focused on what we deserve and how we are working tirelessly to get it, we are likely to miss the surprises and treasures that lie on the unexplored side roads of our lives.

Creativity grows from the juxtaposition of unexpected elements; if we control and plan and decide every aspect of our lives based on what we already know and expect, creativity has no place to blossom. Sometimes the greatest blessings spring unexpectedly from the most challenging ground, and creativity thrives with some adversity, some "bad luck" that might make us step back, change direction and look for the good on another path.

Have you ever had a moment where everything in the universe seems to align in your favour? Just open your eyes and look around; you might be standing in front of one right now.