“Unlucky people are narrowly focused…They crave security and tend to be more anxious, and instead of wading into the sea of random chance open to what may come, they remain fixated on controlling the situation, on seeking a specific goal. As a result, they miss out on the thousands of opportunities that may float by. Lucky people tend to constantly change routines and seek out new experiences…The lucky try more things, and fail more often, but when they fail they shrug it off and try something else. Occasionally, things work out.”
–David McRaney, Survivorship Bias
When I think on the difference between the phases of my life where good things were happening and the times when I was a lump in the dark; the above is EXACTLY it. Because I got crappy grades in science but occasionally make money as a writer, I tend to couch it in more metaphorical terms; talking about the energy you put out there being answered by the universe. But really – it’s this.
It’s why, these days, I keep writing new scripts while the others burrow their way around Hollywood. It’s why, these days, I keep entering contests, submitting stories to magazines, going to auditions, and trying out new bars. Because honestly, I don’t know where the hell my success is hiding. So I have to keep looking. And along the way, you find that maybe you’re not getting a pot of gold, but you’re finding a lot of really cool things that help you sustain the quest.
That stuff takes incredible energy and willpower, and if the only sustenance you have defined for yourself is that ultimate pot of gold, you just won’t make it. You need to see the smaller, more random rewards along the way as a worthwhile part of the process, and take encouragement and wisdom from them. They really will build on themselves. Enough to guarantee success? Nope – that still can’t be guaranteed. But it’s how you make yourself available to it.