Perhaps the word ‘luck’ rubs me the wrong way because it is often casually misused.  For example, have you ever noticed that we tend to blame parents for a child’s adverse behavior but attribute a child’s stellar qualitites to luck?  For example, “That child has such bad manners.  The parents really failed in that department.”  vs  “Your son is such a good eater.  You’re so lucky!”  Actually, luck has nothing to do with it; discipline does.   Statements like this give credence to the belief that parenthood is a thankless job.  For goodness sake, give a parent some credit! 

More importantly, give a child a sense of empowerment.   I teach tweens that we all have choices in every situation.  Disliking our choices is not the same as not having a choice.  The idea of luck is disempowering.  Attributing negative events in our lives to bad luck is the same as resorting to blame and shunning accountability.  Attributing positive outcomes to good luck is equally disempowering as it robs us of a sense of accomplishment and pride.

 

I refuse to believe that there exists a force in the Universe that would randomly assign events and circumstances of good luck to one and bad luck to another.  I believe that we attract to our lives that which we give our attention and energy to.  If this is true, perhaps the Irish have historically manifested luck by focusing on the positive.  If this is the case, then we can all enjoy the Luck ‘O the Irish!