I have always strongly believed in the principle behind the famous words of Louis Pasteur who said that “chance favors the prepared mind.”

It is one of those simple yet powerful statements that cut through the noise of our desires and daily challenges to crystallize what we can do to help ourselves to both overcome and achieve.

Nowhere was this more evident to me than two weeks ago, when my son finally got into Disney to design artwork and products.

It took him years (and I mean years) to get good enough to be recognized by Disney.  When he was five, he took art lessons.  Japanese lessons when he was eleven. We used to draw cartoons together.  Now he has been recognized.  It’s been a long journey but competitors might say he had luck.  But I believe that one’s luck is determined by the perseverance and courage to stay the course and not give up. Or to put it another way, the harder and more persistent my work the luckier I get.

Time and time again, the above edict or value principle has proven itself to be true.

A very close friend of mine once related a story about his coming in at the 11^th hour to bid for a multimillion dollar contract with one of the world’s largest accounting firms.

Having never done business with the firm in question, he scheduled a meeting with the senior executive in charge of the selection committee and proceeded to talk with him at length about the purpose for the bid and what the firm really wanted to accomplish.  During the follow-up meeting the next day, as the two individuals worked together to address any gaps in my friend’s presentation, the firm’s executive paused and made the comment that this was the first time that anyone had approached him to seek his input to this extent.

Armed with this insight my friend delivered his presentation to the firm’s directors and to everyone’s surprise (except his) he won the first of what would be several multimillion dollar contracts.

The moral of the story with both my son and friend is that they took the initiative to recognize and overcome the apparent obstacles to realize their dreams and objectives.

What is interesting about these stories and similar ones to them is that earned luck as I will call it, knows no limitations as it relates to age, position in the corporate hierarchy, sex or for that matter any of the supposed differentiations that we use to both define and confine our opportunities in the world.

The most important thing for you to realize is that you are the only one who can take that first step towards success and in the process unlock the converging powers of chance or fortune in your life.

Citing the oft repeated words of Sean Connery’s character in the movie The Untouchables . . . “what are you prepared to do now?!”

Remember to check out my books and CDs which offer more perspectives on taking control of your own success through the link below:

Click here to visit the store . . .

30