My partner Tracy and I have a recurring conversation which generally starts with her saying “Aren’t we lucky.” This may be a stand-alone comment, in which case I take it that she is referring to our general life situation, or is stated in relation to something specific like the fact that we live in Sydney, or that we both have good jobs. Now I have learnt over time that the correct response to this is to just smile and agree that we are indeed lucky. What I have argued in the past, and to be honest what I am generally thinking in these situations, is that our situation is a result of the choices we have made. As Jean-Paul Sartre observed “We are our choices”.

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The thesis for this post is the concept that we can choose to be lucky.

Now I have made my share of mistakes and bad choices along the way but as the half century mark beckons I reflect on what I have learnt and what advice I would offer about the choices we make:

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Choose to work hard. As Gary Player was known to say “The more I practice the luckier I get.”

Choose to work somewhere great. We can’t all work for Google (or Arup!). If you don’t love it where you work, go work somewhere else, or work for yourself.

Choose to live where suits you. I chose the other side of the world, where suits you?

Choose to be yourself. Authenticity is good for the soul.

Choose to be positive about others. Ever catch yourself bitching and moaning about other people? It’s not a good look and let’s be honest, you don’t know their struggles.

Choose happiness over money. If you’re happy and doing what you love the money may follow and if it doesn’t, what the heck, you’re happier anyway.

Choose to look after your body. Don’t overindulge. Exercise.

Choose to maintain your hobbies. Kick a football around, paint, read, walk, jump out of planes, whatever it is, keep doing your thing.

Choose to love. “The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return”

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I often read posts like this and think ‘well, that was a statement of the bleeding obvious’, and maybe this one is too, but I feel happy to put it out there and welcome comments on whether people think my thesis is broadly correct, or in fact are some people just born lucky?