We all have our history. And usually not very little of it. Times of hardship and darkness, and times of growth, incredible opportunities, and wonderful experiences. Experiences like last night. I had dinner with a dear friend of mine, enjoying incredible food and an Argentinian blend of red wine, and we talked about the role of luck. When I told him that I feel like I’ve been on a run for the last two years, all he said was “There is no luck, Kathrin! You have just made yourself a magnet to luck. Good things happen to those who don’t wait but who get out there and let ‘luck’ find them. It’s all a matter of creating choice and seizing the opportunity.”
I have never really had much strategy about how to approach life and create success – the only tactic was to always do my very best. But his words made me think. And yes, when looking back, I have changed quite a bit about my approach to life, almost exactly two years ago, when I made a very conscious decision to not live the lives of others anymore. It’s mainly five things I have consistently done differently from then on. And yes, my life has completely changed.
I go with my gut! I can’t even imagine that there have been times where I haven’t listened to it enough, where I have even gone against it. But I have, and that has taught me many hard-learned lessons. Today, I know that my gut knows what’s good for me much better than my brain, and for every important decision, I now take time to detach myself, take a walk on the beach, listen to the waves and consult with my gut. It has never mislead me!
I spend time with people that enrich my life! Everyone knows the quote “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. I think it goes much further. If we’re talking about attracting good things, like success, love, or freedom, it usually enters your life through human interactions. It’s important to choose who you want to have an influence on your life! As soon as you interact with someone, it will be have effect on you, no matter what. So choose wisely!
I make bold moves and don’t compromise for important matters! While making compromises is often important to make things work, they can also undermine your values and goals. And although it’s sometimes tough, I am now able to make bold decisions in the most important matters, including where I want to live, who I want to be with, and what I want to do. And if that’s moving to the other side of the world, then that’s what it is!
I choose my battle fields! While not compromising in the important matters, I am much more able to compromise in the unimportant. Of course, things could always be better in the detail. But in order to not waste energy on the wrong matters and let everyone have wins, I won’t put up a fight for things that don’t make a big difference to me. Not anymore. Just let it go!
I stay aware and talk to everyone! You never know when ‘luck’ strikes again, and one of the running jokes for my friends is to exchange stories about where they first met me – in a plane, in an elevator, on a farm… just name it! People are the gateway to success, and they open up doors for you that you didn’t even know existed. There is so much information and opportunity around you, at any given point, but if you don’t ask and, even more importantly, listen, it does not have the chance to get to you!
Don’t get me wrong, I still feel incredibly lucky, and I am very very thankful for all the good things in my life. Every. Single. Day. But my friend was right: Living up to the above maxims has certainly invited a lot of beauty into my life, and most of it created itself around me without me having planned for it. My single job in this game is to make the right choices, creating the right setup for it all to unfold, while being the best person I can be to myself as well as to others. And although there is still a long way to go until I get where I feel I truly belong, I am determined to make it easy for luck to help me out!
Let’s all get lucky!
Always yours,
Kathrin
Kathrin Hilde's Project Made 