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Does your success depend on Lady Luck?

Hello fellow Rainers! This is going to be one of those post that has been flopping around in my head for a few days. Not quite sure how it's going to turn out but I think there's going to be a point in here somewhere. So please bear with me. Sometimes I just have to get it out of my head. OK, since I don't really know how to start this, I'm just going to jump in and use myself as an example.

"I feel so lucky today! Business is booming and as lady luck would have it, I am in the right place at the right time, to take advantage of it. My "popularity" is growing by leaps and bounds on ActiveRain and I have managed to get into the right "cliques" so that all of my posts get featured and folks line up to leave comments. I must have been born with a silver spoon in my mouth and it seems my 15 minutes of fame has extended into a lifetime. I am soooooo lucky".

Have you ever looked at someone else's success and thought how "lucky" they were? Or, made a comment about a Blogger on ActiveRain, about how their posts are always featured and it must be because they know the right people or they are featured because they are "popular"?

Did you know, successful people rarely, if ever, have thoughts like these? By these, I mean, the ones in the 2^nd AND 3^rd paragraphs. Most successful people have a strong work ethic and have spent many years honing their craft to achieve "over night success". Most successful REALTORS® have spent many years prospecting and studying market conditions to be able to get "lucky" and be in the right place at the right time. "Popular" Bloggers on ActiveRain have also put in the time, done the research and studied the market(AR) in order to become "popular" and get into the right "clique".

Lady Luck has nothing to do with success. You may get lucky and have short term success but you cannot achieve long term success this way. You have to have a plan and you have to stick to it. The same applies to ActiveRain. Being popular or being part of the right clique will not give you lasting success. You have to be willing to share and give folks information they can use. You have to be consistent.

So, maybe if you are not having the success you feel you deserve. Then check your attitude first. Secondly, devise a plan and stick to it. Success in anything takes careful planning and persistency.

Check your vocabulary. Change:

Luck to hard work
Clique to niche
Popular to trustworthy

Work hard towards becoming the expert in your niche and build trust by being honest and dependable. By doing this you may find yourself being "popular" and in the right "clique" and before you know it, your "luck" will change. To me, ActiveRain is just like real estate or life for that matter. I would venture to say that the "popular" Bloggers on ActiveRain are, or will be, successful in their businesses as well.

OK, I just reread this post and I'm not sure I got my point across. Maybe I'll get lucky. It sure sounded good when it was my head. Oh well, I'm throwing it out there anyway. Sometimes you just have to go for it. Maybe, you DID get my point. Did you? Does your success depend on Lady Luck?

Picture by VINTAGE METAL ART

Posted by Bryant Tutas Broker/REALTOR(R) Tutas Towne Realty, Inc on 04/15/2007 07:40 PM

Comments (99)

success, persistency, activerain, lady luck

99 Comments on Does your success depend on Lady Luck?

APR

2007

Reserved Parking For "The Lovely Wife"...TLW...ROAR!

Blog Boy...(Hubba Bubba) SVW... Let 'em wonder why I'm smiling. LOL.

Gee Darlin' I thought we were so successful because we are "lucky"and belong to the right "cliques" (I'm grinning at that) Not to mention that we are soooooo good looking.

Okay. Sit down. I'm going to be serious for a moment. Everything you have said in this post is so true. Success in anything does not happen over night and what does happen overnight is short lived. We've seen it thousand of times. Now haven't we? When I hear someone say things about being popular and carrying on about cliques the first thing that comes to mind is that the person saying things like this does not understand the nature of success.

Oh. That's right you want to know if we get your point. Nope. I met my comment quota today so this is a long "pointless" comment :)

TLW...ROAR!

success depends on you! Great blog

Well, BB, I think you got your point across loud and clear. Hmm, does your success depend on TLW? :) Or vice versa.

Jeff

"Would you rather be lucky or good?"

"Being lucky IS being good."

I can't remember where I heard this, but I liked it. I don't really believe in luck, though. What happens to us is our own doing far more than most people want to admit.

BB : Your Point is Made. ( another title could be When Luck Crosses Paths With the Prepared Mind ) The one thing that is for sure, Popularity is Fleeting especially for those that do not grow. Very Nice Post and Points.

Success depends on ME>......great post BB.....taking good care of client's has brought back repeat client's...bought and then sold as well as many referrals.

Jeff...Teamwork and Hardwork=Success :)

Another thought provoker...my "luckiest" times have resulted from past efforts that finally come to carefully tended fruition.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend all!

Antoinette

BB - Very refreshing reminder of something that we all should make part of our daily lives, be it professional of personal. Thanks (again) as always!

Scott

What the heck are you talking about?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Although I agree that luck has nothing to do with success, I must say that the only definitive way of being successful and getting posts featured and blah blah blah is to be Soooooooo Good Looking!

Duh!

(You know you are successful when people are quoting YOU, to YOU on your own post...)

Mariana...

You cracked me up with that...

You my dear are soooooooooooooooooo Funny.

And so Gooooooooooooooood looking too.

TLW...ROAR!

BB: I've always subscribed to the belief that " LUCK is what happens when OPPORTUNITY meets PREPARATION!" (then mix in a little SWEAT EQUITY and I think you've got a sure fired recipe to attract LADY LUCK!

In my short time on AR I've seen the amount of W-O-R-K it takes to participate and earn points - no one gets to be where many of you, approaching 200,000 points without a lot of sweat equity.

So I say - you get what you deserve - and you are reaping what you've sowed for a long time....SUCCESS!!

Enjoy it - when our family hears someone complaining, our 5 year old often usually reminds everyone of the The Little Red Hen story where everyone wants to "eat" but no one wanted help the hen & do the work it took to get there...we all smile and realize the efforts of today will payoff tomorrow - patience is a virtue. We live in a NO WHINING house!

May you continue to have 2 great women in your life - TLW & Lady Luck - you must be doing something right! (LOL)

I hear you, Broker Bryant! I'm a Murphy (maiden name) so Murphy's Law sometimes applies to me. You don't get anything you don't work for, or at least you usually can't keep it if it falls into your lap. Sometimes people are so good at something that it LOOKS easy from the outside, and people think it's just dumb luck. Most "lucky" people I've known make their own luck. You can't sit around waiting for it!

Broker Bryant, thank goodness you decided to take a stab at it anyway. I get your point! It looks like everyone else does too.

It is so easy to blame dumb luck for the success in someone else's life/career. It is much harder to admit the truth, that anything worth having is worth working hard for and those "lucky people" are working their butts off to create their own "luck."

Thanks Dad! I mean BB for signaling the right direction!

UCBB: Oh puleeeeze! You know you’re the Raingod’s little unibrowed darlin’—they’d feature a two-word post—if you wrote it, you—you—“judgmental, self indulgent, ignorant, condescending, self righteous, uninformed, disrespectful, unibrowed (your personal favorite), misinformed, misleading, undermining, cheap, & on a high horse” active rain|active codgers, your active fans image person, you!

OUCH! Daisy, stop that! Don’t you nip me, I was just…OUCH! Daisy stoppit! …kidding!

Jay & Step-dog Daisy

BB - Luck - no way - you have an amzing ability to write about things we all think about. it's all about hard work and obviously you are up for the task. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You are so open and honest and your clients feel it(as do your loyal Rainers) - This AR world is amazing to me and now I know why it is so addicting.

Well hello everyone. We had rain and wind storms all day and then this afternoon it turned into an absolutely beautiful day so I had to go sit outside and enjoy it for a while. I'm soooooooo lucky:) It is great living in Florida.

As always I appreciate all the responses. I wasn't to sure how this post was going to turn out but as part of my plan I needed to post today. Sometimes we just have to keep moving forward whether we want to or not. I agree that luck happens when we are prepared to seize the opportunity when it presents itself. We not only have to be in the right place at the right time but we must me prepared to act. And preparation comes from hard work.

Jay, you're cracking me up.

UCBB: That would be my sole purpose on the ‘Rain—to keep you amused. Daisy went home—so she can’t interfere—heh, heh, heh.

Jay

Excellent post BB. I always say in my new agent training classes that the true definition of Luck is Preparedness meeting opportunity.

If your not prepared...opportunity will slip between your fingers.

If your not prepared...you won't recognize true opportunity.

BB your point was conveyed clearly. Many times the only thing standing in the way of our success (in anything) is ourselves. (usually out of fear or insecurity)

Thanks for another great, thougtful post.

I have missed some of the conversations lately- trying to figure the unibrow comment out but wanted to say Happy belated birthday too! :-)

BB I hear you and I even understand your post. I'm happy that your hard work and determination has paid off for you. Your knowledge that you share and the humor are a valuable asset on AR.

Broker Bryant ant TLW,

It's absolutely obvious that you are very persistent in your work ethic, due dilligence, etc. I wouldn't even think twice about referring clients to your team.

I apprefciate your honesty!! I agree with you 100%. There are to many people in this business for it to be about luck. You have to work hard for referrals and to grow your business.

Thanks for your candidness.

BB.

The more I fight and finish what I start the rest just flows and things start to happen..you can't forget the present or you'll never reach the future.

"Sometimes people are so good at something that it LOOKS easy from the outside, and people think it's just dumb luck. I love the way Sara said that! How come people only see the outcome but somehow pass right by the amount of time and hard work that it takes to "make" your own luck. Good topic to blog about!

Someone once told me that a good looking woman had only a two week head start. Too much to throw away, but not enough to skate on.

I don't know if I did or not because it was all get out of the way, I've got running and work to do.

Luck is just knowing when to say yes to an opportunity.

You are right...its not luck. Circumstance and opportunity my ole dad used to say. I guess being good looking doesn't hurt either eh? Some studies claim good looking people fair better than others in life.

But seriously, other folks have asked me over the years how I have managed to excel in one area or another and it seems they always want to hear an easy answer. Whether its "boy you are so slim how do you do it", or "wow gorgeous house how do you keep it clean" or wow, "how did you end up in management so young".

The answer is always simple, hard work, long hours, dedication; it most certainly isn't lady luck!

Point well made. It is about solid work ethic, a plan, and perseverance to build your name, business and trustworthiness in your industry and your community! Of course, being able to take risks, recognize opportunities, and stepping out of your comfort zone are are key ingredients in the success formula as well! Great Post!

OK Blog Boy - who ya kidding? We all know it's all because you are jus soooooo darn good looking. You told us that yourself not all that long ago. Remember??

Seriously, those who appear 'lucky' MAKE their own 'luck' by hard work, lots of it. I love what Cyndy wrote above, "LUCK is what happens when OPPORTUNITY meets PREPARATION!" (then mix in a little SWEAT EQUITY and I think you've got a sure fired recipe to attract LADY LUCK!" It doesn't get any truer than that!

TLW - you just CRACK me up!

Ann

Broker Bryant,

You have to be the hardest working guy on Active Rain. Gongratulations on all of your success. You have to admit, though, you are a pretty lucky guy to have that pistol packin' wife of yours! :-)

Luck doesn't enter into it? Oh, sh__! There goes my business plan.... And I guess you'd also probably have me believe that winning the Florida lottery is not a viable retirement plan? Back to the drawing board! (Enjoyed your post)

Broker Bryant,

Thanks for this post and your message. As a rookie, it's a good reminder to hear that you got where you are because you were and are prepared; you've paid your dues. The Gods didn't just show you favor, you worked hard for what you have achieved and I can do the same because it isn't based on luck, it's based on sowing and reaping.

I can do that! Thanks.

Fran

Thank you Bryant...you are so right. The integrity and work ethic my parents instilled in me is why I am where I am today and I am eternally grateful. Thanks for writing a great post and I hope you and "The Lovely Lady" have a wonderful and blessed week ahead. Your friend from Idaho :-)

Thank you for such a great post. Two of my favorite quotes that I think illustrate your point (yes, I believe you got your point across) are below.

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it" ---Henry David Thoreau

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it" Thomas Jefferson

APR

2007

Broker Bryant

As usual, another great post with many good points. I think any original thought I might have had to comment has been covered already in the comments so I'll just suffice this to say- Good Job!

I agree completely, you create your own luck by being in the right place and doing the right thing.

"Lady Luck has nothing to do with success. You may get lucky and have short term success but you cannot achieve long term success this way"

Completely agree with this line. People often get lucky in the short term where deals fall into their laps. Long term success if most often a direct result of hard work over a long time period....

Excellent post, Amen!

My success depends on how many pairs of shoes i wear out,

gas i burn,

phonecalls i make

It's all a numbers game...

You know that Bryant! :-D

As usual, an exceptional post from you. I absolutely agree with everything, especially the part of perfecting your niche and relentlessly working it. Thanks so much.

BB,

Good post, whatever we do, marriage, family, work we have to work hard at it for it to be a success. Others look on and consider you lucky, but usually when you talk to the "lucky" people you find it is their attitude and hard work that has carried them through the hard knocks where others gave up.

It is that old saying, well old in the UK where I hail from, is the galss half full or half empty? How do you see it. I think we all see it half full and we intend to work at getting the other half filled.

Nick

Dang BB: You got the point out loud and clear! I used to have quite a few calls and emails saying "how come all of your post get featured." How annoying and unproductive! Since I have been concentrating on localism, I haven't had many featured posts and THAT's OK! That means less annoying and sometimes downright harassing incoming contacts! You are about 100 fold of what I am so I can't even imagine what you go through!

Some people do become successful (business wise) through Lady Luck. Unfortunately, they fail to see how they got there and how to sustain. Those people sink in times like these or when they need to shift their business model because they do not know how they got there in the first place!

Great one as always BB and I hope this finds you and TLW well :)

My goodness!! Thanks fors all the great responses. I have to go do the work thing this morning so won't be able to respond to everyone individually BUT really appreciate all the kind comments and added words of wisdom. So below I have pulled some excerpts from some of the comments. IT MAKES FOR AN EXCELLENT MOTIVATIONAL READ!

"success depends on you!" Cristina Williams

"Would you rather be lucky or good?" "Being lucky IS being good." Leslie Prest

"Teamwork and Hardwork=Success" TLW

"When Luck Crosses Paths With the Prepared Mind" Herb Hamilton

"Success depends on ME" Sally Cheeseman"

"...my "luckiest" times have resulted from past efforts that finally come to carefully tended fruition." Antoinette Scognamiglio

"LUCK is what happens when OPPORTUNITY meets PREPARATION!" Cyndee Haydon

"Most "lucky" people I've known make their own luck. You can't sit around waiting for it!" Sarah Cooper

"Preparedness meeting opportunity." Monika McGillicuddy

"Many times the only thing standing in the way of our success (in anything) is ourselves. (usually out of fear or insecurity" Michele Conners

"The more I fight and finish what I start the rest just flows and things start to happen..you can't forget the present or you'll never reach the future." Neal Bloom

"Luck is just knowing when to say yes to an opportunity." Beth Bastian

"The answer is always simple, hard work, long hours, dedication; it most certainly isn't lady luck!" Denise

"It is about solid work ethic, a plan, and perseverance to build your name, business and trustworthiness in your industry and your community!" Shekeria B.

"those who appear 'lucky' MAKE their own 'luck' by hard work, lots of it." Ann Cummings

"The Gods didn't just show you favor, you worked hard for what you have achieved and I can do the same because it isn't based on luck, it's based on sowing and reaping." Fran Gatti

"The integrity and work ethic my parents instilled in me is why I am where I am today and I am eternally grateful." George Tallabas

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it" ---Henry David Thoreau AND "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it" Thomas Jefferson both shared by Melody Young

"you create your own luck by being in the right place and doing the right thing." Randy Prothero

"Long term success if most often a direct result of hard work over a long time period...." Kaushik Sirkar

"My success depends on how many pairs of shoes i wear out, gas i burn, phonecalls i make" Luke Constantino

"perfecting your niche and relentlessly working it" Diane Bell

"It is much harder to admit the truth, that anything worth having is worth working hard for and those "lucky people" are working their butts off to create their own "luck." Maggie Dokic

"Others look on and consider you lucky, but usually when you talk to the "lucky" people you find it is their attitude and hard work that has carried them through the hard knocks where others gave up" Nick Vandekar

Now folks, how's that for some Monday morning motivation?! So go out and make you some of that there luck today!!!

well put and very true. I'm sure that most of us (if not all of us) can relate. It often seems like the grass is just naturally greener on the other side, but truth is they work harder to make it greener on the other side (usually).

It turned out great Bryant. Another great post by the ever popular Broker Bryant.

Yes, success depends on Hard Work only, rest is fiction. Webmaster of http://2letservice.com

Featured Post? What is that? LOL - Ya know...work is a 4 letter word! Always enjoyable BB Thanks

I love your blog. It is so true. Of course, you already know that. We all know that, its just keeping it in your head with a positive attitude. That part takes, you guessed it, work. Ok, well back to work for me. :)

Hi BB!

There you go spouting off good advise again and we're all glad you did! We thank our lucky stars every day for the many blessings we have in both working together and having been able to stay in business for so many years. Sure there are some times that are better than others but we try to look at it as a whole and know that we are truly lucky. However, we really do work hard but for us the work is fun. Alot of great quotes here and a real AR compilation of uplifting comments. Ahhhh the power of a comment! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!

It's too bad that people think this all the time - my brain is usually going 'dang, am I ever going to catch up?' - hee hee.

I enjoy asking the other agents in my office where that listing or this buyer "came from"... it's interesting to compare the answers from some of the established agents with the answers I get from some of the "less well established" agents. My goal is to find the repeatable things that will bring long term success. I'm amazed at how many "luck" and lightning strikes" stategies are out there ;-) Thanks BB

Luck comes to those that put themselves in it's path - if you do not take the risk or ask for the business you will never be lucky enough to receive it - luck or good - you have to be good to be lucky enough to succeed - just my thoughts

Very true. If you look at people that are considered lucky or always getting things to break there way, there are usually reasons this happens. They put themselves in a position to get opportunities and grab a hold of them when they do come along.

BB..great post as usual.

I can remember at one time, I thought success was all about luck. Then I started doing something that I really enjoyed, and success was mine. Make sense?

We all know the effort that becoming successful takes. The key ingredient is enjoying what you do. I hear from people all the time that they dont like what they do, but its a paycheck. That isnt success.

Like many others I am sure, I have learned a lot from your posts. Learned alot about myself and what I needed to work on to be at the top of my game. Am I there yet, nope and I hope to never be there. If I do reach it, what else is there to work for? We can always be better.

Thanks for your post. One like this every now and then keeps me focused on my goals and reminds me that there is nothing that can stop me.

Brande <---waving at TLW!! :-)

Brande, I too LOVE real estate! It truly feels like I never work. And I'm sure that helps tremendously with being successful. And it has nothing to do with money. I'm successful because I can wake up every day and look forward to going to work.

Hey Matt, good to see you. I'm sure folks will be talking about how lucky you were some day. If they only had a clue how hard you are working now. And for free no less!!!

Thesa, You do get it. But I knew that about you. It comes out in your writing.

Bill, That's a good strategy you have. I'm sure you have already found that the successful ones have systems in place and do the same things over and over again.

Christina, Maybe the pack you are trying to catch up to is actually behind you:)

Lisa, It was great talking with you last week. I too thought the compilation of comment snippets from this post were very good. I almost made a separate post out of them.

Susan, You're right. I have to constantly remind myself to have faith that the ground work I lay every day will pay off. It always has, why should it change?

Hi Allison, Thanks for stopping by. I've had so many features it gets embarrassing sometimes. But what can I do? I just keep writing and doing my thing.

Thanks Keith.

Luther, I've always been one to do the best with what I have. It seems that whatever job I had was always by favorite. I actually don't jump out of my comfort zone very often. That's always been one of my weak points. I'm getting a little more adventursome in my older years but still like my grass just the way it is.

BB-I will say that sometimes I don't understand why certain posts are featured, but not yours. You always seem to put alot of thought into what you say. I always love it when the newbies in the office ask why I'm so busy. Quite a few times (after getting frustrated the first few times when they wouldn't listen to me about how I've worked hard to get there) I say now "I'm just lucky, I guess". They don't seem to believe that hard work is part of the equation....

Pretty clear, Bryant. All the key ingredients are there; workable plan, persistence/ determination and hard work. Nothing comes free. Producing a great plan is usually doable, but when it comes time to execute, we often get detoured by those strange things. I don't know what they really are, but they just pop up. And get in the way. The hard part appears to be to stay the course.

HORRRAYYYYYYY for you! THis was a great blog and I knew it would be from the first second I read the title. Keep 'em coming!

From your post:

Right on !!

I'm lucky o have found this place and be a part of it. I guess luck does have a little to do with it.

This is great! I wanted to add a line of mine too, but it is already posted above! I will definitely bookmark this one to come back for inspiration! :)

Bryant - all I have to say is WOW!

Luck defined by Richard F. Kruse:

Being in the right place at the right time and being smart enough to seize the opportunity. Success does not happen without brains.

APR

2007

Bryant,

I LOVE IT!!!

This had me giggling by the time I got to the end. One thing I have always believed is that very few people are lucky. Most of the "lucky" ones have toiled for years in obscurity and their "luck" is only because their work paid off and now people are just recognizing the fruits of labors that have been years in the making.

I am hooked. I will be subsribing so that I won't happen upon your musings, they will be delivered hot and fresh! :)

Bryant- Are you trying to tell us that having a great looking wife, a successful business and a terrific blog is all based on hard work with a hint of personality.. Rats...guess that shoots down the lottery plan to fame and wealth...LOL

Kaye--Brilliant....absolutely brilliant! :) I am on the east coast and burning that midnight oil. At 2 a.m. Bryant's post was great to read and the responses make it even more brilliant.

Bryant, Sounds like you could make a book out of all of these comments.

On the road to success with the path and the results still unknown, everyone has their reasons why it won't work. Then when you achieve success, looking back, everyone has reasons of why it was so easy. But then they also have reasons for why it wouldn't work for them.

Heys guys, More excellent comments. I think I need to make a post with all these great responses so we can all refer back to them when a having a difficult day. Thanks for adding to the discussion.

BB-You have Lady Luck on your side. She is AKA TLW AKA Billie. That is why your posts get featured so much and you get so many comments. Isn't she on the AR Board. Because your post are not entertaining and have no common sense.

Can I be part of your clique?

Ok, I'm joking. People who say stuff like that out of jealousy.

You weren't that "LUCKY" this morning. Now were you? LOL. Wink. Wink. ROAR!

Folks, that picture above is my burnt toast I found in the taoster at 2pm!!!! So much for TLW delivering my breakfast:(

BB It is all luck!

I have been Very Lucky is the name of a post I wrote a long time ago.

The more people I meet, the luckier I get.

The more risk I take the luckier I get.

The harder I work the luckier I get.

Oh I am lucky not to get too many featured posts so I have more time to sell real estate rather than responding to all these wonderful comments.

Congratulations on another well deserved feature post!!!! You are a very lucky and good looking man!!

I've worked very hard at becoming Lucky - and now you say there is no such thing?!?!?! :-) Bacl to the drawing board - perhaps I will get lucky.........

Darlin'...

It's wasn't burned. It wasn't served. LOL.

If you're 'real lucky' perhaps I won't forget to feed you in the morning :)

TLW...ROAR!

APR

2007

This came at the perfect time for me. Yesterday, a rookie to our office was talking off about how LUCKY he is and how I should "Stick with me, Kid." Well, I am a seasoned Realtor, worked very hard to get where I am, and though the past few yrs have been "testy" to say the least, I still love the business. I beleive the markets ups and downs do effect us and duing the slower times, we just have to work harder. LADY LUCK may be around the corner, but she's never been my best friend. I reply on myself. What say you?

Kat, I'm afraid the eager rookie will hit the wall sooner than later and realize that our business is a marathan not a sprint.

MAY

2007

Broker Bryant,

Here you go.....throwing my name around again.

What if I'm Lucky AND I work hard?

Lucky :)

P.S. You are about ready to pop the big 200k! Way to go BB! :)

MAY

2007

Now that's funnt Lucky:) Looks like you are on the Broker Bryant blog tour this morning. Enjoy. I did get your voice mail too. Thanks Lucky. I hope all is going well with you.

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