Taking Chances or Feeling lucky?

Day 17 of leveling up

A recruiter approached about a banking position—desperate to hire, they said. I declined interest, having learned "the difference between being lucky and in the right place at the right time." When offered substantial compensation, I reconsidered, only to find "the pain of the experience far exceeded my wages" within a year.

A friend recommended group therapy focused on recovering workaholics. Though initially misplaced among trauma survivors in Manhattan's creative scene, the group's discussion of professional dissatisfaction became pivotal. They encouraged me to launch my own business, asking why I'd accumulated savings if not "for the purpose of creating a bigger safety net?"

From Self-Doubt to Self-Possession

The therapeutic group provided crucial support, helping replace insecurity with confidence. Yet this introduced new challenges—I became overly protective of my ideas and lacked business acumen beyond product development. Impatience plagued me, as it does "anyone else who wishes they were lucky."

The Role of Timing and Mastery

Drawing parallels to Wayne Gretzky's ice skating prowess and Steve Jobs' orchestral leadership philosophy, I explore whether success stems from luck or cultivated skill. Jobs "famously learned through his failures how to ably recruit and conduct the right players for his orchestra."

Patience as Practice

Over decades, I developed patience—"waiting, listening and letting people proceed at their own pace." Learning rewards the patient: "it allows time and space for others to reveal what they see, know and for me to increase my understanding."

The distinction between controlling outcomes versus enabling others' growth proved essential. While "chances left untaken do create rewards," being positioned advantageously results from "waiting, patience and practice" rather than pure luck.