No Luck

I went to a strategic planning session for the Autism Council of Rochester on Saturday. It was great! That might sound fake (and it might not sound like a fun thing to do on a Saturday morning), but it's not. I like being on the board of the ACR because it is such a good cause---we're not providing a service that's already being done, we're focusing on helping members of the community with autism transition from childhood and youth services (i.e. high school to the real world) to being a functioning member of society. How awesome is that? We meet once a month for board meetings and determine how to accomplish this through fundraising and programs---we're all there because we want to be and because we each have something unique to offer.

Something the facilitator, Cathy Cappella (no clue how to spell that), said really kind of stuck with me. She said that her husband always says not to wish him good luck. He thinks "luck" is more a matter of just doing what you can to be prepared and then going out into the world and taking the opportunities that are offered. I like this.

I don't necessarily think we should write off luck altogether, but I'd like to think I have more of a say in what happens to me than just blind luck. I can work on boards, like ACR, and also on other projects that help others as well as either serving me professionally or personally. Then I'm prepared to use what I've done to open and jump on opportunities as they present themselves.

What's your ideal next opportunity? How could you build yourself up to being ready for it?