Does This Blog Make Me Look Fat?

A few weeks ago my friend Cathi in her thought provoking blog posted about another thought provoking blog. I started thinking: what would I say to my 16 year old self?

I could have written several paragraphs trying to say something simple (which is what I tend to do). But then I saw this, and  realized it summed up what I was thinking perfectly.

SEOUL, South Korea (Nov. 7) -- A woman in South Korea who tried to pass the written exam for a driver's license with near-daily attempts since April 2005 has finally succeeded on her 950th time. The aspiring driver spent more than $4,200 in application fees, but until now had failed to score the minimum 60 out of a possible 100 points needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test.

I used to work with a couple of really great guys named Terry and Dave. I worked in the office of a manufacturing company. They were the owners of the manufacturing company. Notice I said I worked with them not for them because that's how they made you feel. They were never arrogant, always a lot of fun and never treated anyone from the lowest on the totem pole on up as if they were any different. I learned a lot from them about working with people and making what you do be what you loved . Terry and Dave started out as production and shipping managers and worked their way up until they owned the company one day. In the corner of their office sat a golf club. It was left there by the previous owner so Terry and Dave kept it there for good luck as they prospered and the company continued to grow and achieve success under their leadership.

Last summer when I went home to visit family, I was given a penny. I put it in my shoe for luck. Once I returned home, I told Rena, who had given me the penny, that life was so good I was going to keep it in my shoe. It's still in there.

You're probably wondering what my point is by now and I think this is it: Eventually, the manufacturing company went out of business. Lack of sales and increased competition forced them to close their doors. Friday, I got a job after a year of being unemployed and then lost it in a matter of minutes. I read a quote the other day that went like this: "The future is not what is coming at us, but what we are headed for."

Luck will come and luck will go. It may be bad or it may be good. There are thousands of stories about people who have squandered good fortune and equally as many stories about people who have been able to rise above misfortune. It's not that good or bad luck comes your way (because it always will), but what you do with it.