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Beating the Odds

Impossible Luck

Many people explain their success by saying, “I was in the right place at the right time.”

That makes it sound like luck. It’s not.

Friday the 13th happens to fall on the 17th and final day of a multi-media seminar on “How to Do the Impossible.” Dr. Rob Gilbert handled the topic on his Success Hotline at (973) 743-4690, while I’ve been blogging it here.

If you’re trying to do the impossible, you must make your own luck, on Friday the 13th or on any other day. Forget triskaidekaphobia, or fear of the number 13.

“Luck,” said Langston Coleman, athlete-turned-college executive, “is what you have left over after you give 100 percent.”

Like other successful people, Coleman was in the right place at the right time. But he was only in the right place because he worked hard to get there.

He hitchhiked from the slums of Washington, DC, to the University of Nebraska, where he aimed to walk on to the football team in hopes of winning a scholarship.

Actually, that’s not quite true. Coleman did not hitchhike all the way. He worked occasional jobs for money to buy bus tickets.

Long story short, Coleman embraced every chance he got, and created some chances himself. He wound up with a Ph.D. and a job at Florida Memorial University as its director of grants and sponsored research.

“Depend on the rabbit’s foot if you will, but remember it didn’t work for the rabbit,” said humorist R.E. Shay.

Like Coleman, you can be in the right place at the right time. To do that, you must be in the right place as often as possible. If you’re a salesman, making calls is the right place. If you’re an actor or actress, auditions are your lucky place.

Friday the 13th is a great time to start being in the right place.

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Thank you for visiting Total Game Plan. If your team, group or business needs a motivational speaker, please email coachtully @ totalgameplan.com. Here are some other resources for your success:

Think Better, Win More!” will give you a mental game to match your physical game.

To get better at anything, check out “The Improvement Factor: How Winners Turn Practice into Success.”

Need some motivation? Everyone needs it now and then. Open any page of “Thank God You’re Lazy! The Instant Cure for What’s Holding You Back” for a story or a quote to lift your spirits.

Are you a teacher, boss or sports coach? Here’s “Ten Things Great Coaches Know” by Mike Tully and Gary Pritchard.

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