In 2020, I was handed a package deal of a lot of the things I have wanted for a really long time. And in a year when so many lost so much, I felt lucky. I didn’t tell a lot of people about what was going on because I am so sensitive to the fact that not everyone is having that kind of year.
When I have told people about it, I am adamant about how lucky I am.
Until a girlfriend of mine told me to give myself more credit.
And that got me thinking about luck. Life isn’t all luck. The things I’m being given today are in large part due to my hard work, resiliency, and prioritizing being a good person. Sure, a little luck and karma help. But my life is a direct result of me.
Being a woman and an athlete - I have been taught that life is teamwork and humility comes first. Give credit to your team before you give credit to yourself. And as often as possible, celebrate but quickly get back to work. That mindset has been ingrained in me since I was born.
It’s gotten me far. It has also caused me to lose credit, miss an opportunity, and kept me from really having that true confidence in my abilities.
I also don’t think I celebrate myself enough because I would rather celebrate others.
In 2021, I’m going to be incorporating a lot more “thank you, I worked hard for this” instead of “thank you, I’m so lucky.” I’m going to celebrate myself when I achieve big things. I’m going to stand up for myself when credit is mine to take.
It has taken a village to get me here and my team deserves all the trophies for being the best support system in the world. But you can thank your squad, celebrate your role in the win, and get back to work. All of these things can exist.
I never want to lose my need to grow, work hard and get better. But I think attributing success to luck, that’s not acknowledging the role my efforts have played in the win.
Sure, things have to align for a win to happen. And that’s the universe doing her thing. But you can be the luckiest unicorn on the planet and if you’re not prepared to put the work in, luck doesn’t matter.
In 2021, change your luck. Own it. Thank her. And then thank yourself. Luck might be here to sprinkle a little magic into your world - but YOU are all the luck you need to make life great.