Fortune vs. Luck, and Why It Matters | Dr. Tina Seelig
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Make sure to follow right now to stay up to date on the latest and greatest. So is there a science to being luckier in your life?
Oh, absolutely. The definition of luck is success or failure apparently caused by chance. It looks, and it might look to you, it might look to someone else like it was caused by chance. But when you pull back the curtain, you see all the things that happened, like applying for that job. I'm lucky that I got an interview or a second interview. Guess what? I wrote that thank you note. Or I was prepared. There were lots of things I did to get me to the next step.
She's a Stanford professor, a best-selling author, and one of the world's leading voices on creativity. Please welcome Dr. Tina Selig.
The most common thing I say at work is, what can I do for you? What can I do for you? How can I be helpful? Most of the time, people don't need anything. But if they do, it's usually something little that would be easy for me, like a little five-minute favor that I can do. It's really meaningful to them.
What would you say, then, is the formula to creating more luck in your life?
Okay. The framework that I present in my book is that... So is there a science to being luckier in your life? Oh, absolutely. I think it's very, very important for us to start with a definition. Of luck? Yes.
What is the definition of luck?
Okay. So when I ask people, there's a lot of hand-waving. But the definition is really important. The definition of luck is... Is success or failure apparently caused by chance? Apparently. It looks, and it might look to you or it might look to someone else like it was caused by chance. But when you pull back the curtain, you see all the things that happened that set the stage for something really lucky to happen. Also, it's extraordinarily important to differentiate between fortune and luck.
What's the difference?
Big difference. Fortune is the things that happen to you.
How does Dr. Tina Seelig define the difference between fortune and luck?
Luck is something over which you have much more control. So you're fortunate or unfortunate where you're born, who your parents are, what the weather is on your birthday. I mean, all these things that are out of your control. I was thinking this morning, boy, I'm so fortunate there's no traffic on my way to the airport. These things were out of my control. But luck is something that I control, like applying for that job. I'm lucky that I got an interview or a second interview. Guess what? I wrote that thank you note. Or I was prepared. There were lots of things I did to get me to the next step. And we're in a constant dance in our lives between fortune and luck, the things that happened to us, and how we respond constantly.
And sometimes that dance is so closely tied that it's hard to differentiate. But if you really tease them apart, you start seeing the places where you have more agency than you might think.
Where do you feel like you're the luckiest in your life?
Oh, my goodness. I would say the people in my life. I really have the most wonderful family and the most wonderful friends. And I realize that I cultivate that. I spent a lot of time doing things for other people. The most common thing I say at work is, what can I do for you? What can I do for you? How can I be helpful? And also with friends. What can I do to be helpful? Usually the things, most of the time people don't need anything, but if they do, it's usually something little that would be easy for me, like a little five-minute favor that I can do.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:02–2:30
2
How does Dr. Tina Seelig define the difference between fortune and luck?
2:30–17:28
3
How can appreciation and small acts create compounded luck over time?
17:28–27:09
4
What is the three-part ‘sailboat’ framework for catching the winds of luck?
27:09–1:10:12
5
How do stories we tell ourselves cause us to miss opportunities?
1:10:12–1:13:43
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from The School of Greatness
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