Welcome to my third installment of 100 Days of Summer. If you haven’t tuned in already, this blog series is about you guys getting the chance to get to know more about me. I’ve shared life updates so far, but this is also a place where I want to be able to share some things that are on my mind. This way, you’ll not only get to see what I’ve been physically doing, but what I’ve been thinking about too. Talk about getting to know a person.
For a quick blog update: I’ve been trying to revamp my posts to not only provide more value to you, my reader, but also allow me the chance to do more of what I really love: write. Outfit posts are hard for me, because how much can you really say about a few pieces of clothing (ok, it’s actually a lot), so I’ve started to weave them into posts that are much more meaninful. There are some beautiful posts in the works that I’m really proud of.
Now, on to this post:
Today, I want to talk about luck. Not, pick-a-four-leaf-clover off the ground luck or walk-under-a-ladder bad luck, but the kind of luck that helps you in life.
I have so many phrases about luck, it’s a bit ridiculous. A big thank you to my dad, who shared some of these quotes with me and without whom I wouldn’t be the woman I am today. Also, a big shout-out to my mom; she taught me how to put my head down and work too. (Hi mom and dad!)
Now, I’ve gotten really, really lucky in life. I can admit that. I also know that I’ve worked my butt off to get to where I am today. Some of the quotes I am about to share with you are the bits of wisdom that took me through my hardest days in college, even high school, and led me to believe that my success is mine (and my parents’) alone.
Don’t let what you want now get in the way of what you want most.
This quote could define the entirety of my academic career. A lot of people at the University of Arizona will say things like “You can retake a class, but you can’t retake a party” or some other BS like that. And I’m going to call it for what it is: it’s an excuse. It’s not even a good excuse, because there will always be another party.
These are the same people that thought I got everything in life handed to me; these are the same people that didn’t see how many happy hours and dollar drink specials I missed to study for exams and prepare for job interviews. They didn’t see how many activities I gave up (that I loved) to do the things that I thought would best benefit my future.
So, in short, this quote sums it all up. So don’t let the little things get in the way of the big thing. Remember that.
The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.
Obviously, I love all of these quotes, but I’ve loved this one for a long time. Some people are born with higher capacities than others in certain things. Some people are better at writing, some are better at math, some are better at music… we all have our strengths. But, no matter how naturally gifted you are at something, that gift can get nowhere without work.
Remember that anyone with the willingness to work can outwork anyone.
The harder I work, the luckier I get.
And don’t forget this similar gem:
Luck is the residue of design.
I mentioned before that I consider myself really, really lucky for all the things I’ve been able to do, experience, learn, and achieve. Some of that can be attributed to my upbringing, which is 100% luck. I also worked really, really hard to achieve everything that I did.
When I was in high school, I got several merit scholarships to attend college. That’s huge in this economy.
Now, the scholarship I got to college was awarded to me by the University of Arizona for recognition of my achievement as a young Hispanic woman. Now, a white male couldn’t have received this scholarship and I will admit that. However, many people wanted to discredit my success and rationalized it to themselves by saying “well, she only got it because she’s Mexican.” Me being Mexican, that’s pure chance. Me performing above my peers on standardized tests that I studied for weeks, even months in advance? Me outperforming those same students on resumes and transcripts because I took more academically challenging classes? That’s not luck, that’s hard work. Sure, I was lucky to receive a scholarship for Hispanic students, but I only received that scholarship because of my academic achievements. I got lucky, because I worked hard.
You’ve gotta believe in luck, otherwise how could you explain the success of people you know are idiots?
This last gem, well, I hope it gave you a laugh. Sure, the harder you work, the more lucky you’ll get, but just remember that those idiots got lucky enough to get by too.
Happy Friday!
