Luck (or cheating)

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming…   Or something of that nature. 

Success is not about luck.  It has nothing to do with luck.  What some consider luck, others consider cheating.  But then, they are mad when they lose because they believe the game is stacked against them.  In reality, it is.  But that doesn’t mean either side is cheating.

See, the rules are laid out by economic class.  The lower and middle class generally have an influence on each other.  The upper class generally ignores everything the lower and middle class does financially.  Because lower and middle class people are there because of their choices.  It’s all in how the deck is stacked.

I once read a blistering takedown of an investor.  A great investment came up, and the young investor said they didn’t have the money to invest.  When asked why the young investor responded that all their money was tied up in stocks and they were fully invested.  The older investor said the younger man was a fool and for experienced investors, fully invested left a good 15-20 thousand in cash free just for opportunities that may be unexpected.

See, rich people don’t think about pulling out credit cards for emergency funds.  They have actual cash to solve problems.  Me?  I just spent $850 getting my car repaired.  But I had $825 in cash sitting around waiting for something like that to happen.  The money was in a savings account, but to me it was an emergency fund.  I didn’t have money in the account to “save for a rainy day”.  I had it there for emergencies.  And I qualify “can’t get to work” as an emergency.  Stacked the deck?  You bet I did.

Next payday is going to be less than normal.  But this paycheck had 9 hours of overtime.  So what do I do?  Put $150 in savings and pay $70 on the car payment that I originally planned to pay in full with next weeks’ check.  I budgeted my entire week off what I was going to make before the overtime.  And then I spent that overtime money rigging the game in my favor.  So my emergency fund now has more money back in it, one day after I cleared it out getting the car fixed. 

You are darn right I’m stacking the deck in my favor.  Because I know next week is going to suck for both my gas reimbursement check and my regular check.  But it will barely affect me because I planned ahead.  You could say I cheated.  I’m okay with that. 

Because chance and whim are for gamblers and idiots.  This is your life, your legacy, and your success.  Quit leaving it to chance or whim. 

And I think I’ll leave you with this…  Hebrews 4:16

¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

And my mercy and grace, the Bible means healing, salvation, finances, and everything else we are redeemed from in the Curse of the Law.