With a Little Luck

Paul McCartney and Wings hit the top of the music charts with a lovely song based on the first segment of my topic. But this award-winning, prolific musician from Liverpool was blessed with more than a little luck. It’s my opinion his career has been based on talent, hard work and tenacity. I believe he, and his band mates who formed the Beatles, couldn’t have scored decades of success relying only on luck. Their musical gift and ability to work through some pretty difficult times delivered their dreams and carved them a place in history. The same holds true for us authors.

But friends and family still bring up the four-letter word beginning with “l” and ending in “k”. It’s as though some believe we must be born with an angel atop our shoulder to reach our potential in life. Rather than an angelic presence, I tend to think of luck as being spawned by Satan. When luck eludes me, as has always been the case, I can hear him snickering as I endure soul-searching, self-doubting moments. And his outbursts only succeed in spurring me to work harder—which is a good thing and he ends up the laughingstock.

Mealtime is often when luck is mentioned. Recently, over a lunch at a local restaurant, a friend cornered me with, “You know you’ve never been lucky. How will you make your publishing dreams come true?” Needless to say, the salsa and chips soured in my stomach. I sipped some water and prepared a reply. While I admitted everyone is entitled to opinions and beliefs, I preferred hard work and persistence over relying on a magic touch that would propel into the hallway of my desired New York publisher. She smiled and wished me, well, you guessed it. Funny how I left the restaurant and drove away wondering if she truly was a friend or simply someone who enjoyed holding the “luck factor” over my head?

What do you all think? Does luck play a role in our successes, or will talent, hard work and persistence make our dreams become reality on a more regular basis?

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
TO HELLE AND BACK AGAIN -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED (Recommended Read) -- Ellora's Cave
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
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