When I was five, luck was finding a four-leaf clover in the grass after searching for what felt like forever. When I was eight, luck was a heads up penny in a parking lot. When I was 12, luck was winning blackjack five times in a row or having all the eights in my cards. When I was 15, luck was earning a dollar from a scratch off ticket and breaking even. Luck seemed to be everywhere, and I had this blind belief and acceptance that I could leave everything to luck and it would turn out okay. Now, I realize that luck is something that you make yourself, and it’s something worth earning.

I always liked the idea of the believing that “good things happen to those who wait." But as I get older, I want more control over my luck, and I want to be the reason that good things continue to happen. Good things may happen for those who trust luck to have their back, but great things happen for people who take life into their own hands. The great things that have happened in my life are the result of wanting something and making it happen, and I think that if you asked anyone who loves their job, they would say the same thing. If you’re bored and you need something new, take a risk. It might not turn out the way you expect, but you’ll learn something about the world.

With all the recent tragedy in the news, I have heard people say that we are lucky it is not happening in our town, or our state, or our neighborhood. It is not bad luck when a shooting or a terrorist attack takes place; these are planned actions by people who see violence as the best option, or perhaps the only option. It is not bad luck that African American youth make up the majority of the incarcerated population, but the result of an epidemic, and the harsh truth that we do not live in a post-racial America. People blame luck when bad things happen, as if it has a mind of it’s own, but this is only a forfeit of power.

Although there are terrible things happening in our world, there are also many wonderful things too. There are many people who are helping those in need, whether it is refugees from abroad or the homeless in the United States. People are becoming more environmentally aware. The movement to adopt animals from shelters is in full swing. These acts are the result of people deciding to make the world a better place, and it all comes down to the decisions that we make every day.

Instead of luck taking all the credit, we should appreciate the hard work and the time that people give every day to bettering society, and hold ourselves accountable for the luck that we make for ourselves and others. When someone is having a bad day, give them some good “luck” and spread the positivity. Maybe someday someone will do the same for you.