Winning doesn’t happen by accident. Even when there is an “upset” victory by a perceived underdog; it wasn’t luck.
When I watched my youngin Jaelen Strong and his Arizona State Sun Devils defeat the favorite USC Trojans on the play known as a “hail Mary” (or now “Jael Mary” out in Tempe, AZ), I didn’t attribute that to luck. There were three defenders in the vicinity of Jae; 1 trailing him because he wasn’t fast enough to keep up and 2 standing in front of him, either waiting on the ball or underestimating his jumping ability. Which leads to the heart of the matter. Winning isn’t accomplished luckily or by accident, there are a series of events or occurrences that leads to the win. Those events or occurrences are caused by characteristics that if utilized, will lead to more wins than losses.
Don’t get me wrong, the “being in the right place at the right time” ideal is real and can be a small part of winning. However, in the example of ASU defeating USC and all other cases, the win is a direct result of three characteristics; talent, hard work, and will! Take Strong, for example, he’s a very talented football player with athletic gifts, who also works hard at striving for greatness, and on the winning play, his will to catch the ball was second to none. But as I said, it’s much bigger than this football example. I have seen interview candidates with equal and often less experience, outshine everyone else and get the job. Or salespersons, with fewer resources than their counterparts, walk away with the big contract, because of what they put into it.
Whether it’s in the classroom, boardroom, or The Coliseum in Southern California, winning is never about luck and won’t accidentally happen. Work hard, use your God-given gifts and talents, and have the will to win; and you will!