Sunday Snippets: Good Luck!

To maintain a broad outlook, we follow a number of writers who post online and elsewhere.   One particular set of writers, Marc and Angel Hack, provide a unique and refreshingly positive view on how one can personally lead a more positive and productive life.   They recently wrote a piece on creating your own good luck which seemed in line with much of what we try to instill at WeHaKee (click HERE to read their article). We thought we would reflect on their thoughts.   Enjoy!

Luck is something that just happens, of which we have no control over, right?   Well, perhaps there are things we can do that can increase the ‘lucky’ occurrences in our lives.   In 10 Ways to Create Your Own Good Luck Marc & Angel Hack share the following suggestions we can use to become luckier and enjoy happier lives.

• CONSTANTLY TRY NEW THINGS   Trying new things is one of the greatest ways to discover one’s gifts!   It is provides the benefit of building self-confidence and positive self-image.    It is part of the culture of the WeHaKee community!
• THINK ABOUT HOW LUCKY YOU ARE RIGHT NOW   Trying new things can be challenging and can frequently result in the experience of failure.   By re-framing the failed attempts at something new, one can see the setback as a learning opportunity and even feel lucky they have had the chance to learn a new skill!   In the supportive and encouraging environment of WeHaKee, girls become less & less inhibited about exploring their abilities!
• NOTICE LITTLE THINGS AND SOLVE SMALL PROBLEMS   By noticing the little things one is focusing on the present (a tough skill in its own!) and by solving small problems one can continue to build self-confidence and independence.   Living in a camp community, away from the benefits of parental guidance, provides lots of chances for both.   Each time a girls notices those nuances in her life and overcomes a simple challenge (such as a misunderstanding with a friend), she increases her independence as she becomes aware that she can do many things on her own!   And camp is such a great place for her to have these experiences throughout her stay!
• WORK ON THINGS YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT   Kind of a no-brainer really!   Someone (not sure how?) said “Do what you love and you’ll never ‘work’ a day in your life!”.  Sounds like a definition of happiness to me!!   The key here though is finding that passion.   By trying new things and exploring one’s abilities, gifts and talents are discovered leading to lifelong passions!
• ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE WHO SHARE YOUR INTERESTS   The WeHaKee experience is all about relationships and the friendships made here flourish on common interests!   And in the diverse WeHaKee community, it’s so powerful when girls discover shared interests and similarities in others from different backgrounds, faiths, cultures and countries!
• HELP OTHERS WHEN YOUR ABLE   Sadly, this is so common in young children, but quickly fades as they get older.   But, when one does make the effort to help another with a helping hand, sharing of resources, kind words or just flashing a smile they quickly discover the benefit of feeling good about what they have done (even if it goes unrecognized by others).   This pay-it-forward mentality is a powerful contagion that frequently spreads rapidly in the camp environment!
• TAKE CALCULATED RISKS   By calculating the benefits and consequences of a risk, one can determine if a risk is inherently safe & healthy or not.   Growing through adolescence is all about risk taking (healthy and otherwise). By helping girls examine the risks they face and those they choose, they can learn to effectively calculate and identify those risks worth taking.   To avoid risk is to avoid growing, but learning how to choose healthy and safe risks, one will grow in remarkable ways… and live to tell about it!!
• PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE PRESENT   Like helping others, living in the present is something that comes naturally to the very young, but diminishes with age.   So very sad, as there is so much to enjoy and learn from at this very moment!   WeHaKee is a place where there is no room for wallowing in the past or anxiety about the future – it’s all about how much fun are we having right now!
• IDENTIFY THE LESSON   At WeHaKee, we tend to avoid the ‘L’ word (lesson) at camp as it can conjure up images of the ‘S’ word (school).   But none the less, knowing what one can get out of every situation is a key ingredient to achieving success.   A camper may not always ask ‘why are we doing this’, but those planning and implementing each opportunity at camp are very intentional and want to know exactly why we are doing it!
• WORK TOWARD YOUR GOALS EVERY DAY WITHOUT FAIL   The key here is finding ways to take the apparent tediousness out of this effort.   When you wrap the pursuit of goals in FUN (like in a camp setting perhaps!?!), it becomes effortless!