Dr. Tina Seelig

The critical rift between fortune and luck We often use the word lucky to describe things that fall from the sky, like a winning lottery ticket or a chance encounter. Dr. Tina Seelig argues that this is a dangerous linguistic mistake. She distinguishes between **fortune**—the static deck you are dealt, such as your birthplace or genetic height—and **luck**, which is the dynamic result of how you move through the world. While you cannot influence fortune, luck is a byproduct of your actions and responses. Reclaiming agency in the gap Borrowing from the profound wisdom of Viktor Frankl, we must recognize the space between a stimulus and our response. This space is the birthroom of luck. When the world leads with a challenge—a pandemic, a layoff, or a personal setback—you are not a passive observer. You are in a dance. Choosing how to engage with that stimulus determines whether you stay stuck in misfortune or create a lucky pivot. Agency is the physics that moves the needle. Practical steps to create your own breaks To start manufacturing luck, you must shift from a reactive state to a proactive stance. Begin by identifying one area where you feel "unlucky." Instead of blaming external factors, ask yourself how you can change your engagement with that specific problem. Are you following the world's lead, or are you taking the lead? Luck requires you to take the time to think about your engagement rather than just surviving the day. It is an intentional habit of seizing the dance floor. Your inherent power to choose It is easy to feel like life is just happening to you, but you possess an incredible internal engine. You may be facing systematic barriers or sudden crises, yet your greatest power remains your ability to decide your next move. Every decision is a cause that creates a future effect. When you stop waiting for fortune and start building luck, you transform from a spectator into the architect of your own growth.