Luck vs Hard Work

"Luck refers to that which happens to a person beyond that person's control"
It has been brought to my attention that I am lucky. That other friends and family are lucky. I feel lucky in certain areas of my life, lucky to live where I do, lucky to have health and my children are healthy. I generally feel lucky about the good fortune that I have and have done nothing to facilitate. On the other hand, luck has nothing to do with the majority of goodness I have in my life. Most things in my life have been in my control. I am not lucky to have a 22 year old marriage, I worked hard at it and work hard at it every day. I have well behaved, sweet daughters, luck? Maybe a little but I work hard on that too. A family support system that is there for me all of the time? Those are relationships you cultivate and work at too. Friends? Through work and the luck of having them fall into your life? Or did you get those friends by being who you are and putting that out there? That was kind of deep. I don't want to hear how lucky I am. For the most part that makes me feel gipped. Like all the good in my life was handed to me. IT WASN'T.
I have worked my tail off probably more than I should have sometimes, harder than some, to get the good items on my list. Through hard work and belief and graciousness of God, I have good in my life. I guess there is a certain amount of luck in that you wake up every morning and a brick doesn't fall on your head, but that is way beyond my control. I can't even go there...
Don't wish for someone else's life, you don't really know the struggles they face. You don't know what is really on their plate. Don't borrow that trouble. You have what is on your plate because you put it there yourself or it was dished out only for you. If you don't like what is on it, scrape it off into the trash and fill it up with something else. If it is stubborn and wont come off easily then pray for tenacity and strength and a really good dish detergent. Keep your hands on your own plate too, don't eat off of others. It's not meant for you. If you want to help someone with their full plate because you feel like yours is at managable portions, go for it but remember you are helping them to clean their plate, you can't and should not clean it for them.
So, in closing for today, just keep working to make it all good and as a friend told me yesterday be sure to "do the work".