"The harder I work, the luckier I get."

I ran across this quote, attributed to Samuel Goldwyn, earlier this week. Aaron and I had just had an extensive discussion about "luck." He thinks life is a total crapshoot. I think that, to a certain extent, we make our own luck.

Then today, I had to go to the laundromat because my washer is acting up again (if you want an earful about Kenmore quality, drop me a line. I am so angry with Sears I could spit nails!) and I brought the current issue of Men's Health along to read. In it there was a lengthy article about "luck."

The gist of the article was that we make our own luck. Some of us are just more open to opportunity, more willing to submit to the grind, more likely to look at something and see a possibility.

A research study quoted in the article had two groups of people -- each self-described as either "lucky" or "unlucky" -- go through the first section of a newspaper and accurately count all of the photographs. The unlucky group did an excellent job of accurately counting all of the photographs. The lucky group all pretty much quit half-way through the section, when they saw the half-page notice that said something along the lines of, "Stop what you are doing and tell the experiment leader that you found this notice and you'll receive 250 pounds."

The "lucky" folks stopped and collected the cash. The "unlucky" folks either were so focused on the task that they didn't see the opportunity or simply ignored the notice in order to complete the task they were assigned.

Back when I was still fat, I thought thin folks were lucky. "Great genes," I'd guess. I, of course, wasn't so blessed.

But then nearly three years ago, I started making my own luck. I quit smoking, I started working out regularly. I focused on eating right.

Suddenly, I was the lucky one.

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Three years ago, December 2002. I was still smoking whenever I had a cocktail. I was still eating everything in sight. I was still sitting on my ass way too much.

But I knew that was getting ready to change. I had told everyone I would never have another cigarette -- cocktail or no cocktail! -- after December 31. I was going start working out, too, and eat right. Of course, I had said those things a million times before. But in December 2002, I knew this time it was for real. I knew it was going to work. I had this energy, this intensity coursing through me. Even though I hadn't made even a single change yet, I knew that on January 1, 2003, everything would be different.

And it was.

Not that it was (or is) ever perfect. But I knew I was moving forward and not going back. I had an energy around me, I had an intense knowledge that everything was going to change.

I have that energy again.

Two thousand six is going to bring some major changes to my life.

You heard it here first.

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On a disappointing note, the group that I've done the Grand Canyon trip with the past two years is not going to be doing it next year after all. But Greg and I are still committed to a double cross, so we'll be making our own plans. Watch this spot as things develop!