The amount of good luck coming your way depends on your

The words of Barbara Sher, “The amount of good luck coming your way depends on your willingness to act,” strike like a bell of truth across the ages. For what many call luck is not a mysterious gift scattered at random by the gods, but the fruit of courage joined with action. Fortune does not visit those who sit idle, dreaming of what might be. It bows instead to those who rise, take steps into uncertainty, and place themselves in the path where opportunity dwells. The willing hand invites fortune, but the hand that refuses to move remains empty.

The ancients themselves knew this truth. The Romans worshiped Fortuna, goddess of luck, but even they carved her image standing upon a rolling wheel, reminding all that chance is ever-moving. To catch it, one must leap, seize, and act before it turns away. The Greeks said much the same in their praise of Kairos—the opportune moment—who must be grasped by the forelock as he rushes past. Thus, from earliest times humanity has known: fortune favors the bold, not the passive. Sher’s teaching is but a modern echo of this ancient wisdom.

Consider the tale of Christopher Columbus. Many mocked his vision of sailing west to reach the East. He might have remained forever in obscurity had he waited for certainty or perfect conditions. Yet by his willingness to act, he placed himself upon the sea where chance, opportunity, and discovery awaited. Was it luck that led him to new lands? Perhaps. But that luck was unlocked only by his daring to move. Had he stayed ashore, his fortune would have been nothing but dust.

So too in smaller lives. Think of the countless inventors, artists, and reformers who were told their ideas were foolish. Thomas Edison faced thousands of failures before creating the light bulb. Each trial looked like misfortune, yet every failure brought him closer to success. His willingness to act again and again invited the “luck” that gave light to the world. Luck came not as a gift, but as the shadow cast by relentless action.

The meaning is sharp: good luck is not merely stumbled upon, but drawn forth by action. To move, to attempt, to risk—these open doors where fortune can enter. To wait endlessly, to refuse to try, to fear failure—these shut the gates, leaving opportunity to pass by unseen. Sher reminds us that luck is not an excuse, but a partner: it meets those who are already walking the path, never those who remain sitting at its beginning.

Let us learn the lesson. If you desire transformation, do not wait for “luck” to come. Step forward. Apply for the position, begin the work, speak the truth, start the venture. Perhaps fortune will not always answer swiftly—but each act multiplies the chances, each attempt draws the currents of opportunity closer. The one who acts a hundred times will find “luck” a hundredfold compared to the one who acts only once.

The practical path is this: set aside the myth of passive luck. Each day, choose one step that places you closer to your desire. Even if it is small, it places you where chance may find you. Act with courage, for courage is the magnet of fortune. And when setbacks come, as they surely will, see them not as the absence of luck but as part of the hidden road that leads toward greater success.

Therefore, O listener, carry this truth into your heart: “The amount of good luck coming your way depends on your willingness to act.” Do not sit waiting for the wheel of fortune to roll into your lap. Rise, run, and place yourself where it turns. For luck is not the gift of the idle—it is the companion of the daring. Act, and fortune shall meet you on the road.