We have a regular pattern of pupils giving an adress to the school. They are always interesting and a great way of sharing ideas as well as giving excellent practice in public speaking. This morning Anastasia, one of our Senior Prefects, gave a thought-provoking and interesting speech about 'Luck' which I thought would be good to share.
"When I see someone being able to stand proud in front of a vast crowd and address it with passion and confidence whilst simultaneously having a total control of their emotions and fears, it simply fascinates me! Great leaders such as Martin Luther King, Churchill, Kennedy, Obama were able to lift hearts in dark times, give hope in despair, refine the characters of men, inspire and give courage to the weary, honour the dead, and change the course of history by their motivational speeches. I often think of how lucky they were to be born as naturally gifted orators. But what is luck?
Over the summer I read an article about lucky people in which Dr Richard Wiseman, a British psychologist, shared his views on the concept of luck after 10 years of research. The results of his work revealed that people aren’t born lucky. Instead, fortunate people behave in a way that seems to create luck in their lives. Here are the four distinct features of such people:
- They notice opportunities that happen by chance more often than unlucky people. They are also more open to meeting new people and having new experiences.
- They tend to make good decisions by listening to their intuition.
- They are optimists and are certain that the future is going to be full of good luck. This positive attitude often makes good things happen.
- They are also good at coping with bad luck and often cheer themselves up by imagining things could be worse than they are.
Therefore, don’t be afraid to allow yourself to encounter new discoveries. And of course if you are challenged by making a speech in from of a class – use your fear to drive you forwards, and allow you to enjoy your new leadership skill. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it.
To conclude, I urge you to take note of what one sage used to say - “Good luck is often with the man who doesn't include it in his plans”.
SO:
-Recognise your OPPORTUNITIES
-Trust your INTUITION
-Be OPTIMISTIC
-Be POSITIVE, especially when things are going wrong
And, by the way, GOOD LUCK to you!"
