Probably

One of the first things I did with my girls basketball teams every year was ask if anybody could dunk the ball. They all gave a little grin and said no. I’d say, “Ok, then none of our shots have a 100% chance of going in the basket. Our job is to increase the probability of each shot we take and decrease the probability of each shot they take. If we do that and shoot more shots than the other team, we have a good chance of winning.”

Life is like shooting a basketball without dunking it. There are no sure things, with the exception of death and taxes. Just about anything can happen. However, the chances of certain things happening are much greater than others. I do my best to make decisions that will increase the probability of my desired outcomes. The more high quality decisions I make, the greater the chance of success. 

I think of it like being a gambling casino. As long as I operate under proven principles the odds are in my favor. However, now and then streaks of bad luck come along. When that happens to a casino the management doesn’t get upset. Statistically it will occur from time to time. I do the same and I remind myself that I’ve already won.

I have great family and friends. I have a comfortable standard of living. I’m in good health and am educated. All the important things are already in place. The majority of the world doesn’t have what I have. So what if life isn’t always what I want. It is an unreasonable expectation for situations to go my way every time. My energy is better spent accepting the present as a tool for increasing my chance of the next desired outcome. I decide what to do next, instead of fretting about a misfortune. 

Also like any good casino I have security. Mine comes in the form of Intrafelism. That’s practicing the philosophy of my happiness coming from inside myself, rather than external events. I discussed this in a post of the same name. Intrafelism

Luck happens, both good and bad. I choose to influence it through preparation and effective actions, increasing the probability of what I want. I’ve already won, so focusing on what I have and what I can control gives me a much smoother ride. Nothing more complicated than perception.

May you have enough today, one moment at a time.