“Being humble don’t work as well as being aware.” – Drake (0 to 100/The Catch Up)

Reading books like Nassim Taleb’s Fooled by Randomness help to reinforce my complete and total faith and belief in God.

And no, it’s not even a book on religion or morality, but rather about options trading.
So, how would a book about options trading and investing in the stock market relate to faith in God?

I wish I could do a book review, but I’ll keep it simple.

In Fooled By Randomness, Nassim Taleb insists that success in investing is more about luck and other lesser-regarded variables and less about intelligence or ‘insight’.

Many people would disagree with this.

Personally, I did the first few pages too.

But on closer inspection, there’s a great truth about what Nassim is saying.

During a Toast Masters’ Meeting last week, this delectable lady comes up on stage and talks about how much happiness she’s achieved in her life and how it’s been tied to her insisting on following her dreams.

Naturally, we all applauded. I mean, who doesn’t love these kinds of stories?

The next speaker starts with “…I’m here right now because of my dreams. I climbed every mountain, overcame every challenge, conquered everything but nothing. My dreams made me a broken man.”

😮
You could have heard a pin drop. No, scratch that.
You could have heard a rat fart.

I’ve never heard a story of that magnitude in my life. Never ever.

And it really put a lot into perspective.

Most of the successes we’ve enjoyed, even losses we’ve had to endure were simply lucky breaks. Some of your losses even directly lead you to success.

Been at the right place at the right time?
Been suitably qualified for a role?
Starting a business that became successful?
Buying a house? A car?
Going through university?

If you really think about it, you are where you are today because of so many little things you can’t even explain.

Faith? Grace? Luck? Good fortune? God?

Whatever you call it. I believe that something greater than I am keeps paving the way for me.
But that’s me though.

And even though I firmly believe in working hard and creating your own luck, humility reminds me they are people who work harder than me somewhere yet haven’t been blessed with the opportunities I have been blessed with. Not just in the present, even in the past too, and in the future.

I mean, I’m alive.

I’m lucky and blessed to be here. You should be too.

And this isn’t about being humble. It’s about being aware.

When you eventually hit success, never forget it wasn’t just you that made it possible.

• Life
• Self Development