“Your ideas are great, you will definitely succeed, and I wish you good luck.”
I hear this phrase too often, especially in recent days.
Last week on Sunday night we were in Lisbon. K. invited us to a free jam concert of her friend. It was K’s last day in Lisbon before she left.
To be honest, we didn’t feel great inside and weren’t in the mood to go there. But these are the last days, you can’t say no and we wanted to see K. again because she is a good and interesting person.
We arrived in Lisbon by train. The place was near Cais do Sodre station. A small bar called Dito Cujo with space for about 15 people. G. came out and greeted us, his energy was very bright. We went inside and waited.
When G. started playing, all my tension dissolved in his music. He sang while playing magical guitar solos, and then right in the middle of a song, he picked up his saxophone and kept playing it. There were covers, his own music, improvisation, and Brazilian bossa nova. There were also other performers he invited. It was a true jam, where he jumped in with a solo in the middle of the song, and then the solo was created by an incredibly sensual drummer. I was amazed, I couldn’t believe our happiness. I hadn’t seen such a concentration of talent in a very long time.
The evening passed quickly, we exchanged contacts and went home. When I went to G.’s Instagram account, I was shocked. Only 3643 followers on Instagram and a couple of hundred likes on the best videos, 58 subscribers on YouTube and dozens of views.
He should be a superstar. This is the case when the talent spills over. He has everything: skill, taste, voice, appearance, and persistence.
I think that many people wished him good luck…
I first saw J. at a networking meetup she was curating. This is a well-known event among active people in the city. I liked the atmosphere and met some interesting people. After that, I attended a few more such events, and I even made a couple of good friends that way.
When we got to know each other better, I was impressed by J.’s dedication and hard work. She is from another country, not from Germany, not from the United States, and not from Singapore or the Emirates. Her work and path have been harder.
She’s very brave and her story is amazing. Her English (like mine) is flavoured with the accent of her culture, but she runs events, three of her own projects, helps other people grow their businesses, does it for little money, and as well as she can. She has a huge network, years of experience in the field, great values and enthusiasm. She is among those who create and share.
And again. Cool and useful events, speeches in different countries, interesting articles, and interviews. But only a couple dozen likes on Instagram, a couple dozen views on YouTube.
I think a lot of people wish her a lot of good luck, too.
When I first saw M.’s paintings, I was very impressed. I never thought that such beauty could be created with watercolors. Thin lines, and tiny delicate details – it feels like some kind of magic. But I have seen how this magic is created – it takes hours, days, and weeks of dedication and difficult, almost exhausting work.
I am fascinated by her world, her talent, and her ideas. Each new painting she creates is even deeper and more sophisticated than the last. I’ve rarely seen someone so attentive to detail and so vividly express it on paper. I feel that she is a genius, I think her paintings are masterpieces, they are unique, and they are real creations.
Hard work and a lot of mastery. 107 followers, a couple of dozen likes.
A lot of sincere smiles and wishes of good luck.
T. has created a series of books that she has been working on for over 2 years. The stories have been translated into 5 languages and teach children to cope with difficulties, be resourceful and attentive to nature. Huge detailed illustrations were created by a French illustrator. The best eco-friendly paper is made from trees grown specifically for paper production. And most importantly, you can choose the look of the main character, and the child’s name is the name of the main hero of the story. It’s genius!
When I first heard the idea, I thought it should be the most popular children’s book. It’s so beautiful, it’s so pleasant to the touch. I read these books myself with great enthusiasm and the huge illustrations on each page immersed me in the stories. As a child, I probably would keep this book as my favorite toy. Children don’t read well nowadays and this is such a great way to give them an unforgettable experience and get them reading.
T. did a titanic job, with such care and taste, with such sensitivity.
And again, a few likes. Again, everyone wishes a good luck.
People often wish me a lot of good luck.
But what do these people mean? I don’t understand.
When I was running the Freeproject, many people looked at me with a surprised look, smiled, and wished me luck. I was getting out of my comfort zone, looking for opportunities, asking dozens of people, many of whom refused or said that I would never succeed, and then someone would finally say, “I know a place where you can hold an event,” and it really helped.
Then I was looking for speakers, then I was looking for partners, then I published announcements and asked for sharing, then I was preparing goodies, looking for equipment, organizing the first events with almost no participants, looking for people to join the team, and holding meetings. And after the fourth such event, I was “lucky”.
And now I am creating SOMETHING again, and people are wishing me good luck again.
There are many such stories in my life. When you work hard, learn from mistakes, do the best you can, try to be as efficient as possible and still fail. But you keep going and when you achieve a small success, everyone says you are “lucky”.
What I’ve noticed is that wishing someone good luck doesn’t help, usually participation helps – a like, a share, a post, an advice, a partnership, a recommendation, a purchase or a donation. I think this is how society grows – when we participate in each other’s lives, and when we help each other to grow.
In recent years, I have often observed competition and indifference. “What is my benefit? What is the return on investment? Tell me your whole idea, but in a way that I don’t have to think. Share every detail, but tell me only the secret sauce. And then I’ll think about whether you’re worth 30 minutes of my time. Is the money-making machine you’re offering me good enough? I wish you good luck…”
This is common among those at the top, but ordinary people also have great power.
I know probably hundreds of such stories – when a person creates something genuine, a masterpiece. Making wonderful, high-quality things, but no one knows about them. Creating beautiful music, but no one ever hears it. Why? Lack of luck?
Companies like Coca-Cola, which produce plastic, pump water out of the ground for no cost, poison it with chemicals, and sell it to us at a premium, have a lot of luck. Ordinary people don’t have enough luck.
“Luck” is on the side of those who have money for marketing, on the side of those who are known to more people, on the side of those who have better contacts, and who have resources behind them.
Instead of wishing for good luck, we can create it for each other. With small, tiny actions.
There are so many of us, we are a huge force of nature on this planet. What can we do?
If there is a friend performing tonight, go to his concert. If there’s a friend who makes plates – order a plate from her. Share her story in a personal conversation, click that “like button”, write your feelings – it costs nothing but helps. And if the idea is worthwhile, support it and spread it. Please.
This is the only way we can create a good life for each other. Without luck, but with each other’s support.
If I wish good luck to a tree, it won’t grow – it needs sun and water.
Creators need the ability to continue creating. An artist needs colours, a farmer needs soil, a furniture maker needs tools, and we all need food, shelter, and a little sensual participation from each other.
Luck is good, although I still don’t understand what it means.
But even better is collaboration instead of competition, mutual exchange instead of envy, gratitude instead of expectation, and attention instead of indifference.
P.S. I am grateful to my friends for being in my life and supporting me with their words, smiles, advice and help, and I am grateful to the dozens of strangers who supported me and were there for me on my way, and I am even more grateful for every day of my life when I have the opportunity to share instead of need.