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Douglas Flora

Mar 19, 2025, 08:52

Douglas Flora: Expanding the Surface Area for Luck to Find You

Douglas Flora, Executive Medical Director of Oncology Services at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Expanding the Surface Area for Luck to Find You.

‘Many an opportunity is lost because a man is out looking for four-leaf clovers.’ – Author Unknown

It’s St. Patrick’s Day, reminding me of four-leaf clovers and our relationship with luck. While millions search for that rare shamrock today, I’ve been reflecting on a deeper truth: the universe rewards the prepared mind.

Are you creating enough surface area for luck to find you?

Luck isn’t just random chance. It isn’t found by searching through fields of shamrocks. It’s something we actively cultivate and attract into our lives through deliberate choices and actions.

What strikes me most? Luck consistently finds those who prepare for it.

I don’t wait for good fortune to magically appear. I’ve learned that by expanding what I call my ‘luck surface area,’ I create more opportunities for serendipity to work its magic in my life.

Think of your “luck surface area” as the combined force of what you know, who you know, and what actions you’re taking. The broader this area becomes, the more likely it is that luck will cross your path when you need it most.

Here’s how I’ve expanded my own luck surface area:

1. Commit to continuous learning
Every book I read, every skill I develop increases my knowledge base and gives luck more ways to find me. Those 30 minutes I dedicate daily to learning something new? They compound over time in ways I couldn’t have imagined. The connections between seemingly unrelated ideas often spark my greatest innovations.

2. Build a diverse network
My most life-changing breaks came through unexpected connections – people I met at conferences, in community groups, even while volunteering. Those conversations with individuals outside my bubble revealed opportunities I never would have discovered otherwise. That next breakthrough conversation might be waiting for you today.

3. Take consistent, aligned action
Knowledge without action is just potential energy. By showing up consistently, creating value, and sharing work that matters, I’ve increased the chances of the right opportunities finding me at precisely the right moment. Each step forward creates momentum that attracts more possibilities.

What empowers me most about this approach is that it puts me in the driver’s seat. Instead of feeling like success comes down to random chance or folklore, I know that through intentional growth and genuine connection, I’m actively creating the conditions for those “lucky” moments to appear.

This St. Patrick’s Day, while others hunt for four-leaf clovers, I’m focusing on expanding my luck surface area. I’d rather invest my energy in building knowledge, relationships, and taking meaningful action.

What about you? How are you expanding your luck surface area? Are you investing in yourself, building meaningful connections, and taking bold action? Or are you still hoping luck will simply find you?”