Richest Man in Babylon - Chapter 4: Meet the Goddess of Good Luck

Is there a way through which we can attract good luck to us?

Is there a way through which we can find or receive,

without effort on our part, valuable treasures?

Suppose you win the lottery, or win at the gambling tables,

or a horse race, how much should you depend on these

fickle things in order to build a sustainable empire for yourself?

In this chapter, Arkad reveals that all gambling games

are riggedagainst you. It's no mistake that you lose

your money 99.9% of the time. It's rigged.

You will never win against the house. 

In any gamble, men lose more than they win. So be careful.

Never place all your hopes on the outcome of any gamble.

Luck is fickle and cannot be relied upon.

Rather place your faith in the work of your hands

where you have a decent chance of determining the outcome.

Even through the work of your own hands, you're not guaranteed

a profitable outcome. But the odds are more favorable.

In business as well, why is it that some people experience

more success than others even though they conduct

their business in similar ways?

Are we overlooking the role of luck in business?

Why do we claim to have induced the result if it is favorable,

and blame bad luck if it is not in our favor?

Arkad and his fellow Babylonians are gathered in this chapter

to discuss how to attract luck. Suppose we listen in

and discover how to attract good luck to ourselves.

1. Do not procrastinate

When you see an opportunity, seize it. Do not wait for tomorrow.

Start building your fortune early. Start building your fortune now.

"Opportunity waits for no man.

Today it is here; soon it is gone. Therefore, do not delay."
"Good luck waits to come to that man who accepts opportunity. Opportunity will not wait for any slow fellow. She thinks if a man desires to be lucky he will step quick."

Opportunity usually comes when we least expect it, as a result,

we hesitate and let it slip. So how can we train ourselves

to recognize opportunity when she comes?

Also, we will lose much more if we have no focus

and chase after every shiny object we think is opportunity.

So how do we train ourselves to remain focused

when we've found our calling so we can make the most of it?

Tony Robbins says to never leave the scene of a decision

without taking the first step. This will protect you against

your own procrastination. When you've done all the due diligence

and have decided that you have a good opportunity in front of you, make the commitment. Take the first step.

Procrastination is nothing more than the habit

of needless delaying when prompt and decisive action is required.
You can train yourself to overcome this habit.

"So must every man master his own spirit of procrastination

before he can expect to share in the rich treasures of Babylon. "

Fortune favors the brave.

When you hesitate, you falter and you fall behind.

Good luck follows opportunity.

To attract good luck, you must take advantage of opportunities.