Many years ago, I stopped to eat at a fast-food restaurant near me. A four-leaf clover was taped to the outside of the cash register at the counter, and I asked the cashier about it. To my surprise, they stated that some 4-leaf clovers grew naturally on the grassy grounds in front of the building. After eating my lunch, I looked around and found one for myself. It was an exciting and unexpected event that day.
Sometime later, my husband and I returned to the restaurant and found several four-leaf clovers. Recently, I wondered if they could still be found there.
It made me wonder whether it was cheating if I found one again when I knew exactly where to look for it. Did my lucky find count? Was it any less remarkable? Or was it smart to go straight to the source of success instead of wandering around hoping to find what I needed?
It is an excellent analogy to making our luck in life. Many people hesitate to ask for help because they feel they need to find that luck or success on their own “so it counts.” Many of us can probably let go of needing to find our four-leaf clover on our own and be more willing to listen to a cashier point us in the right direction. Many people do not realize that many who have reached their life goals had one (or more) people pointing them toward a prosperous path. It is acceptable to receive help to get where you are heading. It does not take away from your hard work. It just gets you there faster, easier, and more intelligently. That is the kind of “luck” we should all attempt to obtain. Do not refuse help because you think something unique will be less impressive or someone told you exactly how to get there to see it.
Who is your cashier? Is a friend, family member, acquaintance, or colleague willing to help lead you to success? Think about your goals in your current situation and for an ideal situation. How will you move from your current situation to your ideal one? These are the tasks that need four-leaf clover-pointing cashiers. Find them and ask for help.
Are you able to be the cashier for someone in your life? Are you able to be that for others without them having to ask? Some of us might need to ask for help with success, and others might need to offer it.
I sent my husband to the restaurant to take a picture of one of the four-leaf clovers, but the restaurant was boarded up, and although the clover had taken over the lawn area, he could not find any with four leaves. We were not having any luck finding luck. I will admit that I was heartbroken that something so neat and rare was no longer in existence. He sent me pictures of three-leaf clovers and said he would continue to look for some with four leaves. The lawn of this closed restaurant still had lessons to teach anyone willing to listen:
Maybe our luck was not there, but it would be in a month, and I just had to be patient.
Maybe it was not my time for luck.
Perhaps people found the four-leaf clovers and picked them all, and the source of what was once nurturing others dried up because they were not receiving nurturing in return.
Maybe a four-leaf clover was hidden in the area, but we needed to ask for assistance to find it.
Sometimes, even with help, things do not go as desired. Sometimes, an unfound four-leaf clover is the best luck.
When my husband came home, he stated the experience had been an adventure. Two police officers who had eaten at the restaurant next door asked what he was doing around the closed building. My husband answered that his wife sent him to find a four-leaf clover. I can only imagine the looks on their faces. He explained that we had previously found four-leaf clovers, and I wanted a picture for a story I was writing. The two officers looked for 30 minutes with my husband. I was sad the four-leaf clovers were no longer there, but I feel it all ended satisfactorily. My husband cared enough to look for the clover for me. Two strangers were intrigued and willing to look with my husband. That is pretty good luck. It is not the ending I wanted, but maybe it is the one we all need sometimes. Success is not necessarily getting what we want at the time. My ending was exactly what my story had been about: sometimes, the people willing to help you are a significant part of your success or constitute luck. Do not miss your overall picture of success due to a perceived lack of luck in the moment.
This St. Patrick’s Day, many people will hope for luck. Some will wear green clothing or four-leaf clover jewelry passively in the hopes of invoking some luck. Maybe this is the year you proactively make luck happen for you.
Finding a four-leaf clover by accident or on purpose is special. It also is an excellent reminder that luck does not always happen, but success happens when we are open to accepting help, but that is just my view.