Today I Choose to be Fortunate – How to be Fortunate

It was 2015, and I found myself in Utah, helping a friend launch his online vape shop. What started as a favor turned into one of the most serendipitous career moves of my life, though I had no idea at the time.

Al needed help with his business, and I’d been successfully helping people monetize their social networks. But when I walked into his office, it was clear the company was in chaos. The CFO was incompetent, taxes hadn’t been filed since 2012, and everyone was stressed. Being someone who jumps in to help just because, I offered to assist however I could.

Then everything imploded. The CFO was fired, the assistant comptroller quit, and the comptroller was arrested. Suddenly, I found myself rallying the remaining staff, cleaning up years of financial mess, and connecting them with my CPA. Six months later, Al offered me a full-time position at a substantial salary. I’ve been there for ten years now.

That’s what being blessed by good timing feels like: catching the right wave not because you controlled the tide, but because you showed up with your board.

Fortune Isn’t Just Luck

When people hear stories like mine, they sometimes dismiss them as “just lucky.” But good fortune is rarely pure chance. It’s what happens when preparation meets opportunity, when kindness opens unexpected doors, and when you’re willing to show up even when you don’t know where it’s leading.

Being blessed with good circumstances isn’t about winning some cosmic lottery. It’s about recognizing the moments when timing, relationships, and readiness align, and having the wisdom to act on them.

Real fortune lives in the intersection of what you bring and what the world offers. My Utah experience wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been willing to help, hadn’t developed relevant skills, or hadn’t maintained relationships built on genuine care rather than transactional networking.

Cultivating Your Own Good Fortune

While you can’t control every circumstance, you can create conditions that invite positive outcomes into your life.

Show up with generosity. Like my willingness to help Al without expecting anything in return, approaching situations with a spirit of service often creates unexpected opportunities. When you focus on what you can contribute rather than what you might gain, people notice.

Stay curious and adaptable. I walked into that Utah office thinking I was helping with social media marketing. I ended up diving into financial cleanup because that’s what was needed. Flexibility opens doors that rigid expectations keep closed.

Invest in relationships authentically. My decade-long relationship with my CPA proved crucial in that chaotic moment. Genuine connections, built over time without agenda, become the foundation for mutual support when it matters most.

Develop diverse skills. You never know which combination of abilities will be exactly what’s needed in a pivotal moment. The broader your toolkit, the more valuable you become when circumstances shift.

Maintain your readiness. Good fortune often arrives disguised as hard work or challenging situations. Being prepared—emotionally, professionally, financially—means you can say yes when opportunity knocks.

Recognizing Fortune in Disguise

Sometimes the most blessed moments don’t look lucky at first. That chaotic Utah office felt overwhelming, not opportune. The company’s crisis looked like a disaster, not a door opening.

Learning to spot potential in problems is a skill that transforms how you move through the world. What looks like someone else’s mess might be your chance to shine. What feels like terrible timing might be perfect timing you don’t yet understand.

This doesn’t mean seeking out chaos or volunteering for every crisis. It means staying alert to moments when your particular combination of skills, availability, and willingness could make a real difference.

Gratitude as a Fortune Multiplier

One of the most powerful aspects of my Utah story isn’t just that it happened—it’s that I recognized it as extraordinary while it was unfolding. Gratitude for good timing, unexpected connections, and positive outcomes creates a mindset that attracts more of the same.

When you appreciate the fortunate moments in your life, you become more attuned to recognizing them when they appear. You start noticing the small gifts alongside the dramatic ones: the perfect parking spot, the helpful stranger, the conversation that sparks a new idea.

This awareness doesn’t create luck, but it does create receptivity to the luck that’s already present in your daily life.

Paying Fortune Forward

The job that saved my financial security came from being willing to help someone else first. This isn’t coincidence—it’s how blessed circumstances often work. When you contribute to other people’s success, you become part of a network of mutual support that benefits everyone involved.

Being truly fortunate means recognizing that your good circumstances can become someone else’s opportunity. The skills you gained, the connections you made, the lessons you learned—all of these can be shared to create positive outcomes for others.

Today, I choose to see favorable moments for what they are: gifts that arrive when preparation meets opportunity, when generosity meets need, and when staying open meets perfect timing.

The wave is always coming. The question is whether you’ll be ready with your board.