“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
—Seneca
Every year, I love St. Patrick’s Day! This is a day when I really feel my Irish heritage. I honor the brave Irish immigrants who came to America to start a new life for themselves and their descendants. I am one of those descendants, and so to them, I say thank you!
St. Patrick’s Day has always been a feel-good day for me. When I was a child, this day had an almost magical quality about it. I believed in the “luck of the Irish,” and it often felt like something I could use! So, like many kids, I would search through the grass for that uniquely beautiful four-leaf clover. Surely, if I could find one, then all my wishes would come true!
Now, as an adult, this idea of wishing has taken the form of setting intentions for me. I go through my day open and receptive to what may come, but I have a clear knowing of what my life can be. Here are three steps you can use to set your intentions and make your “wish” a reality:
- Identify your deepest wish. Spend some time sitting in silence, thinking about a change you would really like to make happen for all the “right” reasons.
- Make a plan. What are some of the things you can do to make this change? What is the one step you can take right now to bring you closer to that goal?
- Take action. Look at your action plan, and choose one thing you can do right now and do it. Step by step is the only way forward.
Unlike a fairy-tale wish that comes true with the wave of wand—or the twinkle of a leprechaun’s eye—the most meaningful things we want in life need to be cultivated and grown through preparation and taking action.
My mother gave me my Irish roots, so I leave you with this beautiful Irish blessing in honor of her and this day:
May you live a long life
Full of gladness and health,
With a pocket full of gold
As the least of you wealth.
May the dreams you hold dearest,
Be those which come true,
The kindness you spread,
Keep returning to you.