Spell check is NOT your friend...

If you use e-mail to communicate with the world, you have probably had the unfortunate instance of hitting the "send" button before realizing that you omitted a crucial word or letter. I've done this a few times myself, most notably realizing too late that I left out the "f" in the word "shift" or greeting someone with "hello" and forgetting to hit the "o" key. In your heart and mind, you truly believe you hit that important key, but for some reason the finger that you depended on to make that important strike did not perform and the word is left to ruin the meaning and intent of your note.

Technology is a great thing, but when we get too dependent on it, we neglect to do the things that we should do in order to ensure meaning. So we click on the "spell check" button thinking that this alone will be the last defence to protect us from making a fool of our selves through the printed word. Unfortunately, spell check only checks for the correct spelling of a word, not your intent.

So, as a public service, I implore you to proof read your note before hitting the send button and after you run spell check. It could mean the difference between discussing bathroom activities or the location of a very hot place. :-)

Why don't I believe in luck?

• luck
  1 a: a force that brings good fortune or adversity b: the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual 2: favoring chance

As I continue my job search, I've had occasion for people to wish me "good luck" on my interview or my job search in general. Most times I let it pass and thank the person for their well wishes. Other times, I tell the person "I don't believe in luck...I believe in blessings." Of course, you have to be careful these days when you tell people something like that, as they may immediately write you off as some religious fanatic or take some offence to their friendly wish being somewhat rebuffed. However, I sometimes try to explain my view of the world and how it relates to luck.

To add to the definition above, I view luck as something that is purely random. With that said, I also do not think "luck" itself can be good or bad, nor do I believe that you can bestow it on someone by wishing it to them. It is just a way for us to conveniently explain and categorize things that we may not be able to explain any other way. Sort of like how some people view spirituality.

I am one of those that believes that everything happens for a reason. Even the smallest most mundane event is important in the shaping of the next and future events. I believe that we are all presented with a series of options that we constantly have to make decisions about. Sometimes we make the right decisions and have a positive outcome. Sometimes we make the wrong decision and get the opposite result.

I relate life to poker. You are dealt a certain set of cards and your success or failure depends on what you do with them. Your decision to raise, check or fold not only has an immediate effect, but also can shape the way the other players (or the rest of the world) reacts and interacts with you. I could write an entire dissertation on the subject, but I'm sure that would only bore you. To sum this metaphor up, while the order of cards and the way they are dealt may be random, it is what you decide to do with the cards you are dealt that has the greatest impact on the outcome. Luck has little to do with it.

So, the next time someone is about to embark on some important endeavor...send them positive vibes, tell them you are praying for them or tell them you know that they will make the right decisions. Because in the end, luck has little to do with it. :-)