What role has luck played in your life?

Enormous. But the luckiest people I know are also the most generous, the most curious, and the most willing to say yes. Maybe luck just visits those houses more often.

Enormous. But the luckiest people I know are also the most generous, the most curious, and the most willing to say yes. Maybe luck just visits those houses more often.

My grandmother survived a war by being in the wrong line that turned out to be the right one. I exist because of a guard's passing mood. I try to live like I owe someone that.

My grandmother survived a war by being in the wrong line that turned out to be the right one. I exist because of a guard's passing mood. I try to live like I owe someone that.

Luck is a door. It opens or it doesn't. But you still have to be the kind of person who walks through it, and who's paying attention when it does. I've missed a few by looking down.

Luck is a door. It opens or it doesn't. But you still have to be the kind of person who walks through it, and who's paying attention when it does. I've missed a few by looking down.

I used to resent how much of it is chance. Now I find it comforting. If so much is luck, then my failures aren't entirely my fault — and neither are anyone else's. It made me gentler.

I used to resent how much of it is chance. Now I find it comforting. If so much is luck, then my failures aren't entirely my fault — and neither are anyone else's. It made me gentler.

People call it luck when a stranger is kind to you at the right moment. I've been saved by strangers more times than I can count. I don't think that's luck — I think that's what people are, underneath.

People call it luck when a stranger is kind to you at the right moment. I've been saved by strangers more times than I can count. I don't think that's luck — I think that's what people are, underneath.

Bad luck taught me more than the good. Losing the job I'd built my identity around felt like the end of everything. It was the beginning of a life that actually fit me.

Bad luck taught me more than the good. Losing the job I'd built my identity around felt like the end of everything. It was the beginning of a life that actually fit me.

I was born in a peaceful country to parents who read to me. That's the whole lottery, really. Everything after was just playing a hand I was extraordinarily lucky to be dealt.

I was born in a peaceful country to parents who read to me. That's the whole lottery, really. Everything after was just playing a hand I was extraordinarily lucky to be dealt.

Almost everything I'm proud of started with a coincidence I did nothing to earn. I met my wife because I took the wrong train. I try to stay humble about the parts I like to call 'hard work.'

Almost everything I'm proud of started with a coincidence I did nothing to earn. I met my wife because I took the wrong train. I try to stay humble about the parts I like to call 'hard work.'