99% + 1% = 100% just my random thoughts :) on april 3, 2018, cristiano ronaldo scored what is definitely one of the most beautiful goals in football history. with gracefulness, he jumped and, in a cyclic manner, changed the direction of a looping cross straight into the net, leaving the goalkeeper stunned and unable to move. everyone in the stadium, even the opposing fans, stood up and applauded what was a moment of pure magic. the cross from carvajal was just right, and ronaldo's jump was well timed to meet it. everything about the goal was perfect. everyone remembers that moment, but few remember that earlier in the game, ronaldo actually attempted a bicycle kick and missed. he mistimed the jump and couldn't connect with an almost similar cross. that miss went under the radar, and very few people remember it now. for ronaldo to score a bicycle kick, everything had to be right. the wind speed had to be right, or the ball would have changed trajectory wrongly. the cross from carvajal had to be inch perfect and placed exactly where he wanted it. if ronaldo jumped too early or too late, he would have missed the shot. so, the bicycle kick goal involved a significant amount of luck. when you read most motivational books, a large portion of them say work hard and success is guaranteed. they tell us that what we really need is determination, discipline, and some other d's to succeed. according to them, as long as we have those, success seems inevitable. as much as i would love to agree with them, they aren't fully correct. you can genuinely do everything right and still fail. you can show up more than everyone else and still have nothing to show for all your commitment. hard work isn't the only prerequisite for success. it goes a long way, yes, but it's just not enough. spacex failed 3 times, and musk was seconds away from giving up. he said that if the fourth launch failed, they would have been unable to continue due to finances. did they give their best to building those 3 launches that failed? yes, they did. did they work? nope, they didn't. there is an element of luck involved in success. if the materials required to succeed are divided into a pie, luck would be the 1% while everything else would be the 99%. 1% seems small, but the reality is that 99 is not 100. that 1% seems small, but it's still needed to succeed. it's the only part you genuinely have no control over. it's the 1 that can make all your efforts seem like a waste when it's missing. the ultimate question then is, how do i get lucky? well, you can just pray luck is in your favor. which brings me to how i secure my own luck. i am a christian who believes in god, and i am proud of this. i get my luck from him. when i am doing anything, i work as hard as i can. i show up and deprive myself of comfort to be sure that everything i need to do is done. i ensure that every variable in the equation that i can control is perfectly handled. i ensure that my 99% is complete. then, i ask god to add that 1%. i ask him to help me so that all my 99% doesn't go to waste. does he show up? oh yes, he does. he adds that 1% and completes it. is this me inviting you to become a christian? absolutely, yes. i can only vouch for what i have tried. in conclusion, you can do your very best and still fail. not because you aren't good enough or you are lazy. it's simply because luck wasn't on your side. unconventional thinker,

12:29 est