Starting now, abandon superstition.

We’ve been addicted to superstition for centuries. We’ve burned witches, we’ve danced for rain, we’ve prayed. It all feeds into a grand narrative that convinces us we aren’t in control of our lives. We tell ourselves that things will improve if we do this or that, but it’s not true. It’s never been true. We’ve been happily lying to ourselves the whole time.

I know why we do it, and I’m not going to pretend I don’t fall into the trap sometimes. It’s comforting to be able to look out the window and think that someone is watching over us. It’s encouraging to believe that something will ensure that everything works out for us. But by perpetuating these practices you aren’t just wasting your time and energy, you’re preventing yourself from making real progress.

Touching wood won't protect your loved ones. Crossing your fingers doesn't mean things are more likely to work out. None of this matters. There's no such thing as luck. Luck is people writing the unconnected events in our lives into a fallacious narrative. The only things that change our lives are people, everything else is chaos.

Accepting this is critical. Being honest with ourselves is the first step towards taking back our lives, to getting our hands back on the wheel. It means swallowing bitter pills like accountability, responsibility and honesty. But the prize is worth chasing. Only real things lead to real consequences and the sooner you stop looking elsewhere for assistance or guidance, the better.