By Lisa Lenihan
There are many sayings about luck. It’s better to be lucky than good. Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Here’s what I think: You have to be good. Then you have to get lucky.
For those of you pursuing careers like acting and filmmaking, you know this better than I. So many of you are not only good, but amazing. You deserve a chance to dazzle on stage, on film, or behind a camera, but desperately need luck to get that opportunity.
You might be wondering why you should care what I think about luck, hard work, or anything for that matter. Let me tell you a little about myself. I am a federal judge. That alone doesn’t mean you should take my advice. I am Alexandra’s mom. That might be a good enough reason for you to take my advice!
I grew up in a really tiny town in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania and was the first person in my family to go to college. Somehow I ended up in law school and surprisingly did fairly well. I graduated from college with a degree in political science and had no clue what to do with it. I went to law school because I was bad at science and math and had no job ideas. I worked as a litigation attorney for a number of years, got married, had three amazing children, got divorced, raised the children and during that time became a judge. I did not have a master plan. Of course, I wanted to do something that I enjoyed, but frankly, that was not always the case. My path wasn’t easy and I wasn’t perfect, but I did my best.
Becoming a federal judge, which is kind of a big deal, was honestly something that just happened to me based upon hard work and timing. As I said in the beginning, you have to be good. Then you have to get lucky. I know, that sounds crazy. One doesn’t just BECOME a judge. My goals were to choose some type of profession and, whatever it was, be good at it. Work hard, follow the rules and see where it took me. I did well in law school, primarily because I worked hard at it. That was door number one. So I was good, but also lucky. There were jobs for lawyers when I graduated, so I took one. I guess that was door number two. I didn’t love my legal job but it paid the bills so I stayed as long as I could. After my divorce I knew I couldn’t stay in litigation because the work hours were too unpredictable and I had three young kids to take care of. I reached out to my network, took a 50% pay cut, and was offered a job in a health system. That door opened to me and I chose to walk through it. We were broke, but I was home every night and what my kids needed then was stability and for me to be around.
I don’t want to overlook the fact that other people helped me. This is vital. Network early and often. No one accomplishes their goals in isolation. Ask people to help you, then pay it forward.
While at the health system I met a number of important people in the community. So, when a door opened in the form of a vacancy on the local court, I asked those people to help me and I was able to walk through that door to my dream job. Still good hours- they can’t start court without me- and better pay, so we were all a little more comfortable. Plus, this job was challenging and rewarding and important. Point being I took a job that was not my first choice and did not pay well but it worked at the time and eventually (4 years later) led to better things.
Throughout your life doors will open. Is this luck? Opportunity? Being in the right place at the right time? It is all of the above. Some doors will open automatically. Some because you pushed all the right buttons. The question is, will you have the courage to walk through them? Some of the doors will not be the colors you thought you wanted. Some will be on small buildings when you thought you wanted tall buildings, or square buildings when you were planning on round ones. You will say to yourself, “I worked so hard to do X and I always wanted to do X but now the only thing available to me is Y. What do I do now?” Do Y! I think this sketch has it right. You create your own luck by being good at what you do and taking advantage of every opportunity presented- AND by creating your own opportunities. PUT yourself in the right place. Unfortunately, just being good at what you do is not enough in any profession. Many lawyers think if they sit in their offices working hard and obtain good results, everything they want will come to them. There is nothing further from the truth. You have to put yourself out there, which can be uncomfortable and scary. Get out of your comfort zone and push your limits. It is very liberating. Be open. The world on the other side of that door may be perfect for you. Or it may not, but it might lead to one that is. And if it isn’t the right door, another one will open to another world, another opportunity. This is just another way of saying be open minded to what the world has to offer. Do not become stuck in preconceived notions or things you believed in 8th grade. Or even things your parents tell you! (I know, shocking). Take a deep breath and plunge right through that open door. Learn what you can while inside and then look for the next one.
My doors led me through a labyrinth of things that were not perfect, but each of them built the ladder I needed to get to the perfect door that was the right path for me. I never set out to become a judge but the doors I walked through in my life led me here and it is a magical place. I am so lucky to be doing what I am doing, but I am also looking forward with anticipation to my next door, wherever that may be.
Lisa is the proud mother of Alexandra. She is a federal judge in Pittsburgh
who adores her children, boxing, biking and adventures of all kinds. Her
motto is carpe diem!