2: Mitchell’s Law
Mitchell’s Law was a term that Max Gunther coined himself – after fast rising lawyer Martha Mitchell declared “Life is slippery like a piece of soap. If you think you have a good handle on it, you are wrong.”
It may seem gloomy at first, but in reality all it means is that sometimes a business venture, a stock investment, or a relationship may not work out despite our best efforts. When that happens, it doesn’t mean we should pack up our bags and quit! Unlucky people will just give up, saying “Well, we tried. It just doesn’t work”. But lucky people know that fate can deal us a nasty hand every now and again and they also can see when bad luck was involved.
They know that they can try again if their failure was merely because of “bad luck”. They know they can’t control the “fate” part of it, but they can control how they respond. Does it pay to learn from each attempt? Absolutely! And each time you learn, you become stronger, wiser, and more likely to succeed.
If I were to add my own spin on this, it would be the quote from Heraclitus – “A man cannot stand in the same river twice – because it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man”.
Can you see a way you might be able to “prepare for the worst” in your life? Do you have a contingency plan in case a venture goes wrong? Is there a Plan B? Are you prepared to cut your losses if the time arises?