To ask if you believe you’ve lived a luckier life than most?

[MyAmusedOpalCrab]

Whether it’s down to circumstances, timing, support, or sheer chance - do you ever stop and think, “I’ve had it easier than others?” Or do you believe we mostly make our own luck?

Yes i do of course. You are deflecting. Why?

We are talking about the UK on this thread.

Its not correct to say "i was lucky to be born in the UK"

The correct thing to say is "i benefiitted from my ancestors plundering and colonising people".

Of course.

Sheer luck. I’m a glass half full person, as well.
I had a happy childhood too, which really helps.
I don’t have much, but don’t want more than this.
Life’s been good so far, I’ve mostly had a laugh!

The UK has done a lot of damage to many countries in the rest of the world.

I used to think that I was generally very lucky in life. Don't take it for granted. It only took one day in my early 40s for it to all fall apart, and spent the two years after that with it getting progressively worse. I have now been through more than most will endure in a life time in the space of 8 years. I appreciate the good times I had even more now as a result though.

I think I've been really lucky. Have a happy marriage , health and 3 lovely happy kids. Of course there are things I'd change but I'm fully aware of how lucky I am.

That is tough.
I hope things are improving for you now.
I try to stay mindful that things can change in a moment, the fear seems to come in waves.
Right now things are peaceful.

Things are settled now, but they will never be the same.

I've been lucky to have so many years with a happy marriage, happy life, happy and healthy children - until one of them became seriously ill at 18, died, and investigations revealed two others had genetic autoimmune disorders that didn't express themselves until older teenage years. One child is quite disabled as a result. I used to have a lot of friends, a great job, but am now quite isolated. I have no extended family.

There are still places where I'm lucky in life and I'm grateful for that, but I've gone from feeling very lucky to swinging the other way. We do make the best of it all though and live good, but different lives. Mindset helps as I can still count my blessings.

Sometimes I wonder how the fates conspired to give me so much. The only thing I didn't get was a mother who loved me. For that, I would have traded quite a lot.

I’ve got a great life. I had loving parents, and have a lovely partner and children. I choose to focus on that, though, rather than remembering the other periods of domestic violence, lack of money, bailiffs turning up, early death of family members, and other bad stuff. And I live in a country with a good health service, live in a warm house, and have enough food. So whatever happens, I’m still lucky.

I’ve been through a lot of shit so very unlucky in some ways, although also been extremely lucky in other ways. It’s like there’s 2 extremes and nothing in between. But overall things are good.

What a battle, devastating loss and life forever changed. 💐

There are always silver linings, even if you don't see them till a bit further in the journey.

As a new perspective, I do cringe a bit when I see people talking about lucky they are. It's so fragile and they have no idea that it can happen to them too. I've seen too many examples of that in too many people now.

Eeveryone should enjoy the luck while it lasts!

I've not been lucky. Born into a developing, war torn country, being a child refugee, growing up in benefits-level poverty in a deprived area, racism, disabled from childhood, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, single parenthood, living on benefits, disabled child, let down by the health service and education services. I've turned it around in late adulthood, with a great DH, 3 wonderful dcs and a comfortable financial situation. But all of that took hard work rather than luck, and it wasn't handed to me.

I agree with this.
Yet, I regularly see posts on MN with many posters agreeing that Britain is broke, they want to leave the country, as it's so awful, and the planet is doomed.
I find this pretty ironic. It seems that the more you have, the sorrier you feel for yourself.

I think you're being ironic?
Of course people's ancestors were not plunderers and exploiters. Most people's ancestors were farmers and agricultural labourers! Therefore, most people's ancestors were probably being exploited by a small number of rich people, rather than being exploiters.

So far yes. Don't get me wrong I've gone through stressful times and hard times etc, but I had a lovely upbringing and I'm very close with my family. Have a wonderful daughter and husband and home. But I still, like most, complain about the smallest of things when I shouldn't! Only makes me human I guess!

I made some appalling life choices early on, low self esteem etc so appreciate where I am in life now I’m 60. I don’t think it’s down to luck though.

Further to my detailed lucky post earlier, I do feel lucky generally. However this doesn't mean I haven't suffered or experienced hardships. Financially we've been in the toilet following a redundancy that took us 10yrs to recover from. I was raped repeatedly by a previous boyfriend and I was so close to death following a suicide attempt. I suppose it is luck that I didn't die then and I learned lessons from the abusive boyfriend and debt that influenced better decision making going forward. Yes, we've worked hard, made tough choices and sacrifices too but I acknowledge that lucky situations enabled that.

We are taking about luck on this thread. The original post said nothing about the uk. You seem determined to take the thread in an anti colonialism direction.

You are being ridiculous. These correct or incorrect statements are your opinion. Posters are expressing their personal experiences.

I'm very lucky.

I'm 59, not been seriously ill yet. Born in the UK to loving parents. No disabilities or serious mental illness. Not ugly. Loving siblings. Married a wonderful man - kind, funny, principled. I have 3 children, no miscarriages, all healthy babies. I have a job I love. Got a degree and have no massive debts other than mortgage. Own a home.

I'm very, very lucky.

On the other hand one of my kids was diagnosed with leukaemia at 19, so that's unlucky and very shit, but other than that, I feel lucky every day with my lot in life.

Yes, I've had a good life in the main, with one big exception.
Lots of travel from childhood, even boarding school was an experience to look back on even though i wasn't very happy at the time, but a good education, university at a time when over 90 percent of school leavers did not qualify, a great career in media and marriage to a good, caring man.
Now retired with ample pensions and savings plus private healthcare due to DH's former job. Reasonable health.
However we suffered tragedy when our first child died at birth. I also had three miscarriages before our second was born, thankfully very healthy and now a thriving adult.

In some ways. I had a good upbringing, secure home, great education and amazing holidays. My mum was/is a tricky character but my dad was amazing. However, I was born with a very severe muscle wasting condition. I'm reliant on someone else for everything, even scratching my nose. I also have other conditions like PCOS, ADHD and potentially lupus. I'm thankful that I was born into the family I was as I know my life would be very different if I had been born into a family that didn't have the resources to give me all the opportunities I had. I'm also incredibly lucky to have met my husband. I have a lot of baggage and he takes it in his stride and loves me as I am. Currently feeling less lucky as my husband and I start on trying to have a child and knowing the odds are against us and we may be faced with high fertility treatment costs.

I believe so. I come from a third world country, survived ethnic violence in my teen where girls were raped and people of my background murdered and houses burned down. I have parents who are loving and supportive into my adult years, who made sacrifices so that I am well educated, and I found the love of my life. I'm not rich but I don't want for any material thing I haven't got, even when life is imperfect, I know I'm fully surrounded by love from family and a few select high quality good friends. So yes I've been very lucky compared to many.

In many ways I’ve had a lot of disadvantages in the financial sense - single parent, no inheritance, no degree etc - and my household is managing on less than £25k a year.

However I’m lucky in that I am born in a time where we have antibiotics and medicines and we have plentiful food and a lot of technology that makes past tasks easier on an individual basis.

I can fly to other parts of the world in less than a day and I’ve visited beautiful places. Covid restrictions taught me how easy we take it for granted in this age.

I got made homeless by private landlords which was stressful but got the lovely council house I still live in through it. I can’t buy but at least I have a forever home if I need it to be.

I was left a single parent of four which was hard work but I was lucky this was before the two child cap so at least I got support for them all when they were little. Today it would be much harder.

I have four wonderful grown children. Friends I’ve had over the years have struggled with fertility so it makes me appreciate that I have a family and the potential for grandchildren one day.

Also when you see the restriction on freedom that other places have - ie women living in Afghanistan - I appreciate that even with its own problems living here is easier than some other places might be.