I believe the core of this success issue of "luck vs. attitude" mainly involves which side of the situation you're on. If you're successful at something and have worked hard to get there, people calling you "lucky" can be almost insulting. On the other hand, when you're looking at someone else's success, you often don't have enough background information to know how a person got to where they are.

Successful people can often be perceived as only lucky to casual observers, who think they were simply at the right place at the right time. What is often neglected is the attitudes that many successful people possess-either naturally or through developing it over time. There are common attitudes that a majority of successful people share that are helpful to them:

1) They are less likely to fear failure than the average person. They recognize the educational value of mistakes and are willing pursue opportunities that others may shrink from, due to the perceived potential for failure or embarrassment.

2) They tend to not take the easy road or shortcut when it comes to obstacles. They face situations head-on, making progress where others lose ground. They take personal responsibility, as opposed to blaming circumstances or other people for a given problem. They focus on what they can control, as opposed to what they can't.

3) They realize they do not always hold all the answers, nor do they need to know everything by themselves. They are more likely to seek advice in areas where they do not have personal familiarity or expertise. They are able to bring people together with common interests and goals.

4) They generally have a positive attitude toward life in general. They do not dwell on how ideas can go wrong, but on how they can be improved and developed.

Many successful people base their businesses or careers on seeing beyond problems to ways those needs could be filled to the benefit of others. Over time, it is even possible to develop a skill for recognizing great opportunities because of this attitude. I believe the results of this skill are very often mistaken for luck.