I read an article lately about a young man who lost his job in the public sector during the ongoing coronavirus crisis. With no resources to sustain a living, he decided to pursue his art passion, and to create funny cartoon versions of portrait images sent to him by clients. In less than three months, he was making more than double the salary he earned at his previous job, and he is already looking to expand.
I found his story very inspiring, especially during the times we are living, so I shared it with a friend who was out of a job and feeling lost. She commented how lucky he was to be able to do that. My friend’s comment isn’t strange. Scroll through different posts of successful people on social media and you are bound to see users referring to them as “lucky”.
Being an entrepreneur for ten years now, I can confidently say that though some people were “lucky” to be in the right place at the right time, that the stars were aligned in their favour, in most cases what appears to be luck is nothing short of hard work and perseverance.
Even though the near future seems grim for many people, you could navigate your way around a pandemic, work on new projects, and sustain a living. Here are some ways that worked for me as I created my own luck over the years:
Network to enhance your luck
One of the most valuable pieces of advice passed on to me by my mentor is to always work on developing my network. He advised me to always go out and meet new people. Those who network all the time and are likely to find more opportunities not only for their careers but also their personal lives. As a social person by nature, I also made sure to always include time to meet new people and expand my circle. Don’t limit yourselves to the same types of circles. Be open to meet people from different backgrounds, at social gatherings you wouldn’t normally go to. When you meet new people, you are often introduced to their connections, and the more connections you have, the more room there is for luck to strike. Currently, while there are social distancing measures in place, you can network virtually. Join online virtual events and seminars where you could meet like-minded individuals or potential clients. Don’t forget about your old friends and colleagues, too. Staying connected with them and updating them about what you are working on could also present you with new opportunities that could come through them.
Look out for luck
Luck isn’t something that will happen to you while you sit and wait for it. Be on the lookout for opportunities. Read different articles and browse through different event announcements that are taking place. See if someone from your network is posting about a project they need help with on social media. Utilise your social media channels to advertise yourself or your business and the offering you provide. Ask your friends to repost your announcements. A while back I posted that I was looking for a landscape designer. An events planner I worked with grasped the opportunity and offered to help me with my project, since she worked on numerous outdoor events and this was something she and her team could work on now that many events are delayed or cancelled.
Find luck in new places
My mother always advised me to try new things if I wanted new circumstances to take place in my life. So, every time I felt that I’m stuck in a rut, I would engage in a new activity. If I didn’t find inspiration, at least I got to expand my network, was introduced to a new perspective or learned a new thing so it was always a win-win situation.
Work hard for your luck
Last, but not least, stay positive. Believe that setbacks are a part of reality, network, and work hard regardless of how negative the situation may be. Stay focused on your goal, and you will ultimately reap results.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati journalist and entrepreneur, who manages her marketing and communications company in Abu Dhabi
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Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Grand Slam Los Angeles results
Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos
Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
