Imagine scaling a mountain at a rapid pace with your friend, fulfilling a New Year’s resolution to go rock climbing. Suddenly, rocks start tumbling down, but miraculously, you emerge unscathed. It seems like the universe is on your side today. Reaching the summit, you spot what appears to be a green leaf falling from the sky, but it’s actually a $100 bill! Feeling lucky, you decide to descend in one leap, safely harnessed, and land swiftly on the ground. Once your friend joins you, you both drive home, exhilarated by the adventure.
The next day begins with a quick shower and a rush out the door. Your phone buzzes with an email from your boss, and to your surprise, it’s good news: you’re up for a promotion! Your hard work has been recognized, and you feel confident enough to ask for a partner position. On the subway to work, you find another $100 bill, bringing your unexpected total to $200. Running late, you spot an ad for a competition with a car as the prize. Feeling lucky, you enter the contest just in time.
At work, your boss acknowledges your contributions, offering you a supervisor role. Boldly, you ask for a partnership instead, leaving your boss to ponder your request. During lunch, you witness a girl with headphones about to cross the street at a red light, unaware of an oncoming car. You act swiftly, pulling her to safety. Grateful, she introduces herself as Angela and invites you to lunch. You enjoy a delicious meal together, and she offers you a free professional teeth cleaning, being a dentist herself.
Later, you receive a call from the competition jury: you’ve won the car! Another call follows from your boss, summoning you to his office. Expecting the worst, you’re instead congratulated on becoming a new partner. The day ends with a new car, a new position, and a promising connection with Angela. You muster the courage to ask her out on a date, and she agrees. That evening, you dress sharply in a suit bought with the $200 you found, and Angela looks stunning in her dress.
After a delightful evening, you return home to a message from your landlord offering a cheaper apartment. You accept, almost drifting to sleep. The next day, you don a quirky blue ducky tie for luck, amusing your colleagues and earning compliments. Your boss shows you your new office, complete with a welcome gift: a golden watch. The day flies by, and you find a message from Angela, inviting you to dinner.
Before meeting Angela, you get a free haircut as a loyal customer and a 50-inch TV from a friend. On your way to the restaurant, you stumble upon a tech store sale but miss out on the laptop you wanted. However, a stranger offers you the exact laptop, and you gratefully accept. You pick up green dahlias for Angela, matching her eyes, and arrive slightly late but with a charming apology. The evening is perfect, with laughter and a cozy atmosphere.
As you share stories, you recall a fortune cookie from a lazy weekend predicting a change in luck. Indeed, your week has been filled with incredible fortune and new opportunities, leaving you excited for what lies ahead.
Write a short essay reflecting on a time when you experienced an unexpected stroke of luck. Consider how it impacted your life and what opportunities it opened up for you. Use this exercise to explore the concept of serendipity and its role in personal and professional growth.
In groups, role-play a scenario where you must make a bold decision at work, similar to asking for a partnership. Discuss the potential risks and rewards of such decisions and how they can lead to new opportunities. Reflect on how confidence and timing play crucial roles in career advancement.
Participate in a workshop that explores the concept of luck versus probability. Analyze different situations from the article and discuss whether they were purely lucky or influenced by other factors. Use statistical tools to understand how probability can affect outcomes in real-life scenarios.
Engage in a networking exercise where you practice introducing yourself and building connections, similar to the protagonist’s interaction with Angela. Discuss the importance of networking in creating opportunities and how serendipitous encounters can lead to meaningful relationships.
Create a short story or comic strip that illustrates a day of unbelievable luck and opportunities. Use elements from the article to inspire your narrative, and share your story with the class. This activity will help you understand narrative structure and the role of unexpected events in storytelling.
Luck – The success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions. – In critical thinking, relying solely on luck can undermine the development of logical reasoning skills.
Opportunities – Situations or conditions favorable for attainment of a goal. – University students should actively seek opportunities to engage in discussions that challenge their critical thinking abilities.
Career – An occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress. – Developing strong critical thinking skills is essential for a successful career in any field.
Promotion – The act of raising someone to a higher position or rank. – Critical thinking can lead to innovative ideas that may result in a promotion within one’s career.
Contributions – Something given or offered that adds to a larger whole. – Students’ contributions to class discussions can enhance their understanding and demonstrate their critical thinking skills.
Safety – The condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury. – Critical thinking is crucial in assessing the safety of information sources in academic research.
Competition – The activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others. – Healthy competition in academic settings can stimulate critical thinking and innovation among students.
Connection – A relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else. – Making connections between different concepts is a fundamental aspect of critical thinking.
Beginnings – The point in time or space at which something starts. – The beginnings of critical thinking can be traced back to the teachings of ancient philosophers.
Fortune – Chance or luck as an external, arbitrary force affecting human affairs. – While fortune may play a role in life, critical thinking empowers individuals to make informed decisions.
