A clean record isn’t luck. It’s a long line of quiet nos.

Nothing happening looks like luck from the outside, which is why staying out of trouble earns almost no credit. In reality it is built from dozens of small refusals nobody witnessed: the lift you turned down, the party you left early, the thing you were handed and gave straight back. Every one of them felt like missing out at the time.

Count the refusals you have already made this year, because you have probably forgotten most of them. Then assume the next one turns up this weekend and decide your answer in advance. A no settled beforehand comes out of your mouth much more easily.