Most people want to be rich or at least lucky. Whether we call it health, wealth, success, or security, we hope for a better life and a safer future. Throughout history, people have looked for shortcuts to these dreams, sometimes confusing symbols with real results.
Not long ago, I met a polite man who enjoyed the comforts of modern life. As we talked, he mentioned some people who had become wealthy and said he wished he could be like them. He told me a friend advised him to keep a brass tortoise at home, since it is thought to bring good luck. Curious, he bought several and put them in every corner of his house.
After telling me his story, he suggested I try it too. We decided, almost as a joke, to order a small prism tortoise online. When it arrived, I smiled, feeling amused and a little hopeful, and pictured for a moment the bags of money this ‘lucky’ tortoise might bring.
Reality arrived quickly. As soon as I opened the package, my phone rang with an unexpected call about a costly car service, and then another expense came up. If the tortoise brought good luck, it did not come to me. Maybe it went somewhere else. The truth is clear: “The hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4), not charms or objects. Jesus Himself warned that life does not consist in the abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15). Early Christian writers agreed. St. John Chrysostom said that wealth gained without work rarely blesses the soul, while effort and discipline shape both character and contentment. The Greeks spoke of aretē, excellence achieved through practice, not fortune. The Desert Fathers taught that no external symbol can replace inner vigilance and honest work. Superstition offers comfort without cost; reality demands effort, patience, and responsibility.
Once the moment was over, I did the only sensible thing and got ready for the next day’s work. Reality does not go away when illusions fade. It stays, reminding us that life is built not on lucky objects, but on steady work, clear goals, and perseverance.
Maybe that is the real fortune we should look for.
Have a blessed day.
Haps@aalap
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