A lot of parents tell their children that can achieve anything if they work hard and apply themselves. But that doesn’t account for luck, which is a huge factor that many highly successful people have said they owe their careers to, points out Anthony Mackie, star of the 2025 movie “Captain America: Brave New World.”

“We are lying to our kids,” Mackie, 46, said in a recent interview with The Pivot Podcast. “We tell [them] … if they do right and they make the good grades and they go to the programs, they will become successful. ‘If you work hard enough, your work will [pay off].’ And that’s not true.”

In many cases, “success is given [and] not earned,” Mackie continued.

Mackie had been an actor for over 10 years before landing the role that many consider his big break, as Sam Wilson in 2014′s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” he said. After graduating from the prestigious Juilliard School in 2001, he performed in both on- and Off-Broadway productions and in Academy award-winning films, like 2008′s “The Hurt Locker.” However, the New Orleans native struggled to break out in Hollywood’s highly competitive landscape.

Mackie estimates he “put in 10,750 hours of training” before landing that life-changing job. He was proactive, too: He wrote letters to executives at Disney’s Marvel Studios over a decade ago in the hopes of landing a role in one of the studio’s popular superhero films, he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2023.

While the letters didn’t result in any roles right away, Mackie eventually landed a meeting with directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. They offered him a part in an upcoming film, though they couldn’t share many details: ”[They said], ‘We can’t say what character you’re playing or who else is going to be in it. Would you do it?’” Mackie said.

The actor agreed because he liked the directors and believed joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up, he said. Fortunately for Mackie, the role of Sam Wilson proved popular enough to grow from a small character into a headliner.

Mackie is far from the only successful person to recognize the power of luck. You can be the smartest and most deserving person in the room, the billionaire and Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Charlie Munger told students at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in 2018, but there are no guarantees: “There’s also a factor of luck that comes into this thing.”

He added: “I did not intend to get rich. I wanted to get independent. I just overshot.”

Similarly, in 2023, Mark Cuban told GQ that any billionaire who says they could definitely start over from scratch is “lying their a– off.” That’s because a person also needs “luck” and good “timing” to run a highly lucrative company, particularly in the fast-moving tech industry.

If he’d been born three years earlier, he likely wouldn’t have the status that he has today, Cuban added.

Put simply, being in the right place at the right time, and having connections, can be as important as having the skills and experience.

People who benefit from luck the most have a few traits in common, according to Richard Wiseman, author of “The Luck Factor” and a psychology professor at the University of Hertfordshire.

1. They’re optimistic. Even when they find themselves in bleak circumstances, “lucky” people recognize that things “could have been far worse,” Wiseman wrote for CNBC Make It in 2022.
2. They always jump at new opportunities. Lucky people display an openness and adaptability that puts them in situations to network and make new connections, according to Wiseman.
3. They listen to their intuition. Too much time spent pondering can lead to “indecision,” he added, writing that lucky people tend to “make quick decisions …. By trusting their gut, they’re more likely to take action and expose themselves to new opportunities.”
4. They recover quickly from setbacks. This allows lucky people to remain positive when things don’t go how they’d hoped and “increases the likelihood of them continuing to live a lucky life,” according to Wiseman.

Embodying these four traits can help put you in a better position to make your goals a reality, he added.

The second and third traits in particular helped Mackie, who, in 2025, became a new face of the “Captain America” franchise, once led by former co-star Chris Evans.

“When you’re given a huge opportunity like that, you have to take into consideration that you might fail,” Mackie said. At first he was afraid, but he didn’t let that stop him. He had a network of mentors and supporters who could help, he realized: “I had to lean on those teachers and the people around me who got me to that point.”

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We’ve all done it. You’re in a meeting, on a date or even texting a friend, and two words slip into the conversation: “I think we should go with option A.” “I think we should see this movie.” “I think we should leave at 7.”

While “I think” can be harmless sprinkled in here and there, if you use it too often and in the wrong context, it can weaken your message, diminish your presence and undermine your confidence. 

“I think” is an example of minimizing language: words and phrases that soften your statements and make you seem less sure of yourself. Other common minimizing language includes “just,” “sorry” and “maybe.” 

While these words may seem polite, they can dilute your credibility and make your ideas easier to dismiss, especially in a professional context.

Instead of “I think,” swap in “I recommend.” Compare these two statements:

• “I think we should move the deadline.”
• “I recommend moving the deadline.”

The first feels hesitant, while the second feels authoritative and action-oriented. Even if the message you want to convey is exactly the same, your words carry more weight when framed as a recommendation rather than what can be interpreted as a passing thought.

DON’T MISS: How to start a side hustle to earn extra money

Here are a few examples of this swap in action at work and in life: 

• Instead of: “I think we should go with the second proposal.“
  Try: “I recommend we go with the second proposal.”
• Instead of: “I think we should prioritize this project.“
  Try: “I recommend prioritizing this project.”
• Instead of: “I think you should try this restaurant.“
  Try: “I recommend trying this restaurant.”
• Instead of:  “I think you should change your reservation.“
  Try: “I recommend changing your reservation.”

The shift is subtle but powerful. Saying “I recommend” instead of “I think” makes you sound more confident and decisive, gives you more influence, and ensures you’re seen as someone whose opinion matters.

There are times when it feels like you really should use “I think.” Perhaps you’re not confident in your recommendation, or you purposefully want to soften your message.

While it’s certainly a path you can take, you can still use “I recommend” in these situations — with a twist.

Preface your recommendation with an indication of what you’re drawing on to give it. For example:

• “Based on what I’ve seen, I recommend…”
• “Looking at the data, I’d recommend…”
• “From my experience, I’d recommend…”

This keeps your statement strong while acknowledging some uncertainty and leaving room for further discussion.

Any time you try to disrupt a pattern that’s deeply ingrained in your everyday conversations, it takes practice. Here are a few strategies you can try to break this particular communication habit:

1. Listen for it. Start noticing how often you say “I think,” and in what contexts it tends to pop up. It may surprise you how many times a day you use this phrase. 
2. Enlist help. Ask friends or peers to call it out when they hear it to help keep you accountable.
3. Pause before you speak. Speaking more slowly and adding pauses is already helpful when trying to appear more authoritative and confident. Now, you can also catch yourself when you’re about to say “I think” and give yourself enough time to swap it out.
4. Observe your writing. “I think” often creeps into our written communication too, especially quick messages over Slack or Teams. Take a second pass at your writing before hitting send to make sure you’re keeping things concise and using strong phrases like “I recommend.”

Confident communication isn’t just about what you say, it’s about how you say it. By swapping “I think” for “I recommend,” you’ll sound more authoritative at work — and come across as more self-assured in everyday life.

Lorraine K. Lee is an award-winning keynote speaker and CEO of RISE Learning Solutions. She’s also the best-selling author of “Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influencer, and Catapult Your Career,” which was named a must-read by the Next Big Idea Club. She teaches popular courses with LinkedIn Learning and Stanford Continuing Studies. Past clients include Zoom, Cisco, LinkedIn, ASICS, McKinsey & Company, and many others.

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Depending on your work history and other savings, Social Security income may be a crucial part of your retirement strategy.

In fact, 77% of current retirees in the U.S. rely on Social Security income to make ends meet, according to a recent Bankrate survey. But not everyone gets the same amount.

In Connecticut, for example, retirement beneficiaries receive an average payment of $2,114 a month, the most in the country, according to the latest available Social Security Administration data. Beneficiaries in Mississippi receive the lowest average payment of $1,756 a month.

It’s worth noting that averages can be skewed by a small pool of beneficiaries receiving more or less than the bulk of recipients. In Alaska and New Mexico, for example, the average retiree benefit is more than $100 greater than each state’s median payment, which tends to be more representative of each place’s retiree population.

While averages can be useful to get a picture of the Social Security payments in your state overall, your individual monthly retirement benefit depends on three major factors:

1. How long you work at jobs where you paid Social Security taxes, including self-employment
2. The income you receive during those years
3. The age you decide to start collecting benefits

The factor you generally have the most control over is when you start collecting benefits.

Your full retirement age depends on when you were born; for Americans born in 1960 and later, it’s 67 years old. But you can start claiming Social Security retirement benefits as early as 62.

However, doing so could lose you up to 30% of your maximum benefit, according to the Social Security Administration. Your benefit is reduced based on the number of months between when you start claiming and your full retirement age.

You can alternatively choose to delay benefits until age 70, in which case your monthly payment will go up. Your benefits increase by 8% every year you delay claiming until your 70th birthday.

Say someone who had worked steadily since 22 started collecting benefits at 62, receiving monthly payments of around $2,830. If they had waited until age 70 to start claiming benefits, their monthly payment would have been over $5,000, according to data from the SSA.

If you’re curious how much your own benefit may be, you can create an account on the SSA website and download your personal statement to see what you’ve earned so far and what your benefits could look like in retirement.

And below, check out the average and median monthly payments retirees receive from Social Security in every state.

• Average monthly payment: $1,856
• Median monthly payment: $1,794

• Average monthly payment: $1,837
• Median monthly payment: $1,733

• Average monthly payment: $1,949
• Median monthly payment: $1,913

• Average monthly payment: $1,790
• Median monthly payment: $1,717

• Average monthly payment: $1,866
• Median monthly payment: $1,767

• Average monthly payment: $1,958
• Median monthly payment: $1,898

• Average monthly payment: $2,114
• Median monthly payment: $2,084

• Average monthly payment: $2,090
• Median monthly payment: $2,064

• Average monthly payment: $1,894
• Median monthly payment: $1,839

• Average monthly payment: $1,859
• Median monthly payment: $1,789

• Average monthly payment: $1,908
• Median monthly payment: $1,854

• Average monthly payment: $1,880
• Median monthly payment: $1,829

• Average monthly payment: $1,934
• Median monthly payment: $1,908

• Average monthly payment: $1,966
• Median monthly payment: $1,953

• Average monthly payment: $1,921
• Median monthly payment: $1,884

• Average monthly payment: $1,982
• Median monthly payment: $1,930

• Average monthly payment: $1,803
• Median monthly payment: $1,748

• Average monthly payment: $1,759
• Median monthly payment: $1,674

• Average monthly payment: $1,816
• Median monthly payment: $1,741

• Average monthly payment: $2,054
• Median monthly payment: $2,008

• Average monthly payment: $2,003
• Median monthly payment: $1,946

• Average monthly payment: $1,997
• Median monthly payment: $2,005

• Average monthly payment: $2,016
• Median monthly payment: $1,982

• Average monthly payment: $1,756
• Median monthly payment: $1,673

• Average monthly payment: $1,869
• Median monthly payment: $1,883

• Average monthly payment: $1,817
• Median monthly payment: $1,751

• Average monthly payment: $1,937
• Median monthly payment: $1,880

• Average monthly payment: $1,843
• Median monthly payment: $1,785

• Average monthly payment: $2,094
• Median monthly payment: $2,039

• Average monthly payment: $2,110
• Median monthly payment: $2,100

• Average monthly payment: $1,799
• Median monthly payment: $1,696

• Average monthly payment: $1,951
• Median monthly payment: $1,914

• Average monthly payment: $1,909
• Median monthly payment: $1,832

• Average monthly payment: $1,856
• Median monthly payment: $1,795

• Average monthly payment: $1,858
• Median monthly payment: $1,854

• Average monthly payment: $1,856
• Median monthly payment: $1,795

• Average monthly payment: $1,918
• Median monthly payment: $1,867

• Average monthly payment: $1,979
• Median monthly payment: $1,946

• Average monthly payment: $1,972
• Median monthly payment: $1,923

• Average monthly payment: $1,926
• Median monthly payment: $1,865

• Average monthly payment: $1,848
• Median monthly payment: $1,780

• Average monthly payment: $1,890
• Median monthly payment: $1,822

• Average monthly payment: $1,865
• Median monthly payment: $1,776

• Average monthly payment: $1,988
• Median monthly payment: $1,939

• Average monthly payment: $1,961
• Median monthly payment: $1,883

• Average monthly payment: $1,985
• Median monthly payment: $1,906

• Average monthly payment: $2,022
• Median monthly payment: $1,992

• Average monthly payment: $1,839
• Median monthly payment: $1,807

• Average monthly payment: $1,957
• Median monthly payment: $1,932

• Average monthly payment: $1,950
• Median monthly payment: $1,908

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For Jeffrey Bland, functional medicine has been “a lifetime of work,” he says. In the 1980s, Bland worked for two-time Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling at the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine, where the focus was on determining what role, if any, vitamins and other macronutrients played in bettering health and preventing disease.

Bland was so impressed with the LPI’s work, that in 1990 he launched the Institute for Functional Medicine in Seattle, Wash. to expand on their research with his wife, Susan.

Functional medicine is “looking at the cause of disease, not just what we call it and how we diagnose it, but also where it came from,” Bland tells CNBC Make It.

With his fellow researchers, Bland set out to answer a question that could change the approach to healthcare: “Could we move to a form of healthcare where we’re spending more time worrying about and focusing on how to keep a person from being sick than just treating the sick downstream?”

Developing that type of healthcare and sharing the framework with health professionals became Bland’s focus for more than 30 years, and led to the launch of Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute, of which he is the founder and president. He spoke to CNBC Make It during the week of his 79th birthday, and shared some lessons that he’s learned from his research and life experiences.

“It’s been an extraordinary 79 years,” Bland, who is known as the “father of functional medicine,” says.

“At this age, you start to learn your body. Hopefully you’ve had enough years in it to start to have some wisdom about the things that are good for you, and the things that are not so good for you. So I have some rules.”

1. I don’t have relationships with anybody I don’t like.
2. I don’t engage in conversations that I think are degrading.
3. I don’t go places I feel I shouldn’t be or do things that are not in my long-term, best interest.
4. There’s no excuse that I have to say that I’m having a bad day because I’m completely in charge of my day. Instead, I ask what I can do to make it better.
5. I try to remember that my presence here is to be of service to others.

In addition to those five rules, Bland also has daily practices that he says help to keep him in good health. Currently, he is focused on his sleep: “I try to make sure that when we’re traveling, that I don’t overstress, and I get the proper rest.”

Bland is also extremely mindful of his diet, and takes Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat supplements and omega-3 fatty acids every day.

Throughout his life, Bland has prioritized time with his family, and “traveled over 6 million miles,” which has allowed him to meet many people.

“I try to say, ‘Okay, how can we stretch this good run? How do we make sure that we’re not just talking the story, but we’re walking the talk?’”

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In “Seinfeld,” actor Jason Alexander plays Jerry’s neurotic, albeit lovable, friend who is shoddily employed and constantly fumbling romantic courtships. While filming the show, Alexander’s love life was panning out quite differently.

The actor was happily married to his wife Daena Title, and has remained so for more than 40 years. The two moved in together three weeks after meeting and were wed shortly afterwards in 1982.

Recently, Alexander opened up about the key to their long-lasting union.

“I’m married to a woman who lives this thing that I first heard of in ‘A Raisin of the Sun,’” he said on the Today Show. “It’s kind of quoted there, but she does it. It goes something like this: On my worst day, she remembers me on my best day and beckons me back.”

He continued on to say, “If you have a partner who can do that, because we all have worst days, you don’t give up on that partner.”

What Alexander is describing could be seen as a form of something renowned clinical psychologists John and Julie Gottman call doing “repairs.”

The Gottmans have interviewed more than 3,000 couples and followed some for as long as 20 years. They have also studied more than 40,000 couples who are about to begin couples therapy.

In the midst of a fight, making a repair means taking a beat, remembering that you and your partner are on the same team, and then asking them a question that shows you still see them as a person.

This could be as simple as saying “Do you want a cup of coffee?”

“The couples who really were successful a few years down the road were the ones who made repairs,” Julie Gottman said in an interview. “They made repairs when their partner didn’t receive a bid for connection. They made repairs if they said the wrong thing, [if] they blurted out the wrong thing.” 

By reminding Alexander that on his worst days she still remembers the person he is on his best, Title is making a bid for connection and showing that she still values their partnership.

And, as Alexander expressed on the Today Show, this is a rare quality.

“I am a lucky man,” he said.

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