“Luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation” – Seneca

Ever since the dawn of time, Luck has been considered to be one of those elusive yet cherished ideals that could potentially transform the trajectory of our lives. Almost all of us would love to have a little pixie dust sprinkled upon us so that we could experience those serendipitous strokes of good fortune.

Yet we often perceive luck to be this blessed external force that only touches the lives of the privileged. At some point, we have all wished that we could be as Lucky as someone else. This favored group may include lottery winners, people married to trophy husbands or wives, and heirs to big family fortunes.

The superstitious have invented all sorts of rituals and artifacts to attract lady luck into their personal space. Every culture has developed its own unique, age-old traditions. The Chinese believe that painting their door red will invite good fortune. Getting a body tattoo in Tahitian culture is said to bring luck and protection. The Italians believe that tossing coins into fountains could make your wishes come true.

The recent craze about the metaphysical principle known as The Law of Attraction, which was greatly popularized by the best-selling phenomenon, The Secret, propagated the idea that with sufficient clarity and focus on any dream, we could easily materialize them into our reality. In other words, we can attract luck into our lives through the power of our mind and the potency of our emotions.

As appealing as these practices and principles are, they are mere supplements to the real behavior patterns that lead to lasting success. While rituals may have a positive impact on our outcomes because of the placebo effect, it is not enough. The truth is that luck is something that is absolutely in our hands, which we can easily influence through the decisions and actions that we take in our daily lives.

In his book, The Luck Factor, Richard Wiseman shares his findings from the years of research he conducted to demystify the inexplicable magic that apparently surround the lucky folk. He states that when it comes to random events such as the lottery, your attitude and level of expectations count for little. However, life by nature is not like a lottery – our decisions and behavior make a huge difference.

Our expectations will affect whether or not we try something new, how we interact with others, and how we persist in the face of failure. These key characteristics, along with other ways of thinking, have a dramatic and direct impact on the amount of luck that we will experience during the course of our lives.

Here are some of the qualities and traits that have been consistently demonstrated by the individuals who are generally considered to be lucky, and which can be easily incorporated into our character constellation:

1. They are open to new opportunities: Lucky people have an exceptional ability to spot lucrative opportunities. Their keen attention to details, coupled with a relaxed disposition, enables them to notice and take advantage of openings and offers that could potentially open doors for them. If opportunities do not come knocking on their doors, they play an active role in creating new opportunities for themselves.
2. They are willing to take calculated risks: When faced with new opportunities, lucky folk use their discretion and emotional strength to take a leap of faith. They are willing to roll the dice and take well calculated gambles on their dreams. In general, they are prone to seek variety and new experiences, and have a high tolerance for unpredictability and uncertainty while waiting for an outcome. This boosts their capacity to take risks and live outside the narrow confines of convention and traditions.
3. They are optimistic about outcomes: Lucky people have positive expectations about their future and remain optimistic about the efforts they invest into their personal vision. They do not allow failure and challenges to derail their efforts, and they strive to see the silver lining in every dark cloud that passes by. In fact, they have an exceptional gift for turning any negative turn of events in their favor.
4. They know how to turn the odds in their favor: Just because lucky individuals are optimistic about potential outcomes, does not mean that they are naïve Pollyanna-types who have lost touch with reality. They are well aware of the odds in each situation by using their knowledge and intuition to gauge the viability of every opportunity. Even if their chances for success are slim, they are willing to put in the work and position themselves to be in the right place and at the right time to turn the odds in their favor. They also try to learn from their mistakes so that they can take steps to avoid repeating them.
5. They are master networkers: Superior people skills and a palpable social magnetism makes lucky people excellent network builders. Their personal charm and amicable mannerisms draw various kinds of people towards them. This increases the probability of them having chance encounters with clients, partners and personal connections that could have a beneficial impact on their career and relationships.

If you think about it, we are all born out of a stroke of luck. Scientists have discovered that the probability of your being born is about one in 400 trillion! The fact that you are alive is a miracle, and you can easily channel this fortuitous energy from your center if you allow it to flow in all its glorious abundance.

All my best on your journey,

Seline

Question for you: What are some steps you can take to increase your luck? What do you believe is the role of luck in success?

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