Creating Your Own Luck

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The word “luck” gets thrown around a lot on this holiday, and it does appear that some people are more lucky than others. There is no doubt that lucky things do happen to us sometimes, but the people who appear the most lucky? From the outside they might appear to just be fortunate, but those people make their OWN luck. Here’s five things to try today to make yourself more “lucky”:

  1. Start thinking of yourself as lucky! Maybe you haven’t won the lottery, but you are alive and reading this, so you must have some kind of “luck” right? Maybe you get the last donut at your favorite bakery, maybe you get to witness the first blooms of spring, maybe it’s feeling the grass beneath your feet or the sun on your face.  Start focusing on the things that you do get to experience- not just the traditionally lucky things-  and you will start seeing luck all around you!
  1. Forget about superstition. Constantly thinking that things are a “bad omen” or that certain trivial actions can cause completely unrelated bad things to happen wastes mental energy, gives you a negative outlook, and sets you up for failure. If you constantly look for bad things to happen, they will. I broke a mirror a few years ago, and I am not doomed to seven years of bad luck- so many positive things have happened in my life since! If you THINK you will fail, you probably will!
  1. Take some time to connect with friends and family. You might think to yourself “I am so lucky to have this person in my life”. And while you might be partially right, think to yourself instead for just a moment- what did YOU do that cultivated that relationship that you are so lucky to have? If someone loves you, wants to spend time with you, and thinks you are special (and you probably are), it is because of YOU. You are the reason people love you! Put a little bit of extra care into your existing (non-toxic, don’t waste your time on people who bring you down) relationships, and you will see that luck abound! 
  1. Try new things! You never know if you are good at something until you try. If you’ve found a new activity that you love, funnel your time and effort into that. Doing so will make you better at it, and makes it more likely that you’ll succeed, which seems pretty darn lucky, but really it’s about the effort you put in- with enough practice and discipline you’ll see the rewards of your hard work!
  1. Take the initiative to improve. You know the old saying, “Fortune favors the bold”? Or maybe you’ve heard Wayne Gretzki’s famous quote, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”? No matter how you look at it, you increase your odds of “winning” by simply  stepping up to the plate or taking the initiative!

Hope everyone has a “lucky” day!