Do you feel that there were times in your life when luck shone down upon you?
Many successful people feel that their success had an element of luck.
Media icon Oprah Winfrey has said that “nothing but the hand of God has made…[my success] possible for me”[i].
Mega-entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban admits that “life is half random…[and that] being a billionaire requires a lot of luck, a lot of great timing”[ii].
Operating under a lucky star, e-commerce titan Jeff Bezos gives credit to “planetary-alignment” [iii] for his monumental success.
Attracting good fortune
While it’s possible that attracting good fortune is something that comes naturally to certain people, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be proactive about attracting more luck your way.
Luck results from your mindset and the actions that you take. A UK psychologist did a 10-year scientific study of 400 volunteers who self-identified themselves as being consistently very lucky or very unlucky in life. The aim of the study was to determine what mindset and behaviors, if any, promoted good luck.
The results of this scientific study were that you can increase your luck by doing 4 things:
The first thing is to be optimistic. If you have a mindset of expecting good things, you will feel more relaxed and confident.
The second thing is to notice opportunities. By feeling more relaxed and confident, you will be more observant of what’s going on around you. You will notice opportunities that you may not have otherwise paid attention to. Additionally, you will be more likely to want to broaden your horizons by going to new places, meeting new people and getting involved in new activities – which in turn will bring you even more opportunities!
Once you have opportunities to consider, the third thing is to listen to your intuition. Even if you are not quite sure why you are drawn to or are not keen on certain opportunities, don’t just dismiss those feelings. They are your inner compass guiding you toward opportunities that will be good for you.
The last thing is to see the silver lining. If something isn’t going well in your life, a way to keep thriving is to recognize that you are still fortunate in other ways, and also that something good can come out of a bad situation. People who identify with being lucky always see a silver lining.
Worldwide wisdom
The following are some proverbs from around the world that provide wisdom about where luck comes from, its responsibilities and whether or how it can be shared:
“If you always give, you will always have” – Chinese
“What you give, you get ten times over” – West African
“A good name is a rich inheritance” – German
“Unto whom much is given, much is required” – American
“Unexpected good fortune gets more appreciation” – Sicilian
“No matter how tall your grandfather was, you have to do your own growing” – Irish
“Parents can give their children everything except good luck” – Yiddish
“Don’t travel under another’s lucky star” – Swahili
About the author:
Elizabeth Creates is a Legacy Coach and Motivational Speaker.
She is a lawyer by background, and has worked in the wealth management industry for over 20 years helping individuals and families to align their financial life to their well-being. Her motivational speaking is focused on creating your legacy by living your best life.
She is based in Toronto and can be reached at [email protected].
[i] “The Oprah Winfrey Show Finale” published on May 25, 2011 on Oprah.com
[ii] “Billionaire Mark Cuban shares ‘the meaning of life’ in 4 words” by Ali Montag for CNBC Make It, May 23, 2018.
[iii] “Inside the Mind of Jeff Bezos” by Alan Deutschman for Fast Company, August 1, 2004.