Some
people seem to have all the luck. They are lucky in love,
in finances, in their career. They always seem to be happy;
their lives are full and meaningful. In contrast, we also
know people who seem to have nothing but rotten luck. Nothing
ever seems to go right for them; if there is a pile of doggy-doo
anywhere near, they will step in it. So is it really luck?
Can we have an effect on the things that happen to us in our
lives? How is it that some people "have it" and some people
don't? Many consider luck elusive; an unpredictable, uncontrollable
force of nature. Some people even use it as an excuse for
lack of momentum or performance. We can't seem to catch a
break. What if there was another way to look at it?
In
my coaching practice, I coach business leaders to practice
the power of thinking positively about their life in order
to bring about more positive outcomes. Bad things happen to
everyone. It's not the unfortunate event that defines us;
it is the way we choose to react to that event that determines
our level of success. By believing that we can have an impact
on our day to day happiness and success, we take an ownership
role in accomplishing it. This way, we are not at the mercy
of luck, or the lack of it.
If
we look at the people who seem to have all the luck, and compare
them to those who continually live in turmoil, we will see
significant differences in the mindset and actions of each.
There is a distinct connection between a person's mindset
and the actions they take. People who believe that they have
no control over the situations that arise in their lives take
on the mentality of a victim. Don't be a victim; there is
a better way!
Richard
Wiseman, head of a psychology research department at the University
of Hertfordshire in England conducted a 10 year study on Luck.
In his book The Luck Factor: Changing Your Luck, Changing
Your Life: The Four Essential Principles (Miramax 2003), Wiseman
reveals the results of the study. He concludes that we indeed
can create good fortune in our lives by following these four
principles:
1.
Maximize Chance Opportunities
Lucky
people are skilled at creating, noticing, and acting upon
chance opportunities. They do this in various ways, which
include building and maintaining a strong network, adopting
a relaxed attitude to life, and being open to new experiences.
2.
Listen to Your Lucky Hunches
Lucky
people make effective decisions by listening to their intuition
and gut feelings. They also take steps to actively boost their
intuitive abilities -- for example, by meditating and clearing
their minds of other thoughts.
