Ask anyone about a time in their life when they caught a lucky break. Chances are, they’ll have a fun story to tell. We’ve all experienced events in our lives that were unlikely but ended up in our favor. On that note, most of us know someone in our lives who just seems lucky.
This begs the question, can luck be cultivated? Are there things you can do to be more lucky? Turns out, you can.
Luck is one of those things that people resist defining, possibly out of fear of scaring it away. But, we all know luck when we see it. Those times you drop something expensive and it doesn’t break, luck. Winning a contest, luck. Being chosen for a special opportunity, luck. Or is it?
Truly random occurrences can’t be influenced, so when something randomly lucky happens, embrace it. With all other luck, it actually comes down to living your life in such a way that “good things” keep happening.
…it actually comes down to living your life in such a way that “good things” keep happening.
Is it lucky to make it to an important meeting on time? If you are chronically late it might be. But, for someone who planned ahead, it’s their planning paying off. Is it lucky to know where your keys, phone, and wallet are before leaving the house? If you are always losing them, it is. If you have a place for them and always put them away, then it’s an automatic win. Is it luck that you just happened to have an umbrella in your car when the rain started? Or did you look at the forecast that morning and make sure it was there where you needed it.
For those who tend to be organized, being able to find things or have what they need when they need it, doesn’t feel like luck to them. It’s just how they live their life.
Create your own luck
Think through the last few experiences you’ve had that you thought were lucky. Maybe it was finding something weird in your purse or car that you needed. Maybe it was returning a library book before fines started stacking up. Is there a system you could put in place where you could always be “lucky” when it comes to that one thing?
The solution could be as easy as putting important reminders on your calendar, setting out shoes and coats the day before, or checking the fridge before you leave on errands to see if you need to pick anything up. Then, when you have what you need when you need it, you can consider yourself lucky to be prepared.
When it comes to opportunities, those who work really hard and are constantly putting themselves out there tend to encounter more than those who sit back and wait for unique opportunities to come their way. A “lucky” person tries hundreds of different things and perhaps one turns out amazing. An “unlucky” person might suffer from decision-making paralysis and struggle to do a handful of things.
It runs in the family
When it comes to my family, I tend to be the practical planner and my hubby is the one who always prepares for the worst-case scenario. I’ll remember the snacks and jackets and other things necessary to do whatever adventure we’ve set out on, and he’ll pack up the first aid kit in case someone gets attacked by a bear or falls off a cliff. Together we make a great team.
On most of our adventures, we thankfully never need the handy items in his backpack. But, in the rare cases where someone does need a bandaid or splinter removed, we consider ourselves lucky that Dad is always prepared.
Discussion Question: What’s something that’s happened to you that you consider lucky?
