If you’re someone who believes that luck is a matter of chance and has nothing to do with your own will and choice, well, it’s time to change your mind. No, we’re not going to talk about lucky charms or all sorts of superstitions (they don’t work, alas). Richard Wiseman, a British psychologist, has studied this phenomenon and proved we can actually influence luck. Follow his tips, and you’ll learn how to become very fortunate.
For most people, luck is sudden, unexpected, and indefinable. It’s something they either believe in or not. But recent research by Richard Wiseman has shown that there are particular patterns all lucky things and losers have in their behavior, lifestyle, and mindset.
Here are Mr. Wiseman’s ideas that will tell you a lot about the psychological aspect of luck.
Richard Wiseman has studied the phenomenon of luck, and, surprisingly, he proved that people are not born lucky or unlucky. According to his research paper “The Luck Factor,” good fortune is not a kind of magic — it’s mostly your attitude. Lucky people tend to be more open-minded, smiling, and easy-going, while poor underdogs live deep in their anxiety, look tense, and feel unhappy. It all affects the decisions both groups make, the opportunities they seize, and the luck they get.
To increase the amount of good luck in the world, Mr. Wiseman even opened the Luck School, sharing certain exercises and tricks. Ready for an experiment? Try them!
1. Maximize opportunities.
We all know people who constantly complain about getting fewer opportunities. It’s why they’re not successful at work, can’t meet a perfect partner, or don’t fulfill their dreams. But the major problem is their inattentiveness and fear of taking risks. Being too focused on what you have (or don’t have) in your life distracts your attention from finding, trying, and creating cool new stuff.
What to do? Keep your eyes and mind open. Don’t wait for things to happen. Be the master of your life, and don’t fear the unknown.
2. Listen to hunches.
Getting on well with your subconsciousness can also make you luckier. Fortunate people always listen to the signals their body and mind send, and they learn how to read them properly. However, the fortuneless are too anxious to notice a gut feeling and are afraid to rely on their intuition.
What to do? Clear your mind of all the usual doubts and anxiety, and try to become good friends with your inner voice by, for example, meditating.
3. Expect good luck.
“Luck is believing you are lucky.” This attitude helps most people stay positive and optimistic no matter what. You might say it looks like self-delusion as so many bad things happen, and it’s just impossible to be always lucky! In a way, yes, it is true. But as you can’t be 100% sure you won’t get lucky, why not allow yourself some good expectations? Moreover, staying positive helps you to cope with failures and to not give up.
What to do? Instead of wasting your energy on expecting the bad, use it in a more positive way.
4. Turn bad luck into good.
Left your umbrella at home on a rainy day? It’s the perfect moment to turn on romantic music and feel at one with nature! Tore your T-shirt? Maybe it’s time to renew your wardrobe or get creative and attach a patch.
That’s how lucky people think. Believing in good luck is not enough for them — they just deny the existence of misfortunes. Crazy, right? But there is no delusion in these cases. They play the hand they are dealt and don’t complain.
What to do? Don’t dwell on bad luck. Find positivity everywhere!
Serendipity: another superstition?
Yet we can’t control everything. A lot of fortunate people believe that luck can’t be attracted or influenced, but you can still increase your chances by influencing serendipity. They say in order to raise the prospects of lucky chances, they use the following techniques:
- They change their daily routine by taking different roads to the same place or eating in different restaurants.
- They meet people in various environments.
- They work on new and unusual tasks.
All these things broaden the borders of your ordinary life and give more space for new opportunities, which we all now know you should catch right away!
