Some Gals Have All the Luck: How to Create Your Own Good Luck

You probably know a few. These gals marry the millionaire. Meet the talent agent in the drugstore. Stroll off into the Tahitian sunset with the guy who looks like Tom Cruise.

Why does the Wheel of Fortune seem to always land on the winning numbers for some and not others? Is it luck of the draw? Divine decree? Sure, your charmed galpals were in the right place at the right time. But how'd they get to the right place in the first place?

One researcher thinks he knows. He's Richard Wiseman, PhD of the University of Hertfordshire, UK. Dr. Wiseman been studying the lucky and the not-so. He discovered the lucky among us don't really think they're doing anything differently. They've just developed attitudes and habits that pay off in good fortune. His conclusion? A great deal of what you may consider 'luck' results from your own actions. In fact, good luck is a skill-set you can learn. So, start the Wheel of Fortune spinning in your direction with these four lucky attitudes:

? Expect good fortune

? Follow intutive hunches

? Turn bad luck into good

? Create chance opportunities

Dr. Wiseman set up an experiment in which 80 people went to 'luck school.' Over the course of two years, they were taught the four attitudes. When they first started, 50% considered themselves unlucky, 40% as neither, and 10% as lucky After only one month, 80% reported their luck had gotten better.

Great Expectations

? Imagine and visualize success

? Keep on keeping on when facing failure

? Attract other winners to your team

Lucky people naturally assume everything will work out well, even when events appear otherwise. It's a 'self-fulfilling prophecy.' Expect to do well, and you're more likely to strike out on new ventures. Expect to fail, and you give up even before you begin. A positive drive keeps you pumped up when you run into roadblocks.You also inspire others with your upbeat attitude, drawing other winners to you and encouraging them to support your projects.

How can you create great expectations? Paint positive pictures in your mind and feel your dreams fully, as if they were real right now. Take a test run of any upcoming important opportunity, such as an audition or exam. Find a quiet spot, close your eyes, and start to picture the event clearly and completely in your mind's eye. Visualize the sights, sounds, surroundings, and people. Feel the positive outcome by imagining your elation when you land the part or ace the exam. Feel that happy glow and how fantastic it will be to tell your family and friends about your triumph.

Dr. Weisman also recommends starting a 'luck journal.' Write down your daily lucky breaks and positive outcomes-and only those, no tales of woe, please.

LISTEN TO AND FOLLOW YOUR GUT FEELINGS

? Boost intuition by clearing mind and meditating

? Use discernment

? Listen to and act on your instincts

You've had that instant 'hit' that someone you've just met is-or isn't-to be trusted. That gut feeling you get-creepy and queasy or warm and fuzzy-is your unconscious mind speaking. Listen. You'll do well to heed the call. Lucky people do. They not only listen, they also act, instinctively attracting the right partners in personal and business relationships, and knowing where to invest their nest egg.

Learning to listening to your intuition is easy. Sit still for a few minutes in a quiet place or calm your mind with a meditation technique. Discernment is important in the process. Do you trust your past experience to guide you? Listen carefully, then act wisely. A note to those with grandiose schemes: Going by the gut works best with people, not lottery numbers.

TURN BAD LUCK INTO GOOD ? LEMONADE, ANYONE?

? "It coulda been worse"

? Don't dwell on misfortune

? Take charge of bad luck and thrive

It's called 'counterfactual thinking,' according to Dr. Wiseman. The degree to which you think something is lucky or not is the degree to which you come up with other scenarios that are better or worse. Delusional? Calling sow's ear a silk purse? Not really. It's merely learning from experience and mistakes.

You may have no control over certain chance events like accidents or illnesses, but you do have ultimate control over your response. The fortunate among us don't constantly complain "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all." Instead, they consider the worst-case scenario, and move on. Rather than dwelling the down times, lucky people always see the silver lining and are convinced things will work out for the best in the long term.

Dr. Wiseman found that when experiment participants were told to imagine they had slipped on the stairs and sprained an ankle, the "unlucky" ones considered it very unfortunate. The "lucky" ones said, "Whew, I could have broken my neck!"

Once you've taught yourself to be lucky, you bounce back more easily and readily. You'll also find yourself taking steps to prevent more bad luck in the future, and if misfortune rears her ugly head, you're resourceful enough to step around and carry on.

CREATE CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES ? YOU DESERVE A LUCKY BREAK TODAY

? Build and maintain a strong network

? Be open to new experiences

? Relax

Lucky people's lives are filled with fortunate events. The right mindset will take you to the right place at the right time.This is where a little bit of planning and paving the yellow brick road comes in: Dr. Wiseman recommends 'networking' to maximize your chances for good luck. Get out there and spend more time with friends, smile at people, and yes-contrary to your mother's advice-do talk with strangers. Then stay connected. You never know where a chance encounter will take you.

Don't get stuck in a rut. You're more apt to spot an lucky break when you're out of your 'comfort zone.' So, try eating at different restaurants or taking another way to work, for instance. Above all, just relax. You don't need to rush around chasing opportunities. In fact, a frenzied approach can blind you to the lucky breaks, like meeting the love of your life in the checkout line. And then, you too may be strolling off into the Tahitian sunset with the guy who looks like Tom Cruise.

To learn more, read Dr. Wiseman's book, The Luck Factor: Changing Your Luck, Changing Your Life: The Four Essential Principles (Miramax, 2003).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For more than two decades, P J Smith has been motivated to write and writing to motivate. Today, she's the motivational word wizard in residence at http://www.wordbrains.com/. Her work has also been published in newspapers and magazines, and seen on public television. She's a student of psychology, Reconnective Therapy, Flower of Life-and life. Let P J inspire and inform your audience. Find out more at http://www.wordbrains.com/.

---

Isnt It Time to Give Yourself Permission?

Remember back in school days when you needed a permission slip to do almost anything outside of the classroom? Things like simply being able to visit the washroom, attend a sports meeting or... Read More

To Be Or Not To Be, Visible That Is...

Stepping outside your old limitations and 'out of the box' of suppression, habits, and old family patterns, you open yourself to a newer, freer form of expression. This form is more expansive and... Read More

Aspirations Worth Their Weight in Platinum

"To succeed, planning alone is insufficient. One must improve as well." - Isaac AsimovNo matter what your goal is in life, be it a professional secretary or the leader of an important association;... Read More

Brainology... Lets Start Learning Something Everyday, Every Moment

Every normal human being learn in his life's each and every minute. He is gaining experience every moment. If he starts transcribing his thoughts daily (once a day) in his life, he will... Read More

What Next?

When we are faced with making a change we often feel like we don't know what to do. The kicker is that USUALLY we do know what to do - it just happens... Read More

How Do You Attract Opportunity Into Your Life?

Someone recently asked me the question: "How can I have more opportunities come into my life?" Good question, but I think my answer surprised them a bit.I bypassed the obvious (and necessary) points... Read More

Knowledge is Power... So, Keep Your Mouth Closed To Keep It From Getting Away!

Did you ever wonder why it sometimes seems that communications is lacking within an organization or corporate culture? It is one of those frustrating situations that appear to put a halt to positive... Read More

Do You Have Your Best Life?

For many years I had a good life. My illness was reasonably under control, I had a nice relationship with my husband, I did work I didn't hate. It was, as I said,... Read More

The Journey to a State Called Authentic

Sometimes when I refer to the Authentic Self, I receive confused looks. Can you imagine? Authentic is a word which is commonly used to describe an article or concept as genuine. When I... Read More

What Love and Money Have in Common

How many of us have ever felt that we've thrown our love away on some undeserving and ungrateful lover? Have you ever found yourself muttering something about an ex that included the words... Read More

My Eight Success Secrets

These eight success secrets apply to anything you do in life, not just to doing business offline or online.First: LOVE is the foundation of everything--love for whatever you do and for others. "To... Read More

To Be More Attractive? Zap The Tolerations!

Imagine there is an event that will take place in a town many miles from where you live. Your car needs an oil change. But, your life schedule has been very full,... Read More

Follow Your Dream

If you have a dream, follow it. No matter how wild, outrageous, and improbable it may seem. If possible travel on your journey with friends who will support you. Friendship can keep your... Read More

Manifest Your Desires Using Natural Hypnosis

Seth, the very high level, spiritual teacher and guide channeled many years ago by Jane Roberts, impressed me with his great wisdom and I started applying his exercises and concepts as soon as... Read More

Why These Berkeley Scientists Were Baffled!

Breakthrough Scientific Research on the Amoeba And Why You Must Know This!I know this sounds incredible but you must read this. It happened last night at about 1:00 AM EST. I was making... Read More

Emotional Alchemy

See if this scenario sounds familiar. You're under a lot of stress. You feel irritable, angry, or depressed, and you wish with all your heart that you could "snap out of it" but... Read More

My Assignment ... If You Didnt Create It, Then Its Not Yours!

Life consists of lessons. Living is continual learning. Therefore, if you take on someone else's issues and responsibilities, or lessons, would that not be classified as cheating? Are you not cheating yourself out... Read More

Self Improvement and Self Growth

Nowadays the terms self-improvement, self-growth and self-help have become popular. We find many books about these subjects and many websites too. It seems that people are turning inside to find the solution to... Read More

How to Get Rich

Got your attention, didn't I? I figured that title would get you to sit up in your chair and take notice. How to get rich? Hmmmm, let's take a second and think about... Read More

Blushing

Blushing can be a curse. Blushers experience a range of effects, including loss of confidence and fear of meeting new people. Blushing is an interesting phenomenon, as there is no generally accepted psychological... Read More

Pheromones Myth or Fact. Do Pheromones Work?

I did a quick search on the Internet for pheromones.Pheromones are chemicals released by an organism into its environment enabling it to communicate with other in its own species. There are many different... Read More

What are You Creating?

Before you left school, did any of your teachers sit you down, and ask: 'How will you use your unique gifts in the world? Did they even explore the term 'unique gift' with... Read More

How to Escape Out of Thought Traps?

Have you ever been really sure about something, only to find out you were mistaken?Did you notice how you operated "as if" you were correct? You may have even seen, heard, touched, tasted,... Read More

The Path of Appreciation

Without appreciation, any success you have will be in vain and worthless. Yes, you would have accomplished your goals but it would be an empty win.How do you start on the path of... Read More

The Power of Perspective

You limit yourself. Yes, it is true. Each day you behave in much the same way as you have always done. You act out your habitual ways of dealing with people, and you... Read More

Abundance or Scarcity: What Belief Do You Choose to Engage?

For the last several years, I have included on my email signature the following salutation "Peace and Abundance." This is a daily reminder that my success begins with how I engage my beliefs.... Read More

Five Ways To Create On Purpose By Living In The Moment

What can you do to really immerse yourself into living more consciously every day? "We look backward too much and we look forward too much; thus we miss the only eternity of... Read More

A Story Of Unbelievable Persistence

Dick and Jay sat on the ground outside the shed. The rain pelted down on them. They stared in disbelief at the lake of mud all around them. The Piper Cub slumped in... Read More

Affirmations - Anxiety & Panic

Using affirmations can be a very powerful tool. You can use it in many aspects of your life to achieve certain goals and to ultimately effect the way YOU want to feel. Using... Read More