Do you consider yourself lucky? Or are you the sort of person who can never get the breaks? Listen to this song by (the amazing) Chet Baker and ask yourself – does that sound like me? Do you get the measles and the mumps?
What makes some people lucky and some people unlucky? One man, Richard Wiseman, conducted a study to find out. A big part of luck, he argues, is simply catching chance opportunities as a result of being open to them. He recruited volunteers who self-identified as lucky or unlucky and then conducted multiple personality and intelligence tests, which revealed that unlucky people tend to be much more tense than lucky people, and that anxiety disrupts people’s ability to notice the unexpected. Unlucky people tend to miss opportunities because they go to parties, intent to meet their perfect partner (and so miss out on making wonderful friends) or they look through newspapers for a specific job advertisement and miss the other amazing job options. Lucky people tend to be more relaxed and open.
The good thing about this is that luck is a learned skill that can be acquired! Unlucky people can become lucky, and lucky people can become even luckier. As an experiment, Wiseman created a “luck school” – a month-long series of experiments designed to help students think and behave like a lucky person. Following this experiment, 80% of people were happier, more satisfied with their lives, and luckier.
How do you become luckier? Wiseman lists 3 techniques that lucky people tend to practice and that unlucky people can learn (yay!):
1. Follow your intuition when making a choice rather than solely focusing on the rational side of the situation.
2. Step out of your routine. Take a different route to work, talk to different types of people at parties, and introduce variety into your life.
3. Focus on the positive side of any ill fortune you do encounter.
What connection does this have to your health? Misery loves company! People who consider themselves unlucky tend also to dwell on their bad luck, and this (unfortunately) feeds a vicious loop that attracts even more unhappiness, which can eventually lead to disease. Do yourself a loving favour and practice being lucky!
(For the original article, click here)
The good thing about this is that luck is a learned skill that can be acquired! Unlucky people can become lucky, and lucky people can become even luckier. As an experiment, Wiseman created a “luck school” – a month-long series of experiments designed to help students think and behave like a lucky person. Following this experiment, 80% of people were happier, more satisfied with their lives, and luckier.
How do you become luckier? Wiseman lists 3 techniques that lucky people tend to practice and that unlucky people can learn (yay!):
1. Follow your intuition when making a choice rather than solely focusing on the rational side of the situation.
2. Step out of your routine. Take a different route to work, talk to different types of people at parties, and introduce variety into your life.
3. Focus on the positive side of any ill fortune you do encounter.
What connection does this have to your health? Misery loves company! People who consider themselves unlucky tend also to dwell on their bad luck, and this (unfortunately) feeds a vicious loop that attracts even more unhappiness, which can eventually lead to disease. Do yourself a loving favour and practice being lucky!
(For the original article, click here)
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