Bring Luck to Your Life All Year Long

 Seven Tips for Success and Luck

Saint Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious celebration held annually on March 17th to honor the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. According to the History Channel, Saint Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and using the three-leaf clover or shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish. In modern times, St. Patrick’s Day is viewed as a lucky day filled with many symbols of luck, from shamrocks, rainbows and leprechauns to wearing green. Use these seven tips to bring yourself success and luck:

1. View yourself as lucky

Most people view luck as something out of their control. You can believe this, or you can stand out in the crowd by seeing yourself as lucky, to begin with. Viewing yourself as lucky boosts you and opens your eyes to opportunities in your life. 

In the article “What Happy People Think About Luck,” Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas, suggests that blaming luck for something going wrong decreases your personal agency and self-determination. Additionally, she says that believing we need luck to be successful can reduce our motivation to pursue goals, take risks, or learn and grow from our mistakes. When we view luck as out of our hands, we are less likely to take action and achieve our goals. So, instead of viewing luck as something you can’t control, view it as something you already have and be prepared when it comes knocking.

2. Manifest your luck

Manifesting is putting positive thoughts and energy into the world about your hopes, dreams and goals. It is the idea that when you put positive energy into something you desire, you will attract it to yourself. Manifesting can be used for anything from finding a soulmate to getting a new job to winning a radio contest. 

Manifesting is more complex than wishing what you want will come to you. Angelina Lombardo, the author of the Spiritual Entrepreneur, says, “Manifesting is making everything you want to feel and experience a reality…via your thoughts, actions, beliefs, and emotions.” Try the following things to manifest luck in your life:

• Get in the right headspace about your goals and dreams. 
• Think positive thoughts such as, “This will happen for me.”
• Take action to make room for new opportunities in your life.
• Believe that you are capable of getting to your goals and dreams.
• Prepare yourself emotionally for what it means to achieve your goals and dreams.

3. Understand that you have the power to change your life.

While you can manifest your dreams, you must proactively make them happen. You cannot sit idly by expecting your dreams to come true because you hoped for them too. You must be willing to go out and get your vision for it to come to you.

Stephen Covey, the author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, suggests that proactive people recognize their “response-ability” or the ability to control their response to a situation. Additionally, Covey suggests that to be proactive, we must focus on our “Circle of Influence” and work on things we can do something about. For example, suppose you are trying to get a new job. In that case, there are many things you can focus on in your circle of influence, such as showing up to your interview prepared, in a professional manner and being on time. Of course, some things will always be out of your control, but don’t worry about them; simply manage what you can change.

4. Define your goals

Anyone successful starts out with a vision and turns it into a plan. Knowing precisely what you want and how you will get it helps you succeed. Likewise, a clearly defined goal lets you understand the steps to achieve that goal and what success will look like.

Brian Tracy, motivational speaker and best-selling author of the Psychology of Achievement, says, “All successful people are absolutely clear about who they are, what they want, and what they need to do to get from wherever they are to wherever they want to go.” Likewise, you must have a clear outline of what your goals are and how you will get to them to bring you success. For example, if you say you want to find a soulmate but don’t plan on going out, chances are you won’t find one. 

5. Be mindful and grateful.

Practicing mindfulness and gratitude allows us to be thankful for what we have and put out positive energy. Additionally, when you practice gratitude frequently, you’ll be more adept at recognizing opportunities in your life. Therefore, practicing mindfulness and gratitude will draw more positivity into your life.

Karma and Luck suggest we should “…Let lucky energy know we appreciate its presence. By practicing gratitude, we make it a habit to always feel thankful for the opportunities bestowed on us.” When we receive what we want, we should practice gratitude and celebrate the opportunities we’ve gotten. Practice gratitude by taking a few minutes daily to think about or write down everything you’re thankful for. 

6. Be open to opportunities.

When reflecting on the past, most of us have missed opportunities we wish we had taken. You’ll always find missed opportunities if you’re not looking for them. You must be willing to seek out opportunities and be open-minded when they present themselves.

Richard Wiseman, professor of psychology and author of The Luck Factor, suggests, “Lucky people create, notice, and act upon the chance opportunities in their lives.” So, for example, if you want to make more connections and are invited out, don’t say no; view it as an opportunity to meet new people and build relationships. This brings us to our next point about making the right connections.

7. Make the right connections.

The people we connect with shape our thoughts and lives, so you must choose the right connections. Making the right connections starts by surrounding yourself with people who build you up and bring positivity into your life. If you’re surrounded by people who drag you down and bring you negativity, you will see yourself and the world in a negative light.

Moreover, the new connections we make are essential to how we bring ourselves success and luck. Sociologist, Mark Granovetter, explains that there is strength in our “weak ties” or the people we infrequently see due to them having a different social network than us. He implores that connecting with our weak ties opens up endless possibilities for new people to connect with. If you aren’t willing to leave your comfort zone and spend time with people you usually don’t see, you will miss opportunities to know people who can help you attract success and luck.