A stroke of luck

Are you the only one who doesn’t have any luck? Don’t go blaming it all on a twist of fate: you’re partly responsible for your own mishaps! That’s not nice to hear… but look at the problem the other way around: what if luck was something you could develop?

Happenstance seems to happen by chance, but don’t dream too much: it’s seldom the case. It’s the result of a blend of boldness and calculated risk-taking. And it’s possible to think about growing your luck coefficient – yes, yes, it is, provided you acknowledge your share of responsibility in what happens to you!

Put together your “risk-o-meter”: increasing your luck means breaking out of your comfort zone (within reason) without getting flustered.

Tina Seelig*, explains that, for her, even saying hi to the person sitting next to her on an airplane was uncomfortable… but when she did, it set off a chain reaction of positive and unexpected events.

Take different types of risk: it may be intellectual, such as tackling a problem you haven’t addressed before; social, such as starting a conversation with a stranger; or emotional, such as telling someone they’re important to you.

Acknowledge the collective nature of luck: we’re almost never lucky on our own. Chance comes from the productive intervention of third parties who aren’t always even aware of the role they’ve played. Show appreciation, show these people how they had a hand in helping you.

And now you’re ready to become a lucky person!