Have you ever noticed how some people just seem to be born lucky? These are people who just seem to have it all. They enjoy life, get unexpected bonuses in one form or another, and nothing really bad ever seems to happen to them, right? Well, maybe a change in mindset can help you get on their level.
Obviously, there is such a thing as luck; there’s no denying it. If a thousand people each buy one lottery ticket, then the person whose ticket is drawn has, unequivocally, enjoyed good fortune. There are even examples in history of what is known as lottery disruptors; people whose luck just seems to know no bounds. And there seems to be no logic to this.
According to one study from Lottoland in the UK, for example, men named Steve, Barry or Michael or women named Claire are statistically the most fortunate.
But, before you set about a legal name-change and buy a lottery ticket, is there really anything else afoot here – or is luck just pure chance?
The answer, statistically speaking, is luck is luck. As long as there are no anomalous variables (for example, different sized balls in a lottery or something), then your chances of winning the lottery in the above example are simply one in a thousand. The chances of winning the same lottery twice in a row are one in a million. And three times in a row would be one in a billion. So, even if a guy called Steve did win the one-in-a-thousand lottery three times in succession, his chances of winning a fourth would still be exactly the same as yours or mine entering that lottery; one in a thousand.
Psychologically speaking, though, our perceptions of our own luck and the luck of others is an entirely different thing.
Some people go through life resenting the good fortune of others and thinking that everyone else is luckier than they are. They focus on the few people for whom this may be true – and feel jealous, or possibly sometimes feel the opposite when someone else has misfortune in their life – i.e. feeling schadenfreude.
This is a classic glass-half-empty psychological attitude to life – and a one-way route to continual malcontent, resentment, and unhappiness. If you recognize yourself in this and believe the people you know or see around you enjoy better luck than you do – then it’s time to improve your day-to-day mindset. This is easier said than done. It’s difficult to just “decide” to see the good fortune of others in a positive light and to count your own blessings – desirable though that may be. You need to affect a fundamental change in your own psychological approach to life.
There are various ways to actively develop a more positive outlook on yourself. For some people, spirituality, meditation or mindfulness is the answer – whilst others find forcing a positive attitude and acting “as if“ things are as they would like them to be work wonders. This is certainly a powerful tool. But whatever way you find – do try to find your own way if you think everyone is luckier than you are and you will find a new and better you.
