Getting Lucky - A Strategy

Getting lucky is more probable when you have a certain way of approaching situations. This particular frame of mind is the good-luck-generating attitude expressed in the following quote: "If you view all the things that happen to you, both good and bad, as opportunities, then you operate out of a higher level of consciousness." - Les BrownnnThe Science Of Getting Lucky Professor Richard Wiseman found, during his ten-year study of luck, that lucky people use many psychological strategies in order to turn bad luck into good luck. For example, they might automatically imagine how things could have been worse, so they could appreciate how things are now. This helps to eliminate any paralyzing sense of hopelessness in a bad situation, making the person more likely to act in a productive way. These lucky individuals are also getting lucky because they concentrate on what can be done. This could certainly be more productive than the alte ative of complaining about what can't be changed. How often have you seen someone getting lucky by focusing on the negative aspects of a situation? You've probably heard the saying, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." It expresses the frame of mind of someone who probably has a lot of good luck. In these lucky minds, there are always motivating questions, like, "What can I do with the situation here? How could this be lucky for me? How can I make lemonade with these lemons?" "The way we see the problem is the problem." - Stephen CoveynnGetting Lucky By Seeing Problems As Opportunities Richard Branson has a great story in his book, "Screw It, Let's Do It." It's about turning a problem into an opportunity. His wife and he were in the Virgin Islands, and their flight to Puerto Rico was canceled until the following day. There were many disappointed people, mostly sitting around not doing anything. But then, what could they do, other than wait for another flight to their destination? Branson doesn't think this way. He located a plane, asked how much it would be to charter it one way to Puerto Rico, and was told it would be $2,000. He looked around at the people waiting and did some quick math on a scrap of paper. He found a small chalkboard and wrote on it, "Virgin Airways," and below that wrote "$39 for a one way flight to Puerto Rico." He was making a profit by the time the 52nd person signed up. He didn't actually start his famous airline of the same name until later, but this was the inspiration. Approach it in the right way, and a problem is sometimes an opportunity. This problem helped inspire the creation of a major new airline. Albert Einstein said that, "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity." The likelihood of getting lucky is certainly greater when you have that mind set.