Why are some people so lucky? You know the ones. They find money in old coat pockets, meet the right person at the right time, and somehow land opportunities the rest of us didn’t even know existed.

Meanwhile, you buy a lottery ticket and discover you’ve matched precisely nothing. Not even the bonus ball.

Is the universe playing favorites?

Perhaps. But there’s another possibility.

What if lucky people are doing something the rest of us haven’t quite figured out?

Lucky People Expect Good Things

Psychologist Richard Wiseman spent years investigating luck and discovered something fascinating. People who considered themselves lucky often behaved differently from those who believed they were unlucky.

They were generally more optimistic, more open to opportunities, and better at turning unexpected events to their advantage.

Think about that.

If you wake up expecting everything to go wrong, you’ll probably notice every minor disaster.

The bus is late. Your coffee is cold. Someone has parked like a drunken rhinoceros.

But if you expect something wonderful might happen, you start looking for possibilities.

And sometimes, what you look for is exactly what you find.

Luck Sometimes Arrives Wearing a Disguise

Here’s something worth remembering.

Opportunities rarely arrive carrying a large sign saying, “HELLO! I’M YOUR BIG BREAK!”

They often look like inconveniences, mistakes, or completely unexpected changes of direction.

Take the invention of the Post-it Note.

A 3 M scientist was trying to develop a powerful adhesive. Instead, he produced a weak one.

Not exactly a career-defining triumph.

But that supposedly disappointing discovery eventually helped create one of the world’s most recognizable office products.

Sometimes the wrong result opens the right door.

If you’re interested in questioning conventional thinking and creating opportunities on your own terms, check out my book, The Legacy Code.

Give Luck Somewhere to Find You

Imagine two people.

One follows the same routine every day, meets no one new, and refuses anything unfamiliar.

The other strikes up conversations, explores new places, experiments with ideas, and occasionally does something completely ridiculous.

Who haa better chancees of a lucky break?

Exactly.

You don’t have to jump out of an airplane or move to Mongolia.

Try something smaller. Contact someone you’ve been meaning to reach out to. Visit somewhere different. Share an idea. Accept an interesting invitation.

Every new experience creates another possibility.

And here’s the beautiful thing about luck. You never know which apparently insignificant encounter might change everything.

Would You Recognize Your Lucky Break?

Suppose someone offered you an extraordinary opportunity tomorrow.

Would you grab it?

Or would you spend three weeks wondering whether you’re qualified, experienced, attractive, intelligent, or sufficiently good at Microsoft Excel?

Sometimes opportunity isn’t the problem.

We’re simply not ready to say yes.

So prepare yourself. Learn something useful. Build your confidence through action. Make room for possibilities you haven’t imagined yet.

And when that unexpected door opens, resist the temptation to stand outside examining the hinges.

Walk through it!

Perhaps luck isn’t simply something that happens to you.

Perhaps it’s something you can become remarkably good at welcoming.

What do you think? Are some people naturally lucky, or do they create their own good fortune? Share your thoughts in the comments, and please share this article with someone who could use a little extra luck.

Have a great day,
Keith

P.S. Want to think differently, challenge the rules, and take greater control of your future? Discover The Legacy Code.

P.P.S. Prefer listening? The Legacy Code is also available as an audiobook on Audible.