There is a saying in my office - “If something bad is going to happen, it will probably happen to Jamie!”  From bats invading my bedroom, to a tropical storm wiping out three rooms in my house, to having my fridge break one hour prior to leaving for vacation, it all seems to happen to me.  I am of the Facebook generation, meaning my status update is my connection to the outside world.  A few weeks back (after the fridge episode) a friend commented on my status “Jamie, you are probably the most unlucky person I know”, and although in my anger over the fridge I should have agreed, it actually made me stop and think, am I really an unlucky person?

First of all, what is luck?  Luck is defined as the chance happening of fortunate or adverse events in one’s life.  Is it fair to say that most people don’t realize that they have a pot of gold at the end of their rainbow until one day their rainbow disappears?  For me, there has always been a rainbow, but I just can’t seem to track down that darn pot of gold.  But there is only so much bad luck one person can take before they start wondering is it me? Well guess what – it is!

Ten years ago a scientific investigation was conducted to see why some people live charmed lives while others experience one disappointment after the other, and the results were astounding.  Luck is not a magical ability or the result of random chance.  Nor are people born lucky or unlucky.  Instead, it is people’s thoughts and behaviors that are responsible for much of their fortune or misfortune.

Here are four tips for becoming lucky:

1. Do what you always do and get what you’ve always got.  Be open to new experiences and breaking your normal routine.
2. Listen to your gut instinct - it is normally right.
3. Spend a few moments each day remembering things that went well.
4. Visualize yourself being lucky before an important meeting or telephone call.

For me, luck is all about how you look at something.  If I look back at the last 35 years of my life, I would tell you that overall I am a very lucky person!  Five years ago I married the most amazing woman in the world (where most countries would never allow it), I have the two cutest kids in the world (yes, I am biased), a great job (does this comment get me a raise?), and I have wonderful family and friends.  So who cares that my house was built by carpenters who loved shortcuts and the cars I drive were built on the Friday of a long weekend.  I cannot let unlucky situations define who I am.  It is my response and reaction to these types of situations that will carve out my luck in the future.  Let’s face it, even Phoenix gets rain sometimes ( I Know this because it poured the entire time I was there, two weeks ago ).

Life is what you make of it and luck is just part of the equation.  Live the life you want and don’t let every hiccup come crashing down on your positive outlook of things.  You are in control of your destiny, so drive - but that’s just my 4 cents!

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Comments (4)

• 2010-10-29 09:05:06 |142.166.127.xxx| Wendy Ogilvie  - Services Manager

  Wow, another great 4 cents worth and again I am like yourself in the sense I beleive that luck does not play much of a part in our lives
  and everytime I feel I have it bad I take a look around me and realize how fortunate I really am and how blessed my world really is.
  

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• 2010-10-28 18:34:26 | |24.142.42.xxx| Wendy  - Lucky?

  Sounds like you need to move to Newfoundland.
  1. Great carpenters in NL.
  2. Everyone has hard luck and knows how to thrive in the face of adversity -- you'd fit right in.
  3. Great mechanics in NL.
  4. Rain wouldn't deter much, it rains a lot! Rain would be lucky compared to the snow.
  5. Even Newfoundland can't do much about the fridge. But, hey, in Newfoundland you'd have an extra half hour to deal with the inconvenience :)
  6. As long as you continue to make more money than me, you'll always have a leg up on luck. ;p

  (p.s. there are a tonne of ways I can see you as being so lucky---it's always a matter of relativity and perspective.)
  

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• 2010-10-28 15:33:09 |96.30.139.xxx| Jess  - Yup!

  You are right! I take a look at the world around me and the kids I've taught. The one who's family can't afford internet, or the one who's mother died during an alcoholic binge, or the one who had to live in a different hotel room night after night depending on what "John" his/her mother was servicing.

  I think of the people who are alone, or in a lot of pain, or have lost someone they love. It puts my lack of luck in recent days into perspective. I take those "bad luck" experiences and learn from them. They are a part of my and what I learn from them defines who I am today.

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• 2010-10-28 14:28:06 | |24.222.88.xxx| Paulette Upshall  - Lucky People

  Excellent article Jamie. Knowing you have been having a run of bad luck makes me feel a little less responsible for selling you into that home. Maybe we have to look at it as destiny for you and Emily.

  I am a true believer in think and it will happen...as in the book "The Secret." Positive things are attracted to positive people.

  Despite the couple of unlucky things that have happened, you are truly lucky to have what you have...health, loved ones, happiness...i guess if we all keep these things in our sights, our lives do seem a little more lucky!

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