I have a superpower. It’s something that has helped me keep perspective in these rather troubling times. I feel lucky. And what I realised is that in itself is the best stroke of luck I could ever have.
So many people around me are really struggling right now. So many people who are usually on top of things and are incredibly capable of dealing with ambiguity and adversity are now drowning. I have been quite puzzled as to why and I think it all comes down to how lucky they feel. It’s so easy to become preoccupied with the doom and gloom of the newsfeed feeds.
Our minds are designed to look for the danger and the negative and right now they are feasting like never before and a spiral of darkness can soon become all encompassing. I am not more resilient than these people, or more skilled, but energetically; I can honestly say I am incredibly fortunate and therefore every day has bounce and opportunity because I feel lucky. This doesn’t happen by accident.
I deliberately work on this perspective otherwise the sheer magnetism of negativity could take over. Luck is not something that just happens; it’s something that you most certainly create. ‘Luck’ is an odd concept and a little bit fatalistic, because it is often said that you are either lucky, or you are not. The part we tend to miss out on is that the way we cultivate a sense of being ‘lucky’ is simple by being grateful and practicing the simple art of gratitude each and every day.
I can assure you that this is not always easy. Some days there feels like an abundance of things and experiences to be grateful for, but other days it is harder. The key to living more fully is to find gratitude in all things and in turn, the feeling of being lucky begins to arrive. This graciousness for being alive, and being able to experience the things you can (rather than the things you cannot), radiates positivity and that is incredibly attractive to those who value the fizz that it creates.
When you feel thankful your selective attention is primed to convince you that you are actually very lucky indeed. It will rather magically give you evidence that you are on a roll as it will filter out the things that could persuade you otherwise. This will make you feel as if the universe has most certainly got your back. Regularly feeling (and practicing) gratitude reduces stress, helps you sleep better and makes you savour those moments that would otherwise speed by unnoticed.
Feeling lucky is a type of gratitude and we are all aware of how that can change lives. I feel lucky to be alive right now. I feel lucky to be married to my amazing wife. I feel lucky to have such fantastic kids. I feel lucky to still be able to do what I love. I feel lucky to be healthy and happy and still getting away with it. There are so many things that could have played out differently, and I am lucky they didn’t. It’s an absolute miracle that you are alive right now on the planet and so if you think about it - we are all the luckiest people alive.
What do you feel grateful for? Relish it.
And soon your luck will change.
