“There’s no science to good fortune. It’s randomness at its best.” Or so you think. Though not quite far off the mark, there are ways to increase the odds. And no, you don’t need Luopan or knowledge of feng shui for that matter.
Now I may not be the luckiest person you ever met, and I do suck at gambling, but it’s fair to say that for the most part of my life, I do have it good. While this is not the be all and end all list, it certainly helps. Enjoy.
1. Play the game – Before you even bother with being lucky, you must first participate in the game. Say if you want to win the jackpot, you must first buy the ticket, right? Sure the odds of winning are low, but that’s not the point. If you want to be lucky, you need to participate.
2. Make contacts – Opportunity comes from having contacts. If you have very few friends, the less likely you will stumble on opportunities. If you have trouble socializing with others, check out How to socialize, and Body language tips that can help make you more approachable. If you need courage, check out The happy idiot.
3. Make powerful contacts – While having plenty of contacts is good, having powerful contacts make a whole lot of difference. A person who is born rich is lucky not because of the money he may inherit, though that may be the case as well, but the powerful contacts that he will have by default.
4. Be nice and helpful – We are all human beings with emotions. If you’re not being nice and helpful to others, chances are likely they won’t be nice and helpful to you in return. This is a world of give and take, after all.
5. Ask and you shall receive - There are times when all you have to do is to open your mouth, and ask for it. Many powerful man dislike offering help. Their ego and pride do not allow it, and that is understandable given that it’s you who need them more than the other way around. Check out How to get what you want.
6. Have something to offer – The best way to get what you want is to make a win-win situation that is fair for both parties. If you know what the other person is looking for, and you’re able to provide it, you can get just about anything you want for as long as the price is justified. And of course the bigger your resources, the better it is.
7. Know when to quit – When our effort and focus are spent on things that do not provide the desired result, we are ultimately losing in terms of opportunity cost. While this cost may not be visible, it will still inevitably exist as it hinders you from working on projects that may be more lucrative.
8. Understand risk – If there’s one thing I learned in my uni years doing finance, it is the golden rule of risk. Low risk, low return and high risk, high return. Be sure to keep this in mind.
9. Keep a positive attitude – We are all attracted to people who have a positive outlook of life. The same goes for good fortune. Opportunities are more likely to present itself for people who are positive, after all. Check out Tips for living a more positive life.
10. Be optimistic – You can’t be lucky if you always say no to opportunities, which is why being an optimist is always better than being a pessimist. Check out 50 ways to build optimism.
11. Keep an open ear – Opportunities come and go. Sometimes we are aware of it, and other times we are not. So be sure to always keep an open ear. This also includes rumors (the share market), information from a trusted source, etc.
12. Have a detailed plan – More than half of luck are made. By having a detail plan, your chances of succeeding are higher.
13. Dare to take risks – In the end of the day, because luck is inevitably dependent on external factors, it is nothing more than a gamble. If you don’t take the risk, it’s hard to get lucky.
14. Be generous – Be generous in giving, and good fortune is more likely to come to us. What goes around comes around.
15. Try something new – In the spirit of low risk, low return and high risk, high return. It pays to try something new because you will either make it big or fail. But here’s the best part, even if you fail, it’s better to fail faster so you can work on new projects sooner than later. But of course, a good plan is necessary if you are going to take the risk.
16. Keep going – Sometimes we don’t get what we want, and that’s just life. It is our responsibility to make lemonade out of lemon.
Wrap up
The truth is, we all make our own luck. Sure, we have no control over the outcome, but we can always increase the odds. In any case, being lucky is a way of life. Be genuine in giving, in being helpful and interested, and sooner or later you will be in the running for the goodies.
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Photo Credit: Banchen
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Nik, Sounds like your philosophy for blogging, seems to be working!
Jonathan – Advanced Life Skills´s last blog ..37 Ways to Improve Your Life Right Now!
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You got me Jon.
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The harder I work, the luckier I seem to get. Diligence is the mother of good luck.
Gordie | LifestyleDesign4U.com´s last blog ..Is There Anything That’s Unforgivable? Part 1.
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Karlil Reply:
October 18th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
That’s true Gordie. The chances of succeeding is always higher if you don’t give up.
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Hey Karlil, excellent post. I think that luck = preparation + opportunity but you really can’t have it without both of the ingredients.
Oscar
Oscar – freestyle mind´s last blog ..Climate Change
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Karlil Reply:
October 18th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Can’t agree more Oscar. The odds are definitely higher with a good detailed planning.
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Some people don’t believe in luck. They think it’s just a magical thing that happens to some people. The truth is we can all be lucky if we come prepared. Like your #9 tip, it requires having a positive attitude and not being pessimistic with everything.
I like this quote written by Anthony Robbins, “The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck.”
Tristan Lee´s last blog ..How to Use Sensory Symbols to Your Advantage
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I have differ my opinion on this one Tristan. I believe no matter how we prepare, the element of luck will still exist. This is because of external factors that we can never control. But with that said, luck is still manageable for the most part.
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Hey Nik.
That golden rule of risk is one I need to continue to make use of. Those low returns are not what I have in mind, so that means I only have one option from those two.
The point about keeping an open ear is cool because some great things just come because you notice them while they are still fresh, and then are able to do something great before the item becomes old.
Regarding being generous, it sure is the thing to do. When I have had opportunities to be generous that I skipped out on or let pass by, I sure felt it at a later time. I have to keep that in the back of my mind as well.
I’m lucky I came across this material.
Armen Shirvanian´s last blog ..A Hello Video With A Booming Introduction
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Karlil Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
No. The lucky one is me Armen.
Thanks for the wonderful comment.
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Great advice, for life… and for gambling! lol! Are you sure you’re not good at it?
Miche´s last blog ..There Is No Such Place As Stuck
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Karlil Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Believe me Miche. I fail so bad I didn’t know where to begin.
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If luck is being in the right place at the right time then it’s wise to visit the right place often
Great post Nik
Steven Aitchison´s last blog ..50 Ways To Build Your Optimism.
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Thanks for the wonderful comment Steven.
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I wouldn’t call those things so much luck as keeping a proper attitude and an open eye. As for being born rich, that has its own problems. Everyone has a struggle.
Justin- AlittleBetter.net´s last blog ..Best of My First 100 Posts
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Karlil Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
That’s true Justin. Everyone will face some kind of problems in their life. That much is certain.
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I think it was Anthony Robbins who said: “The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck”. Looking at your list, I realize there are a lot more ways to get lucky (no pun intended
).
Eduard
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Karlil Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 5:07 am
I’m a big fan of Anthony Robbins. The man is an inspiration. Thanks for the comment Eduard.
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Hello Karlil. It’s fair to say that every single one of your tips about luck is a valued addition to anyone’s life. We’d all be well-advised to pay attention to them. Here’s another reflection on “luck” for your readers. A decent definition of luck could be…”getting something we want”. Win a lottery, get a promotion, or narrowly avoid a fatal accident, and most folks will call us “lucky” for obvious reasons. Namely, pretty much everyone wants money, position and to stay alive. But way down deep, where our hearts live, there’s something we want more than anything else. It’s to be ourselves. What each of us wants most, is to come out of our shells to grow in our very own way, until we blossom. Our biggest “want” is to make a living being ourselves. Okay, so imagine you or I could figure out who we are and what to do with our lives. Be taught how to release our most cherished passions and follow them….making a living being authentic. Then what? We’d feel like the luckiest man or woman alive….because we’d be “getting what we truly want out of life”. Becoming authentically successful Human Beings we’d be…as you say in your post….making our own luck. Thankfully as well, anyone can learn the Art of Being Human to “get lucky”. From personal experience I can say that “getting lucky” is an amazing thing. I hope many of your readers go on to make their own luck too. Cheers Karlil. John Duffield
John Duffield´s last blog ..All About THE SECRET
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I definitely agree with you on this one John. In terms of lucky, the luckiest would definitely those who can be their own selves and at the same time prosper, doing what they like. At least, to me that is the best thing I can get and want.
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We make the odds, hopefully we cover the spread.
If we plan it right, it doesn’t matter what happens. That is what the rich do
The poor, the middle class, have a job and if it fails then they do not have a nice house anymore.
They are taking a chance.
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