Good Luck Ideas
What is good luck? People have all sorts of ideas about this.
Is there really such a thing as either good or bad luck, or is
there another explanation? Are we somehow "cursed"
or "blessed"? Or is "good luck" just a lazy
way to define the process of cause and effect?
Maybe this isn't the important question. You know it when
you see it, right? Perhaps actually having good luck is
more important than having an explanation or definition of it.
It seems more profitable to make good things happen than to argue
about definitions. But for the sake of talking about luck, we'll
just say that it means having more good things and situations
in ones life.
Is Good Luck a Paranormal Thing?
Many people are looking for paranormal explanations for luck,
and for related phenomena like intuition and creativity. But
why? There are good psychological explanations for why some people
are luckier than others that have nothing to do with ESP or psychic
abilities. There are exercises that have been shown to improve
one's luck whether or not we have a decent explanation yet.
Why do people need an appeal to the paranormal? Perhaps part
of the reason is that if psychic powers could bring you luck,
it would be easier than making changes in how you think and act.
There is nothing wrong with looking for an easier way - as long
as the search does not become an excuse for not taking the steps
that are proven to work.
In Richard Wiseman's ten-year study of lucky people, he found
definite differences between lucky and unlucky people. What he
didn't find, however, was any indication of anything paranormal.
He says, "I've found plenty of evidence of unscientific
approaches to data, but have never come across a paranormal experiment
that can be replicated."
He found that lucky people were not any more likely to win
the lottery, for example. Of course not! It is random chance.
This is why people who are considered lucky can win more often
in business or love or even artistic endeavors. They are not
relying on paranormal powers. They are thinking and acting in
ways that promote a better outcome.
Is It Just Hard Work?
If one's luck results from hard work, we could argue that
it isn't "luck." But again, we probably profit more
from seeing how to have more of such "luck" than from
arguing definitions. Certainly there is something to be said
for the value of hard work.
On the other hand, if we watch those who are called "lucky"
by themselves and others, we see that they don't just work hard.
They work smart. They work where there efforts are likely to
pay more. They work with people who know how to make things happen.
They work in more efficient ways. They work where opportunities
are more likely to appear. And the good news is that anyone can
put these good luck ideas into practice to become luckier.
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