Friday, July 31, 2009

Improve Your Luck

By Janice Taylor

Luck is thought to happen by chance; it’s not thought to be something you can plan for or obtain by intention. Some say luck is decided by our fates, or believe that some fortunate souls are mysteriously born under a lucky star.

At quick glance, it might look like there is truth to that. After all, some people’s lives overflow with abundance, vitality, successful careers, and loving relationships.

However, luck is not just a random event. Webster’s Dictionary defines luck as “a force that brings good fortune or adversity; a force that operates for or against an individual.” So, if luck is a force, you should be able to tap into it … at any time!

After a great deal of research and experimentation, I am here to tell you that there are ways in which you can tap into positive force and improve your luck. Indeed, luck is the product of our own mental focus and attitudes. Imagine now that by changing your focus, you can intentionally increase the amount of luck you experience in all areas of life.

Tune in to Your Gut

Ways to Improve Your Luck Nearly all of the lucky people I’ve met said they trust their intuition and pay close attention to their gut feelings. A good way to increase your ability to "hear" your gut is to empty your mind. Meditation is one way to effectively clear your mind and tune in to your gut. After all, it’s difficult to hear your intuitive self when your mind is overflowing with thoughts and to-do lists.

Face Your Fears

Ways to Improve Your Luck The only way to get beyond a fear is to march straight through it. Otherwise, you will either create a terribly long, circuitous route around it, or you will let your fear totally block your life path. If you hide from your fears, you are hiding from new opportunity that might be waiting for you. So stare down your fears and get back to your life.

Expect the Best

Ways to Improve Your Luck It’s called the Pygmalion Effect: you get what you expect, and lucky people expect the best. They are certain that their future is going to be full of good fortune. And these expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies. Ask around and you’ll find that “lucky” and “unlucky” people have astoundingly different expectations.

Chant to Change Your Karma

Ways to Improve Your Luck You can open yourself up to the forces of positive luck by chanting a mantra. A mantra is a religious or mystical syllable, poem, word, or series of words that is chanted either aloud or silently. When chanted, mantras become vibrations that establish deep concentration in the chanting person. Chanting is, in one sense, the most ancient method of using affirmations to bring about changes in your life.

Be Curious

Ways to Improve Your Luck The more curious you are, the more available you will be to possibility and the "luckier" you will become. Open your eyes, look around, and ask questions. Assume nothing! Curiosity will lead you down roads that you might not otherwise have traveled. You just never know how you might bump into, what opportunity might present itself, or what positive change you will affect through your creative and curious mind.

Take Baby Steps

Ways to Improve Your Luck Success does not happen overnight. In truth, it takes a lot of work to move forward, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. The best and most effective way to accomplish what you want, to stay open to the lucky forces of the universe, is to take your dreams one small baby step at a time.

Try It: Who Knows What Might Happen!

Ways to Improve Your Luck Two of the best ways to "be lucky" are to be willing to take calculated risks and to embrace unexpected opportunities. Try new things. Go new places. Don’t just do the things for which you know the eventual outcome. Stretch yourself. Go outside your comfort zone!

Visualize the Lucky You

Ways to Improve Your Luck See yourself as a lucky person, someone who simply gets what they want. Visualize that your soul’s windows are open, fresh air is pouring in, and with it the positive energy of the universe. See yourself in detail. Experience the feelings of a "lucky" person. Take in every detail.

Stay Motivated

Ways to Improve Your Luck To get and stay lucky, you need to live from a place of motivation. You’ll want to hang out with people who are on similar upward spiral tracks. Read books that inspire. (might I humbly suggest, All is Forgiven, Move On by Janice Taylor, it's a great one!)

Giving Up is Not an Option

Ways to Improve Your Luck Fact: the luckiest and most successful people are the ones who have failed over and over and over again, but did not give up. No, they learned from their failures; filed them away as "feedback," and then they forged ahead. "Unlucky" people write themselves off. "Lucky" people keep on going!

Ask for What You Want

Ways to Improve Your Luck It’s no accident that those who are lucky and get what they want, actually ask for it! Trust your desires and make requests without apology. Go for it! And if your request is turned down, consider the answer to be a temporary "no." It’s okay to ask for what you want again, later, at a different time.

Clear the Clutter

Ways to Improve Your Luck Clutter can be anything that you no longer use, need, like, love, or appreciate. Clear it out of your path. I suspect that we all have too many possessions, unhealthy habits, antiquated beliefs, and old emotions that drain us. It is energizing, invigorating, and healing to free ourselves of clutter. Clear the way and invite good luck in!

And When All Else Fails...

Ways to Improve Your Luck Get yourself a good luck charm; I highly recommend authentic four-leaf clover. Or... Step in a shadow! Or... Place sugar in your cup before the teabag. And last, but finally not least, for those of you who are willing to take risks and go out on a limb, wear your clothing inside-out. All these superstitions are guaranteed to improve your luck – as well as receive attention and some stares from onlookers, for sure!

By Janice Taylor