Real Secrets Behind Luck

By Author: Yeo Feng
Total Articles: 1
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Defining Luck Let's start off by defining what luck really is. When we say someone is lucky, we usually refer to the fact that he gets whatever he wants, and feels contented about it. Getting what you want in turn differs from person to person. To some, it can be winning the lottery, to others it can simply be things such as getting good grades or a small achievement. When we say someone (or even ourselves) has bad luck, we usually mean to say, Things do not turn out the way we want them to. My point here is that luck is not some kind of mystical element; it can be as simple or as profound a concept as we make it to be. But once we have broken down the meaning of luck into its fundamentals, we will be able to use this theory to help us command more luck. The Real Secrets of Luck Luck is therefore: The results you get vs. the results you were expecting In other words, if the results you get correspond with those you were expecting, you (and many others) will consider yourselves lucky. Otherwise, you will consider yourself to be unlucky. Based on how much the results vary from your expectations, a person will also start ...
... to quantify luck in a certain manner. For example someone might say that he/she is extremely unlucky or quite unlucky. Hence, Luck is what we perceive it to be. If the concept of luck remains unchanged as stated above, then technically speaking if the results we get corresponds with the results we expect, then we will be in really good luck. What can I control? If we take a look at the 2 components above contributing to luck and ask ourselves the fundamental question of What can we change? then you will realize that a lot can be done to change our luck. In other words, we CAN control how lucky or unlucky we get. What do I mean by that? Take for example you are trying to do well for an interview. In this case, the results you are expecting will of course be the job itself. The results you get will be the response of your interviewers, and their impression towards you. If you ponder further, you will realize that the the outcome is directly determined by how much effort you put INTO the preparation of the interview and so forth. Therefore, as a interviewee, he/she has direct control over the amount of effort and time that is spent on preparing for that big day. If he/she spends more effort, then of course his results will improve significantly. These are undisputed laws of the universe - you reap what you sow. When that happens, end result corresponds with expected results and the student will feel extremely in luck! Moral of the story is: changing those components under your control can directly change your luck for the better. Elements beyond my control However, we often cannot control the end results in various circumstances. Such as in a lottery game, it is virtually impossible to change the results you get because the probability of a strike is so small. However, there are methods that can be taken to increase the probability of winning. This brings us to the second lesson that can be learnt, those who win the lottery often do whatever they can to control and alter the end results they will get. In short if you want to succeed you MUST be able to CONTROL the end results you get. What if I REALLY cannot control the end results? If you really cannot control the end results, but still wish to get lucky, then the next thing to do would of course be to change your expectations. Citing the lottery example again, the expectations are easily changed. Change your aim from one of winning the game to one of NOT winning the game. Any sane person would instantly know how crazy that suggestion sounds, which leads us to one last thing. This third lesson is what so many gamblers and punters around the world fail to realize, and the exact reason why so many people fail to strike it rich by trying to win the lottery. It is very important so make sure you understand it well! Lesson 3: If you cannot control the end results, neither can you change your expectations, then you are dealing with something that is NOT ABOUT LUCK. The element of luck is personal; it differs from person to person and can only be applied when a person has a certain level of involvement in the matter. Not convinced? In the case of a lottery, the chance of ANYONE winning is exactly the same if we consider everyone to bet on only one number. In that case its not luck anymore, since luck plays no chance. When EVERYONE HAS THE SAME CHANCE of winning; it's not personalized anymore, and luck plays no part. How your brain locks into a mode The human brain is a powerful tool. With one thought, one belief or a mindset, you will be able to LOCK into that belief system and continue to function under it until something big comes along and alter that belief system. That's why when people believe they are unlucky, unsuccessful or in a bad state, they will continue to be. The results you get vs. the results you were expecting When you consider yourself unlucky, it means that YOU think the results you get will NOT correspond with those you are expecting. Never mind how things turn out, but that's the way you will always think. Now comes the most amazing part: When you get results, your brain will work under the belief system that you are unlucky and subconsciously alter the way you perceive the results you get to fit the notion that you are unlucky. In short, regardless of whatever results you get, your brain will perceive it to be a far cry from those you were expecting. I had this friend who perpetually believed that he was unlucky and in bad luck. He would tell EVERYONE he met that he was under a spell of bad luck lately and true to that every single thing that happened thereafter was attributed to his bad luck. We need to look at the big picture and see the natural flow of things before drawing any links and conclusions. If we all do so, we will realize how seemingly related "unlucky" events are obviously, totally, completely unrelated. No question about that. But we choose to link such events together anyway. Lesson 4: If you want to command your luck and get lucky you need to get yourself out of the unlucky mindset, otherwise your mind locks into that mode fast and it will lead to a vicious cycle. Why Successful People are always in luck Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.
--- John Wooden The other day I chanced upon this comment made by a spiteful teenager, To succeed in life you need luck. No matter how hard you work, if you have no luck you will never succeed. This statement implies that luck is a prerequisite to success. I beg to differ. Take a look at all the people we consider to be successful: entrepreneurs, politicians, doctors, lawyers and so forth. Very often we yearn for their good fortune, and hope that someday we will be able to have a lucky break and get onto the road to fame. But that's not the way successful people think. Successful people know the concept of luck inside out; the quote from John Wooden exemplifies that. They understand that because luck is merely the result of 2 components, they work doubly hard and do whatever they can to alter their end results. They know that luck when left alone means no luck. People who succeed in life have high expectations. They dare to dream, set their goals high and aim for them. In so doing they are fixing their expectations, keeping it a constant and working towards improving their end results. People who constantly find fault with themselves and with others in life change the other component of luck. They pull down their own expectations, whether knowingly or otherwise and keep on wondering why they do not get their lucky break. The truth is, when your expectations are at an all time low it is difficult to feel uplifted. The truth is that there is nothing such as a lucky break. The amount of luck (if it can be quantified) is predictable, and almost always related to the hard work and determination you put in. Successful people around us know how to exploit this concept of luck and let the good things pile up when their brain locks into a positive mode. That is why to be a successful person you have to start thinking like one. Lesson 5: To be a successful person you have to start thinking, and acting like one. Yeo Feng is an independent web marketer, technology consultant, speaker and author based in Asia. He has written for various online publications, including his own monthly technology column. His opinions have been featured on ComputerWorld and The Computer Times. He is the author of "How to Sell just about Anything Online", the definitive and ground breaking manual on web marketing. More information on the book can be found at http://www.SellAnythingEbook.co