“May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light. May good luck pursue you each morning and night.”
~Irish Blessing
“Do you think you’re lucky because you really are lucky? Or… are you lucky because thinking makes it so?”
~a conversation between the Zen Mama and the Zen Papa.
It’s St. Patrick’s Day! And I’d like to write about one of my favorite theories of positive thought that I call Lucky Thinking.
This is a type of thinking we try to do at the Henry house. Lucky thinking is another way of changing negative thoughts into positive ones.
You’ve heard people do it.
“We’re so lucky to have our health.”
“We’re so lucky to have a roof over our heads and food in our mouths.”
“We’re so lucky to live in Colorado.” (Maybe not all of you are lucky enough to say this! )
It’s Lucky Thinking!
Luck is defined as: a force that brings good fortune or the events
or circumstances that operate for an individual.
Is that all? Is there more to being lucky than just chance?
Lucky thinking is changing the negative habits of anxiety and lack of confidence to the ability to be positive, see the positive and take advantage of opportunities that are constantly presenting themselves.
I found several Luck studies on the internet. These studies support the fact that we make our own luck.
In one study the volunteers were asked to do several simple experiments.
• First, the volunteers were asked to putt a golf ball into a hole on a putting green. 1/2 the volunteers were given “the lucky ball”. Then they putted. Yes, you guessed. The lucky ball players did much better than the other volunteers.
• The second experiment the volunteers tried putting little balls in a hole by tilting the board up. The people watching said to 1/2 the people something to the equivalent of “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.” Yes, you guessed. These players did much better than the other volunteers.
• Half of the next volunteers got to take a “lucky charm” into the room with them as they were asked a series of questions. The rest got their lucky charm taken away. Yes, you guessed. These Lucky charm players did much better than the other volunteers.
Another luck experiment involved a psychologist who put an ad in a newspaper. He stated he was looking for lucky and unlucky people to read through a newspaper and then tell him what they had read. This caused great anxiety among the “unlucky” people. Professor Weisman had secretly placed a large message halfway through the newspaper saying: “Tell the experimenter you have seen this and win £250.” This message took up half of the page and was written in type that was more than two inches high. The people who felt they were “lucky” tended to see the ad in the paper more times. From this experiment and a few others, he discovered that lucky people:
• Listen to their gut instincts – they are normally right.
• Are open to new experiences and breaking your normal routine.
• Spend a few moments each day remembering things that went well.
• Visualize themselves being lucky before an important meeting or telephone call. Luck is very often a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What about when you’re not feeling so lucky?
Every time you feel unlucky and are starting to complain about it, try this: Say, “I am so lucky.” Or if you’re with your children, “We are so lucky.” If your children hear that often enough they believe. I know because I have three lucky kids!!
Others examples:
• You are stuck in traffic: “We are so lucky we have a good car with music in it during this traffic.”
• “We are so lucky we’re late. Maybe we’re missing an accident that we might have been in if we were on time.”
• When it’s raining: “Aren’t we lucky it’s raining so that our garden will get all the water it needs.”
• When looking at the moon: “Aren’t we lucky to have to a moon? Not every planet has one.”
Lucky thinking appreciates sunsets and sunrises. Lucky thinking knows that the little things like family are what really matters. Lucky thinking is open to change. It’s receptive to new ideas and tries to see the best in life.
When you start to think this way, you also begin to attract the good things that you feel lucky about into your life. It’s interesting that feeling that you’re lucky works. It improves your confidence. It helps you to find opportunity and maybe helps you to work just a little harder! Although it can’t be proved either way, I believe we can make our own luck, because thinking make it so.
So your homework is to try this for a couple of days or even a week and see what happens. When you combine Lucky Thinking with Viewfinder Thinking, you’ll be amazed at the results!
**I just have to add what a friend of my husband’s has to say about the Zen Papa’s luck:
“John, you’re so lucky that if you were pushed off a cliff you’d land on a hundred dollar bill.”
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For further reading:
The Loser’s Guide To Getting Lucky
Awesome Betsy! Just what i needed to be reminded of today! I am lucky to have YOU as an amazing friend! Great post!!
Have a lucky day!
In Harmony
Jen
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 8:03 pm
So glad you enjoyed, Jen! It’s always a good reminder to feel lucky. Glad to have you as a friend, too. Hope you had a wonderful St. Paddy’s Day!
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Ah yes, I love your lucky posts, always uplifting!!!! Thank you, always a great reminder! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 8:03 pm
Thanks Sheila! Glad you enjoyed the reminder!! Hope you had a great St. Paddy’s Day!
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Happy St.Patrick’s Day, Betsy! A couple of years ago I remembering posting the story on my blog. My Mom used to keep telling us to “think lucky” too. We have a belief that our guardian angel who is perched on our shoulder is always listening to our thoughts. So if we think negative – she obliges. If we think positive, she obliges, impartially
So Mom used to say – why not have lucky thoughts.
Great post as always. Just my kind of upbeat stuff!
Have a wonderful Sunday!
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
I love the thought of our guardian angel sitting on our shoulder listening to our thoughts. I can see this visusal. It sounds like we have very similar moms. All my positive thoughts are indirectly from her.
Hope you had a wonderful day, too!
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Interesting studies. We’re big believers in positive thinking in my house – even when “bad” things we happen we always look for the good in them. It works!
Peace.
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Michelle,
Glad you enjoyed the studies. It makes so much sense! Glad you are lucky thinkers, too. It really does work. Thanks for stopping by!
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Hi Betsy,
This was a really good post. As I was reading it, I was trying on the ‘lucky’ frame of mind, and I experienced an interesting shift in attitude and in how I felt.
Thank you for sharing.
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Hi Hiten,
So glad you enjoyed and actually felt the shift in attitude so fast!! I’ve had that happen with changing to a negative thought to a positive thought. Thanks for the comment.
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I m lucky I receive your messages (especially this one) THANKYOU!!
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 8:39 pm
Sharon,
I’m so glad the post resonated with you!! Let me know what happens now that you’re going to practice Lucky Thinking!!
Thanks for commenting!
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THANKS,. BETSY
I’ll feel lucky all day through tomorrow, ready with a positive attitude
for my interview at 3pm.
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Good luck on your interview Ted! I’ll be thinking of you with positive thoughts at 3pm tomorrow!!
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My mom used to call me “Lucky Lucy”
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 8:40 pm
What a perfect thought for a mother to put in her daughter’s head. Do you still think that way? Thanks for commenting Lucy!!
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Lucky is as Lucky does…LOL This reminds me of “The Secret”…whatever one puts out to the universe that is what will be. Let’s only put the good stuff out there so only good will happen. Lucky to know you!!!
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Lucky to know you, too, Elly! I couldn’t agree more. And it is like the Secret. My husband and I listening to that on a car trip once and loved it. Thanks for the comment!
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I think we definitely create our own luck. Thinking lucky sets the intention for great things to happen. When we’re open to and looking for good things, that tends to be what we see, just like in your examples.
I could list a ton of things that I’m lucky to have in my life – including living in Colorado!
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Yes, you’re one of the lucky ones that can say that!! I can tell from your posts that you think in a positive, lucky way, too!
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I *love* this “lucky thinking”. We are always saying we are *so* lucky! And the kids and I try to ‘one-up’ each other with luck. I find it wonderful to infuse gratitude into the mix…magnifies the luck:)
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 8:43 pm
I can see that at your house. I get that message from your blog. And, I love that idea, Joy… adding to gratitude to lucky to make a more intensified luck! Wow!!
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Hi Betsy, I’m really feeling lucky today. Lucky to have two beautiful, smart daughters that you helped to shape. We just were lucky to have a wonderful spring break trip in Europe thanks to our flight benefits and now we are lucky to be moving close to the beach even though we miss Colorado so much! Thanks for the lovely post. I’m going to continue reminding myself how lucky I am even during the crazy times.
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Betsy Reply:
March 18th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
You are lucky, Terry!! And your life sounds wonderful! Your girls are beautiful and I miss them very much. We are just getting our summer camp plans going and will miss them both at the camp, too. Are you still in Memphis or moving even closer to the beach? And a trip to Europe!! Where are you going? Thanks for commenting!
xxooxx
Betsy
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Dear Betsy…
You’re speaking to the choir. When I was younger, I thought that I was a ‘realist’, not a pessimist. As I got older and started doing some work on myself, I began to see that my attitude was the cause of a lot of the outcomes I experienced.
I have been around friends who have been wired with an optimistic nature. I’m amazed at how they are able to see every situation as positive.l..and often good luck. I have spent years and years on changing my behavior…and when I see myself going back to the ‘unlucky’ state of mind, I have strategies to circumvent it and get myself to a grateful place.
The studies that you shared about ‘luck’ are very interesting. They make perfect sense. BTW…from the first time I read your post, I knew that you were an optimistic person…who appreciated the luck in your life.
Great, uplifting post as always.
Fran
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Betsy Reply:
March 19th, 2012 at 6:50 am
Fran,
I was thinking about that, people who were pessimists at the start. You’re right, I am a natural optimist. Do you think you were born a pessimist or it was your environment/upbringing that brought you there? I have a very optimistic mother who sees the world very positively so I think for me it’s a combination of both.
Thanks for your wonderful comment!!
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I enjoyed this “lucky thinking” post very much. It certainly helped me to redirect my focus to my blessings. I need to continue to remind myself about being appreciative and grateful to be where I am. I also like Zen Papa’s comment about “lucky thinking” LOL!
Thank you!
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Betsy Reply:
March 19th, 2012 at 6:47 am
So glad you enjoyed Evelyn! I know what you mean about reminders. I sometimes need to get back to gratefulness and appreciate life, especially after a busy week. Glad you liked the quote, too!!
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Oh how wild! A couple weeks ago I started saying “I’m so lucky – it’s amazing how lucky I am” it’s become one of my most chanted affirmations lately & it came about because I caught myself saying ‘oh I never win anything’ and when I hear myself say it, I was stunned – what an awful thought to believe & affirm.
And… I’ve been lucky lately too – won a couple of gift cards and had a helpful person at the gas station give my battery a jump start when I got stuck.
So…. YES, this post is right on! Start thinking you’re lucky with lucky thinking!!
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Betsy Reply:
March 20th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Wow! I’ve caught myself saying things recently that have surprised me. Doubt in my voice or being not being confident. So I know what you mean. But I’ve always thought we were lucky. And then we often wonder (like I mentioned in the post) if we’re lucky because we think we are or lucky because we are lucky. I guess we’ll never know. We’ve won a lot of things, too. The best being a trip to Hawaii!!
So glad you enjoyed Aileen!!
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Hi Betsy,
Keeping that positive attitude can take you places that you had never dreamed possible. Throughout my life, I have always felt that I would be OK, that things would work out, and I’ve never let go of that basic positive instinct. When I write a gratitude list, it just reminds me of how lucky I am. I love how your post demonstrates that we make our own luck. Couldn’t agree more.
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Betsy Reply:
March 20th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Thanks Cathy! I totally agree. I can’t imagine what my life would be without a positive attitude. So glad you enjoyed!!
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I’m so lucky to have you in my life!
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Betsy Reply:
March 20th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
I feel the same way!!
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Betsy,
I think this might be my favorite thing I’ve read on your blog and I so agree! My daughter (who is now 21) taught me a lesson when she was only four years old that we’ve never forgotten. We were at a local county fair and she was drawn to play one of those games where you had to ring the bottle and she desperately wanted to win a huge stuffed Sebastian from Little Mermaid. I very nicely tried to explain to her that these games were designed for them to make a lot of money and out of 100 people who played, MAYBE one or two actually win that big prize. My friend and I were having a snack at a table and she went walking around with another mother and her daughter. About 30 minutes later, I look up and there is my tiny daughter walking towards me carrying that huge animal! She won it herself! I couldn’t believe it. It was such a great lesson for me. From that day on, I’d always tell my kids that they’re so lucky, and both of them have been. Very cool
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Betsy Reply:
March 20th, 2012 at 10:08 pm
Patricia,
Thanks so much!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! What an amazing story about your daughter. Aren’t kids amazing? We’ve always told our kids that they were lucky, too. And they are in the same way we are. They concentrate on the good happening in their life rather than the bad. That may be why they think they’re lucky, too.
Thanks for such a wonderful comment!
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Hi, Betsy! ~
I feel very lucky to have discovered you on EverydayGyaan today — another great post here. Thank you for all that you are!
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Betsy! I’m so lucky I know you!!!
Happy belated St. Paddy’s Day! xoxo
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Betsy Reply:
April 10th, 2012 at 6:08 am
Just saw your comment here!! I feel the same!! Happy really belated St. Patrick’s day!
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