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woman&home A BRAND NEW ATTITUDE 4544 woman&home A BRAND NEW ATTITUDE
W
e all know that person who
always seems to be in the
right place at the right time
– they meet their perfect
partner without trying, stumble across
opportunities to achieve their lifelong
ambitions and are constantly one step
ahead of trouble. But why are some people
luckier than others? Is it written in the stars?
Professor Richard Wiseman thinks not.
“Without realising it, lucky people are
creating the good fortune in their lives,” he
says, and by studying these people he’s
discovered how. “There are scientifically
proven ways to control and increase your
luck,” says Richard. Sound appealing?…
1 Get chatting
It’s no coincidence that people who
frequently experience lucky encounters
also tend to be more extrovert. After all,
the more people you meet, the more likely
you are to run into someone who’ll have
a positive effect on your life – a future love
or potential employer perhaps.
4 Stay in touch
As well as striking up conversation with
new people, keep in touch with old friends.
Sociologists estimate that we’re each on
first-name terms with 300 people, so by
maintaining those contacts we’re only one
step away from 90,000 others – what a
pool of potential opportunity!
8 Have great
expectations
Our expectations have a powerful effect on
the way we think, feel and act and can create
self-fulfilling prophecies. In the most obvious
instance, if you believe you’re going to do
well in a job interview, you’re more likely to
come across confident, friendly and capable
than if you’re feeling pessimistic. While the
well-known placebo effect, where fake drugs
create the same bio-chemical responses as
real drugs, is an amazing illustration of the
power of our own expectations. Expect great
things and they’re more likely to happen.
Professor Richard Wiseman,
who has studied the
secrets to a serendipitous
life, explains how to
Naomi Greenawayluck go
your way
13 WAYS TO MAKE WHAT’S
BEHIND THOSE
UNLUCKY
SYMBOLS?
Create variety in your life.
Try new things, visit new
places, vary your routine
and you’ll increase your
chances of coming across
lucky new opportunities.
5 MIX IT UP
6 HONE YOUR
INTUITION
2 Smile
One study found that when put in exactly
the same social situation, lucky people
smiled twice as often as unlucky people,
made far more eye contact and engaged
in more open body language (turning to
face people and uncrossing their arms).
Could this be a clue to their good fortune? All
these traits are typical of what psychologists
call ‘social magnets’, the type of people
strangers tend to approach – even if it’s just
to ask for directions. But you never know
where one frivolous conversation might lead.
Enter that competition,
apply for that job or
speak to that interesting
but unknown person at
a party. You’ve got to be
in it to win it!
13 THROW
YOUR
HAT IN THE RING
3 Relax
If you think the lucky person who finds a £20
note in the street is simply the beneficiary
of chance, think again. There are likely to
have been countless others who have
walked straight past it. So what’s the secret
of spotting opportunity? Studies have found
that being relaxed is key. The less stressed
we are, the sharper our powers of
observation, so we’re more likely to spot
things we’re not looking for – money on the
street or that life-changing job advert. The
same applies to social situations. Go to a
party focused on finding your dream partner
and you’ll be blind to wider opportunities,
but socialise in a relaxed mood and you’ll be
receptive to new people and possibilities.
7 Listen to your gut
According to research, lucky people use
theirintuition more than unlucky people when
making life decisions. We’re conscious of
only a fragment of the factors that influence
our decisions, the rest is nestled in our
subconscious, which is more powerful than
we realise. By following their intuition, lucky
people seem to have an uncanny ability to
make good decisions. So if you have an
uncomfortable feeling about a new partner
or the person you’re about to hand your
credit card to, listen to your gut instinct and
you might find you’ve made a lucky escape.
Techniques like meditation,
or even just finding quiet
time to clear your mind,
can increase your intuitive
skills. The trick is not to act
impulsively on every hunch,
but to be connected enough
to know the warning signals
and take stock of a situation.
9 Persevere
Whereas lucky people anticipate the best
for themselves, unlucky people predict the
worst – and don’t let reality get in the way
of their vision. If an unlucky person hits a
stroke of luck, they’re likely to think, “If
something great is happening to me,
something terrible is bound to follow.”
Lucky people do the opposite and
persist in the face of adversity until they
find that little lucky push to create the
happy ending they’re expecting.
10 Have faith in others
If you believe the people you meet will be
interesting, happy and fun (as studies have
found lucky people do), they’re more likely
to be exactly that. Why? Because your
expectations of people can affect how they
behave towards you. Take a blind-date – if
you’re told your date is friendly, you’re
more likely to feel happy to meet them,
smile at them and elicit a smile back. Ta
da! Your own beliefs have manifested
friendliness in the man across the table.
11 Find treasure
in the trash
Look on the positive side of your bad luck.
Think of ways the situation could have been
worse and ask yourself if your stroke of
misfortune really matters. Also, compare
yourself to those who are less fortunate. By
stopping yourself feeling unlucky, you’ll save
yourself being drawn into a bad-luck cycle.
12 Don’t be
superstitious
If you keep having car accidents, perhaps
it’s not the car that’s jinxed, but your driving.
Studies have found that unlucky people are
more superstitious than lucky people,
whereas lucky people tend to learn from
their mistakes. So if you’re struck by bad luck,
take control: an advanced driving course or
an eye-test could break that bad spell.
NUMBER 13 There were 13
guests at the Last Supper, and we all
know how that turned out for Jesus.
BREAKING A MIRROR The
Romans believed your reflection
represents your soul, which is no
good if it’s smashed to pieces.
On a happier note, the curse only
lasts for seven years.
OPENING AN UMBRELLA
INDOORS Ill-timed openings of
Victorian spoked umbrellas caused
many a gauged eyeball, so some
clever chap declared it was bad luck.
AND LUCKY
ANTIDOTES…
BLACK CAT CROSSING YOUR
PATH The cat is probably a witch
in disguise – the lucky part is that
she’s left you in peace.
BIRDS DROPPINGS ON YOUR
HEAD It symbolises wealth from
heaven (and reminds us how
fortunate we are cows can’t fly!).
FINDING A FOUR-LEAF CLOVER
According to legend, when Eve left
the Garden of Eden she took one
with to remind her of paradise. wh
Richard Wiseman is professor of the
public understanding of psychology
at the University of Hertfordshire and
author of The Luck Factor (Arrow).