The title is a big statement to start this month’s blog: can we really influence our luck? There have been times when I’ve felt incredibly unlucky, but can you change your life with a few tweaks? Well, yes, I believe you can, and I’ll share some insight on how!
Much research has investigated the beliefs and experiences of lucky and unlucky people. The results from these studies share a radical new way of looking at luck and the important ways we can make our own. Here are my top two.
Missed Opportunities
There’s a great book written by Richard Wiseman called “Did You Spot the Gorilla?”. The gorilla in the book’s title is an analogy for an opportunity or solution that we cannot see, even though it is close to us, often because our attention is focused elsewhere.
We’ve all missed opportunities, those moments when we look back and think, “If only I had taken that chance.” Apart from our lack of attention, another reason for missing opportunities is fear of failure; we doubt we are competent enough to make it work.
This confidence crisis happened to me in 2008. Jamie and I had the opportunity to start our own business. It was the best decision we ever made and afforded us a lifestyle we loved. To begin with, I had so many doubts about whether I was good enough to make it work. We had a mortgage and many other outgoings, and we were doomed if we failed to secure a regular income. However, we stuck with the plan, seized the opportunity, and never looked back.
People used to say, “You’re so lucky to be able to run your own successful business.” I don’t see it that way; we grasped the opportunity and worked hard, creating our own luck, which leads me nicely to the second point I want to make—a behaviour that increased our luck tenfold!
Talk to anyone and everyone.
Building and maintaining a network of people you respect, like and admire is the biggest ingredient in creating your luck. Opportunities come from people; the more people you talk to, the better your chances of having someone think of you when they hear about a great opportunity or a super new job.
Jamie is much better at this than me but I’m improving. A high proportion of our business came through people we knew. We networked, networked and networked some more. If you talk to people, you will learn about anything and everything. Learning is valuable; your next big opportunity or a solution to a problem might come from a discussion in the pub or a queue in the coffee shop. Be inquisitive, ask questions, and learn everything you can, even in the butchers; butchers are a wealth of knowledge 😊
Most people I know undervalue the importance of networking. I appreciate that it’s not easy and certainly outside my comfort zone. However, my advice is that building a wide network and talking to as many people as possible each day can increase your odds of success. In other words, you can create your luck. Let’s not lose our ability to share conversations by hiding behind email and social media. People who have more social interactions are happier, healthier and luckier.
Before I go, I wanted to share an update on my AS. Luck isn’t as easy to influence when it comes to our health. I got the results of my recent MRI scans, which showed more inflammation and more deterioration in my spine, especially my cervical spine.
Biological drugs have improved dramatically since I was first diagnosed. Called TNF inhibitors, these drugs are injected weekly and are proven to slow down the damage caused by inflammation. While there is no cure, as well as slowing down the progress of the disease, it relieves many of the other challenges associated with autoimmune diseases.
Now, here’s the interesting bit! The last time I was prescribed these, I ended up in A&E on intravenous steroids due to a nasty reaction, meaning I had to stop injecting immediately. As you can imagine, I’m looking forward to my new prescription arriving!
Watch this space, and don’t let the “L” in your luck get replaced with an “F” 😊
Until next time xx
Living-your-best-life 