Wanna Get Lucky?

Tonight I hosted my monthly Wonderful Wednesday group and the theme for the night was Luck. Everybody got to do a collage but me šŸ™ so I decided to do a quick one here!

The left-brain material for the workshop came from a book called The Luck Factor by Dr. Richard Wiseman (miramax books, 2003). He did some research on what makes the difference between being “lucky” and “unlucky” and he came up with 4 main principles: maximizing chance opportunities (or Networking, as I’ve called it here), listening to your lucky hunches (Intuition), expecting good fortune (Optimism), and turning bad luck into good (Alchemy).

So after all the left brain information, I had to get everybody into right brain mode with an art activity. We created 4 leaf clover collages with images to represent each of the 4 luck principles. It was awesome to see everyone in the group pick such different kinds of images. Each person’s 4 leaf clover became a powerful message to them about how to create more luck in their lives.

How can you use these 4 principles to create luck?

Networking: The more people you meet and the more open you are to new information, the more likely you are to catch a lucky break. If you meet 20 new people a week, at least one of them is bound to be able to do something positive for you. So get out and mingle! Talk to strangers in waiting rooms, go to parties, attend networking events. And be open to the connections that come your way.

Intuition: Your intuition often knows more than the “facts of the matter” show. Don’t ignore the rational evidence, but give it a boost by tuning into your gut. You can increase your intuitive abilities by practicing meditation or other activities that quiet the mind.

Optimism: When you expect good things to happen, they do! If you are a student of the Law of Attraction, you already know this. Focusing on the future with positive expectations draws positive results to you. It also makes your “now” happier when you can replace fear and worry with positive, happy thoughts.

Alchemy: When something unfortunate does happen, you’ll feel a lot luckier if you look for the bright side of the situation. No matter what has happened, it probably could have been worse. Think of the impact of the unfortunate event in the bigger scheme of things. Will it matter as much 1 year from now? 5 years from now? At the very least, you can learn from what happened. Turning the lead into gold as often as possible will ensure fewer misfortunes and increased good luck.

I highly recommend Dr. Wiseman’s book, The Luck Factor. It’s a fascinating read full of great advice for anyone looking to get lucky. Master these 4 skills and your luck is bound to improve!

My inner castle holds . . .

My inner castle holds
ancient wounds
and ancient histories
mysteries
older than the sands of time

I came here with my work boots on
to dig down through
the timeworn layers
of the pyramid self
back down to the bones
the ancient circle of standing stones
my origins
my Truth

Most masks have fallen away
yet still today
secrets lie
behind fortressed gates
waiting for me
to turn the key
and set the child
completely free

My Wild Things,
benevolently and loosely ruled,
have found a place
to safely roam
their color and form
dancing through unlined pages
filling book after book
with my own
Sacred Story

Now
for every fallen or broken heart
I find a dozen more in the sand
and the one that beats
in my chest is bound
and balanced
dancing between
the falling apart
and the coming together
destruction and creation
and all of it Love

In the end
which is the beginning
what remains is the sea
and the ever blooming tree
that is Life

~Claire, the Artful Alchemist