The Blessing Factor

Why Good Things Always Happen to the Same People

Professor Richard Wiseman

Professor Wiseman believes that only 10% of life is purely random. The remaining 90% is “actually defined by the way you think.” In other words, your attitude and behavior determine nine-tenths of what happens in your life.

The good news is that Wiseman says that within weeks, you can learn the secrets of his “Luck” School and increase your good fortune by more than 40%.

There are four reasons why good things happen to the same people.

First, so called “blessed” people constantly happen upon chance opportunities. “Being at the right place at the right time is actually about being in the right state of mind. Lucky people also tend to be more relaxed about life, and they operate with a heightened awareness of the world around them. They spot and seize upon openings that other people miss. They also tend to be more social and maintain a “network of luck.”

Second, they listen to their hunches and make good decisions without really knowing why. Studies have shown that people’s gut feelings and hunches tend to pay off time and time again. Unlucky people often ignore their intuition and regret their decision. Over and over, survivors recount how gut feelings and intuition helped them overcome adversity.

Third, lucky people persevere in the face of failure and have an uncanny knack of making their wishes come true. They expect good things to happen. They’re convinced that life’s most unpredictable events will “consistently work out for them.” They keep going in the face of failure until they accomplish their objectives. Unlucky people gave up before they even started.

Fourth, lucky people have a special ability to turn bad luck into good fortune. Of all four defining factors involved in luck, Wiseman believes this one plays the most important role in survival. When misfortune strikes, life’s best survivors not only cope well, they often turn potential disaster into a lucky development.

Here’s a simple test to determine if you are inclined toward counterfactual thinking or luck.

If you were standing in line at the bank when an armed robber entered, fired one shot, and hit you in the arm, how would you feel, lucky or unlucky?
Imagine slipping on loose stair carpet, falling down a flight of stairs, and twisting your ankle. Luck or unlucky?

Are you prone to accidents, or possibly a klutz? The people most at risk tend to be more hyperactive, impulsive, neurotic, extroverted and inclined to use alcohol or drugs. People do encounter bad luck, but people are largely responsible for their misfortune.

Ninety percent of your life and your survival come down to the small choices you make. It seems almost too mundane to mention, but did you check the air pressure in your tires? Did you replace the batteries in the smoke detector? Did you tighten the straps on your child’s car seat? Did you get your annual mammogram? Yes, bad luck strikes and awful things happen. But nine out of ten times, we bring misfortune and accidents upon ourselves. If you want to break the cycle, you’ve got to change your mind-set and take responsibility.

What are some things you can do to turn your luck around and created more blessings? Here’s a five step program.

The first stage involves signing a “declaration” in which you pledge to incorporate the next four principles into your life for one month. This means you are going to make a real investment, and not just do lip service. Second, you create your profile by filling out a short questionnaire. The goal is to identify your strengths and weaknesses when it come to fortune? Do you maximize chance opportunities in life? Do you listen to your gut? Do you expect good things to happen? Do you turn your bad luck into good?

The third step involves incorporating a few techniques into your daily life. For instance, you need to expand your network and meet new people; practice a more relaxed attitude to life; open yourself to new experiences; and pay more attention to your gut instincts.

The fourth step involves keeping a luck journal and jotting down fortunate events that happen to you.

Eighty percent of the participants in this type of program report that their luck improves at least a little bit. The average increase is more than 40%, and it takes only a month.

It also works in the business world as well. In one case a computer company in England put around 40 employees through this process. Every month, productivity jumped 20 percent.