March 13, 2022
So, in just a few days, we’ll be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. And in honor of that day when we tend to celebrate Irish culture and all things Irish, I wanted to talk today about “Luck.”
That might seem a little ‘out there’ when talking about career but hang with me because I’m going to talk about what it means to have “The Luck Factor” and four principles you can use to apply this to your own career and life.
You’ve probably heard the term “Luck of the Irish.” I did a little research on that term because I always thought it referred to the good fortune of the people of Ireland. But, according to Edward T. O’Donnell, a profession of history at Holy Cross College and author of 1001 Things Everyone Should know about Irish American History, the phrase *isn’t* about that.
The phrase Luck of the Irish was coined in the late 19th century during the gold and silver rush years in the U.S. Apparently, some of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth. Mining – especially in those days – was highly speculative and of course, many speculators flamed out. But many of those of Irish descent seemed to have an intuitive knack for it. And over time, the association between success and Irish became known as “Luck of the Irish.”
But we’re not going to talk about mining or celebrating Irish Culture on today’s episode. Instead, we’re going to talk about how to be luckier as it relates to your career and life. And how anyone can follow four principles to learn *how* to be luckier.
So, pour yourself an Irish Coffee or a glass of green beer, and let’s dive in.
Now, I want to begin by asking you a few questions when it comes to luck in your career or life.
· Have you ever wondered why opportunity seems to chase some people down while others struggle to get ahead?
· Have you ever wondered why some people seem to race up the corporate ladder while others, just as talented or maybe even more talented, struggle?
· Have you ever wondered why some people go from miserable job to miserable job (or relationship to relationship) while others find themselves making decisions that better serve them?
· Is luck random? Or do you believe anyone can learn to be luckier?
Well, according to Richard Wiseman, a professor of psychology in Britain, who wrote a book called The Luck Factor, there are indeed people who are luckier in life but it’s not a random thing. He says that lucky people tend to take advantage of life’s good breaks while minimizing the effects of bad breaks.
And he should know because his observation came from a study of hundreds of people – both lucky and unlucky – that he did over a decade. From that study, he developed four psychological principles used by lucky people to create their good fortune. And these are principles any of us can learn and put into practice.
From that study he hypothesized that lucky people invest themselves in a wide array of activities, which means they then have a greater potential for more experiences, more connections with people and therefore, more chances to experience good luck.
Join us for this episode to learn practical ways to bring more good fortune into your life.
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