Updated: Aug 19, 2023
There are some who say there is no such thing as luck, but whether it be by coincidence or good karma, it is the nature of human beings to seek a reason for why things happen. Perhaps it has more to do with our mindset than some cosmic workings of the universe. In recent years, manifestation has gone from a vague term associated with the metaphysical to a near-verifiable method for changing one’s outlook and therefore circumstance.
As with most things these days, we can thank social media for the wide reach of trends and their rapid growth. One such fad is known as the Lucky Girl Syndrome, a hashtag gone viral thanks to tik tok influencer, Laura Galebe. In her viral video, Galebe states that she is one of the luckiest people she knows and that she expects great things to happen to her, ergo they do. Of course, there has been backlash in response to Galebe’s video, stating that his way of thinking is delusional and an example of privilege, but the underlying premise of Galebe’s lucky girl syndrome comes down to shifting our mindset, a powerful tool used by psychologists every day.
“When we tell ourselves that we’re lucky, the brain starts to look for examples to confirm that belief,” says psychologist Dr. Susan Albers. “And because our brain likes to be right, if we tell ourselves that we’re lucky, that part of the brain is going to start filtering in the information that backs that up.”
However, unfounded or irrational optimism can do more harm than good. It’s like when your knee hurts but you run a race anyway, hoping against evidence that things will be ok. There is the chance that nothing bad will happen and you can run another day, but the pain is a signal from your body that something is not right, and no amount of hope and manifestation is going to change that. In this way, it is important to practice manifestation with a grain of salt, understanding that hoping something will happen will not necessarily make it so, but more importantly, changing your outlook is only half the work. In order to bring about real change, luck really doesn’t have much to do with it. It comes down to how willing you are to work and make that dream or goal a reality.
There are simple things we can do in our everyday life that can help manifest that lucky feeling.
1. Be open to new things.
It can be easy to get stuck in a rut as we go about our daily routines. The best way to bring luck into your life is to open yourself up to opportunities, even if it forces you out of your comfort zone. Be curious and willing to learn, and good things will happen for you.
2. Broaden your network.
“One of the fastest and best ways to garner more luck is to put yourself out there and meet more people, because people bring connections, and connections bring opportunity.” From your social circle to professional connections, meeting new people is a great way to follow the advice in Step 1 above and enhance your perspective by hearing about other people’s experiences.
3. Accept the setbacks.
It is the nature of humans to be fallible. Accept the fact that we all will fail at something at some point in life and develop an action plan. Those who are lucky are not ones who have never failed, they are the ones who get back up when they’ve fallen and found a new solution to pursuing their goal.
Our mindset continues to be a very powerful tool in creating change. Those who go through life with the belief that the world is against them, that no matter how hard they work, they will not have success, tend to be “unlucky”. This fatalistic way of thinking can affect your actions, closing you off from the opportunity to pursue success and feel lucky. It is based on the law of assumption, which is the belief that should a person believe something is true, that concept becomes a reality. According to manifestation coach Juliette Kristine Connor, people can train their mind’s reticular activating system, “the system in your brain that filters out unnecessary information so the important things can get through and it decides what is necessary based on what you are focusing on and your beliefs. So, if you believe things are always working out for you, your RAS will keep finding ways to reaffirm this.”
Through the marriage of positive thinking and intentional action, the lucky mindset can produce real results. The power of optimism has been studied and proven effective several times over, from improving our physical health to strengthening our relationships with others. Changing your mindset is not always easy; sometimes the world is a dark place. Sometimes the circumstances in one’s life make it hard to see past the negative. But so much stems from the way we look at the world, affecting how we interact with others and how we treat ourselves. Creating our own luck starts with creating space for positivity to flourish and for opportunities to grow.
