Research shows that lucky people are more relaxed and open than unlucky people. You limit your ability to notice people and opportunities around you if you are overly anxious and concerned with doing things just so. Being relaxed, on the other hand, leads to the following essentials for good luck:
1. Awareness and curiosity: Being relaxed and open to new possibilities allows a person to notice and act on chance opportunities.
2. Approachability: Luck often originates from random encounters with other people, and being relaxed makes a person more approachable.
3. Flexibility: While trying too hard, being particular and “perfect” can lead to being inflexible, being relaxed often leads to varied and flexible life experiences. Being open to wide-ranging experiences and knowing diverse people in your life fosters creativity and openness.
There is more to being lucky than being relaxed and open. However, these qualities are key to developing creative, open thinking, which can turn incidental events into serendipitous good-fortune.
by Alison Poulsen, PhD