Everyone
wants more luck in his or her life. Like the common saying goes, it’s
better to be lucky than smart. Dr. Richard Wiseman pointed out four
fundamental principals to increasing your luck factor in his book called
the
Luck Factor. The
first principle is make your own luck by
exposing yourself to a large number of people and to create more
opportunities. They also don’t mind being flexible and having a relaxed
attitude. Along the way, they also enjoy their new experiences. In
hindsight, I had created my luck as a young person. I met a friend who
told me that he liked going to live shows. And I replied that I didn’t
have such an experience and want to be exposed to such an experience.
So, I told him as well as others that I am willing to drop all
non-essential plans to be their “plus one” at concerts. One time, a
friend asked me if I could get changed and meet him at a distant subway
station in 30 minutes. I said that I could try, and that’s when I was
able to go see Rod Stewart last minute. The other friend had friends who
would cancel so often that I went to a couple dozen of symphonies and
concerts one year, and this continued until I left D.C. When it came to
seeing lots of concerts and broadway shows, I was pretty lucky.
I met a low-ranking government employee who was departing from the
department but I did not know it. But I jovially engaged in a banter
where he asked me which slice of pizza to buy at the government
cafeteria. I replied that he should choose the largest slice with the
most amount of topping for his $1.25. This conversation led to the
agency in the department creating a position for me.
Chance favors the prepared mind. Lucky people listen to their gut
feelings and boost their intuition through meditation. I see this
second
principle to be tangent to the first principle because you cannot be
too rigid. For example, I personally think it’s foolish to have certain
goals in order. I know some people who will not have a family until they
buy a house. What if you do not make enough money and cannot buy a
house. If you follow a rigid order, you will find that you may not reach
any of your goals because you are stuck behind an unattainable goal.
I can see why Dr. Wiseman recommends meditation, which enables the
clarity of the mind and the control your mind. Also your spiritual
awareness increase, increasing your perception, curiosity, patience and
peace of mind. One chant is
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo; (Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism – The Lotus Sutra). In 1994, I converted to Nirchiren Daishonin’s Buddhism (
Soka Gakkai International)
because the Buddhist principles gave me confidence and determination. I
chanted to buy a house. But it wasn’t long that we received a call from
our realtor that one abandoned house dropped by $35,000. Despite the
fact that the house sat vacant for 9 months and the last person to sign
the visitor’s roster signed as “Joe Homeless” and it was sold “as is,”
we jumped at an opportunity to own in a great location in October 1996.
It was not obvious that we follow one of the most basic principles in
real estate, “Location, Location, and Location” despite a feeling that
the improvement may be overwhelming. Only in hindsight did we learn that
it was an auspicious deicision. We were able to lift Private Mortgage
Insurance (PMI) in 18 months when the property tripled in value.
Dr. Wiseman’s
third principle is to expect the good. And I guess that
we were not weighed down by the negative aspect of the home….a back
wall of the property stood precariously; the carpet was dirty and stunk
of pet urine; the paint was dingy; and the entire property was overgrown
with vegetation such as large vines that looked like trees.
Similarly, when dating, too many single persons find the wrong reason
not to continue a relationship. Why should the other person have a
great job or own a house? Jobs and homeownership come and go. Isn’t it
more important to have similar core values? I know too many couple find
out only after they are married that they are not financially
compatible. They find out that one is a spender and the other is a
saver. This relationship will not work out. I know couples who did not
know what each other's position on raising a family. Someone who does
not want children will not stay together with someone who wants
children. If you have the clarity of mind, you can push out the garbage
thoughts and have see the right opportunity.
Dr. Wiseman’s
third principle is to expect fortune. Unlucky people
already presume that they will fail whereas the lucky ones will keep
trying. When I was young, I happened to win as vice president of my
elementary school. I watched earlier candidates the year before giving
speeches to the kindergarten class, and so, I did the same. I couldn’t
believe that I, as a foreigner and outcast, won the position over a
popular football player. This gave me confidence for the rest of my
life, where I won a national essay contest representing my state (this
story is told in my hub
How I Have Accepted Premontions As A Foundation In My Life).
I also believed that poor grades was not the end-all and worked to gain
confidence, money, and solid foundation for my resume. You fail only
when you give up. Just like the only concrete loss in the stock market
is when you cash out your stocks during a down cycle.
The
final principal of Dr. Wiseman’s book is to fix your luck. He
believes that one should see the positive. As I grow older, now I
understand how some acquaintances have stated that they wanted full days
of nothing but positive thoughts. Don’t even think that an injustice
may not right itself. I knew someone who was very lucky. He did very
little (from my point of view) and yet he was promoted. He rewarded a
bonus to at least one of his friends as far as I could see because she
helped his daughter find a cheap wedding place. But then he was attacked
by a homeless person and was hospitalized and then despite a 4-6 month
travel to different offices, he was demoted and retired quickly. He rose
so quickly but he fell so hard. I was in total disbelief that this was
ever going to happen, but again, I was not seeing the positive. And I
dwelled on it, pitying myself. However, I soon learned that we cannot
compare ourselves to others’ lives. I knew a person who was very popular
and was promoted quickly, yet she died at a young age with breast
cancer.
So what can one do to fix the luck. In my opinion, be proactive.
Brainstorm. Network. When I was in a rut with my career, a woman who
spent a few years at my college told me to join a professional
association and attend the lectures and meet people. That did eventually
lead to my current position. In terms of finding a mate, I always
remember that a smile is free and inviting. And unless it is really
necessary, always go out on a date if asked because it is hard being the
person who has to ask you. Finally, everything you do is about learning
about yourself, no matter how bored you are or how redundant the task
is.
In short, I am not the luckiest person on Earth, but I could see that
I have lived with similar principles expounded by Dr. Wiseman in his
book called
The Luck Factor.
The California Science Museum is one of my favorite museums. The most exciting 
One
of the newer landmarks in Los Angeles is the Getty Center, the newer of
the two Getty Museum. The Getty Villa had been recently renovated. Both
Museum are free, but the Getty Villa requires online reservation of
tickets, which can be found on this page,
