Chance, Luck and Opportunities

The dictionary defines luck as "(chance as bestower of) good or ill fortune, fortuituous events affecting one's interests, person's apparent tendency to be (un)fortunate". "Phew," some of you will sigh with relief..."it's not my fault that I'm unlucky then, its all down to chance!" Well, let’s consider what chance is first. Dictionary definition again: "way things happen of themselves, fortune; undesigned occurrence; opportunity".
So, yes, it would be reasonable to say that you cannot truly make your luck but it would be also be right to say that being lucky is about using the opportunities presented to us.
How can we become lucky if it is down to chance and opportunities? As mentioned above some of it is outside of our control, the issue is grabbing opportunities when they arise. "That's all very well," some of you may now be saying "but I don't get many opportunities to grab."
This is the real issue. Dr Richard Wiseman in his book, “The Luck Factor” spent many years proving that nobody is any luckier than anyone else. It is all to do with attitude and behaviour.
How many opportunities do we miss in life? Sometimes we are so engrossed in our problems or day to day lives that we let great opportunities pass us by. Other times an opportunity may be jumping up and down in front of us shouting "Hey guys! I'm here! Great opportunity time!" but we choose to ignore it as it is just embarrassing us with its ridiculous behaviour and we don't want to look silly or make a mistake.
So how can you spot these opportunities and become lucky?
Going back to chance, consider the likelihood of winning a lottery. This can be considered from a mathematical viewpoint. It is based on the laws of probability and chance. You can 'buy' into these 'opportunities' with a lottery ticket, the odds are clearly defined, however you may be lucky and get a prize.
The more interesting opportunities are the little day to day things. You are stuck in traffic with your children. Great! You now have an opportunity to ask them about their day, play I Spy, or check their knowledge of their times tables. Of course you could rant and rave about the delay or shout at them when they start whining that they are bored; two different approaches to a situation. This optimistic approach to life, where you always see the positive is what will help you to see those opportunities. A change in attitude can make us receptive to ‘seeing good fortune’.
Another point to remember is it helps to open yourself up to more situations that allow for opportunities. Talking to people anywhere and everywhere increases your chances of meeting the right person for a situation. Getting out and about instead of staying at home creates more possible winning situations. Consider why networking is successful. Think about what you can give or offer to others rather than what you receiving as this will more likely make you feel like a winner too.
Finally use those opportunities that come your way. Make the most of them. If you don’t use them you may have just turned down the biggest bit of ‘luck’ that ever came your way. You’ll just never know!