Why I’m the luckiest person on the planet and other perks of brazen gratitude
“Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” –Helen Keller
While I was hot air ballooning over Albuquerque last Friday, looking out over the Rio Grande Valley for what my balloon pilot described as 100 miles, I thought “I must be the luckiest person on the planet.” Not only do I regularly get to do the most awesome things, but I stay at five-star hotels, get treated to scrumptious meals (complete with dessert and cocktails) and meet what I consider to be the world’s most fascinating people. I shared my gratitude about “being so lucky” with my Vortex group on Sunday and my friend Linda pointed out there’s scientific proof that “feeling lucky” brings good rushing to your doorstep.
She cited a study at Stanford University where students were divided into two groups: those who identified themselves as being lucky and those who said they weren’t. Both groups were given a newspaper section and asked to count the number of pictures. The “lucky group” reported seeing 41 pictures. The “unlucky group” didn’t come close. Not one of them.
As it turns out, there was a line on the last page of the newspaper section that said, “Tell your professor you saw 41 pictures.” Every one of the self-identified lucky students, the ones who perceive themselves as drawing good fortune to their lives, noticed that little tip. Not one of the “unlucky” students was “lucky enough” to see it.
Coincidence? I don’t think so. That study, done by one of the top research universities in the country, more or less proves my Volkswagen Jetta principle: You impact the field and draw from it according to your beliefs and expectations.
Gratitude, feeling lucky, seeking things to be thankful for results in abundance. By focusing on positives, on how lucky and blessed you are, you will be rewarded not only with great drugs (neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin and other feel-good chemicals), but your neural pathways will sculpt a path to even more good things. We truly receive whatever we focus upon.
Tell me in the comments section below. Why are you the luckiest person on the planet?
Pam Grout is the author of 16 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality.