There is a story about Bill Morgan, an Australian truck driver who, back in 1998, had a heart attack and was clinically dead for more than 14 minutes before being brought back to life. Doctors put him into a coma, and even though the odds were massively against him, he survived.
After recovering, he bought a scratchie card to celebrate not dying (good call) and he won a brand new car. A local TV crew thought the story was pretty cool and asked him to recreate buying and scratching another ticket on camera. While filming, he scratched it and this time he won $250,000 AUD. Check it out online as it is an entertaining watch.
On the surface, that looks like pure chance lightning striking twice for one lucky man. But psychologist Richard Wiseman spent years studying luck and found something surprising, it is not just random chance. It is something you can influence.
He identified four principles that shape how lucky people think and act.
Notice Opportunities
Lucky people pay attention. They notice things others miss, it could be a shift in tone during a conversation, an offhand comment about a problem, a new connection that could lead somewhere. When someone mentions a challenge that they are facing, most people hear it and move on. Lucky people hear it and lean in. They are open to what is around them, and that openness creates more chances for good things to happen.
Listen to Your Gut
Your gut isn't just guesswork it is your experience telling you something. People who trust their instincts tend to make better calls because they are tuned into patterns often subconsciously that they have seen before. That feeling that tells you to follow up one more time, or that a deal isn't quite right? That's not luck. That's pattern recognition. The lucky ones have the courage to act on it.
Back Yourself and Expect Good Things
People who expect good things to happen tend to get more of them. Not because of magic, but because their mindset shapes how they show up. When you approach opportunities with confidence rather than doubt, it changes your energy, your follow through, your presence. Optimism attracts people, confidence builds trust, and those things open doors.
Keep a Resilient Attitude
Even the luckiest people have setbacks. The difference is how they respond. Instead of collapsing after a disappointment or a tough period, they learn, adjust, and keep going. Staying in the game long enough gives luck a chance to catch up again. Every setback is just another moment that didn't work out and it doesn't mean the next one won't.
So maybe luck isn't some mysterious force after all. Maybe it's just about being open, curious, and willing to try again. Because the people who seem luckiest are simply the ones who keep showing up.
As golfer Gary Player once said when asked why he was so lucky: "The harder I work, the luckier I get."
Just saying….
