I’ve always been a lucky person. My latest win was timed perfectly: a raffle for a fancy men’s mountain bike. The historic town of Arcadia, FL is raising money to build a Tiny Town for its homeless, a cause I find worthy. I filled out my raffle tickets very carefully, knowing just how lucky I am. My sweetheart says his new bike will help him get in shape, maybe lose a little weight. How lucky is that!?

Lucky Charms

He brought me home a well-worn horseshoe, then cleaned it and polished it – farmhouse art for over the front door. A less polished one hangs over the barn door – prongs up, like the horseshoe ring I wear. I always assumed this was the correct position, to keep the luck from running out.

Then I went down the Google hole and am in quandary. Who knew horseshoes have their own Feng Shui thing? Or that centuries ago, an Irish blacksmith captured the devil, who then negotiated his release by being shod and promising to never enter an establishment marked by a horseshoe. That’s good to know, and I’ll feel much safer when my No-Devil shingle is up.

But which way to hang it? According to my research, open end up stores good energy and prevents it from spilling out. But naysayers worry good luck gets trapped that way. Inverted, a well-worn horseshoe supposedly pulls good energy up from the earth – like a magnet – and pours it into the house every time the front door opens. I kind of like the sound of that.

Do We Make Our Own Luck?

My siblings are lucky, too. We get it from Dad. He died young, when I was just 19. Some might say that’s not very lucky. But he was a big believer in luck and won more than his share of raffles. He also wore lucky socks to church on Sundays before important golf matches, the way I wear my horseshoe ring 24/7.

I’ve flipped it upside down to see if it brings different energy. I tried to give it to my sister once. She wouldn’t take it. I think she was afraid of changing our luck. Neither of us passes a coin on a sidewalk.

Aside from superstition, there’s some simple logic to luck. The more opportunities we grab and the more people we meet, the luckier life seems to become. Lucky people fail, but they try again.

I’m twice divorced, and some might say that’s not very lucky. I swore I’d never train another man, but my partner and I are having a lot of fun building a life with far more potential than I ever imagined. Lucky Law #22: never say never.

Is Happy Lucky?

In her book How Luck Happens Janice Kaplan sums up the famous Harvard Study of Adult Development: “Seven decades of study said that if you want to feel lucky and live a good life, then get happy. Look for the positive. And don’t be embarrassed to share it.”

Into my own seventh decade, I find that’s been true in my life. I also know from years of personal experience: optimists of the world, we can’t change the pessimists. I don’t think toxic people realize just how much energy they zap out of us ever-trudging optimists.

Hanging out with Negative Norton on your shoulder will zap your luck, too. Don’t listen when he says, “I never win anything.” Fill those tickets out legibly!

Lucky Law #1

I was writing this article on a gorgeous Sunday, when I wanted to get outside in the sun with a good book. My calendar reminded me it was the deadline for a contest to win concert tickets. After convincing myself it was a game and not an audition for the symphony, I made a silly video of me playing “Friends in Low Places” on my flute. Guess who’s going to see Garth Brooks!?

You can’t win if you don’t play. Play!

Do you consider yourself lucky? Why or why not? Share a story about your luck with the community!