How To Be Lucky

It’s true. I’m very lucky and always have been. To me, luck means succeeding by chance.

As the Academy Awards approach, I often think about the luck involved in being nominated. It’s like a Power Ball Lottery every year. Oftentimes, cameras focus on veteran actors who’ve prepared their acceptance speeches and then lose to an up-and-comer. It must be hard to get that close to winning and not take home the prize and I know all about prizes.

When The Secret came out in 2006, I bought several copies to pass along to my family. The book is based on the law of attraction. This concept has been around for centuries. The more positivity you put out there, the more you receive. The author of the book takes it one step further. She believes if you put out specific intentions, imagine them happening, and then live your life like they already happened, it will become reality.

I finished the book while flying to Costa Rica. My family would be staying at an all-inclusive resort, so I decided to test out the theory. I put the thought, I will meet an actor during this trip, into the universe to see if it would work.

After two days of traveling, we checked into the predominantly spanish-speaking resort. My husband, Danny, took the kids to the beach while I settled into a lounge chair, poolside.

A few minutes later, a man listening to his iPod walked by and then stopped and stared at my mesh pool bag.

“Are you reading The Secret?” he asked.

“I just finished it.”

“Here.” He took out his ear buds and handed me his iPod. “I’m listening to it right now. My girlfriend and I are going to get something to eat. I’ll stop back in a little while.”

I listened to the soothing voice of the author, Rhonda Byrne. Soon he returned and introduced himself.

“Here’s my card. I’m an actor in Vancouver.” I would have fallen over if I hadn’t been laying down. He went on to say that he had recently starred in a History Channel series.

After the trip, I sent out positive energy and won makeup, perfume, and all kinds of door prizes. I bought tickets when attending a luncheon and told the lady who invited me that I didn’t need to win two prizes. I gave her one of them. She couldn’t believe it when we both won. It didn’t surprise me. I won a trip for two to heli-ski in Canada, and then last summer, I won a frame pack.

The weird thing is, when I was nominated for a Boulder Writer’s Workshop, Ink Award, for Best Blogger, I didn’t use The Secret at all. I was super stoked, but prepared myself and my family for losing. I was relatively new to the group and only knew a couple of people.

Danny insisted on going to the award ceremony. I brought my cane, an ice pack, and sat with my leg up on a chair. I told him, “Don’t look at me when they announce the winner. It’s not going to be me and I don’t want to draw any attention.”

It came time for door prizes and I thought, “Well at least I’ve got this in the bag.” When I didn’t win any of the ten given away, I sunk down in my seat. What happened to my mojo?

As the announcement for Best Blogger approached, it occurred to me this was a pretty big deal and I blew it! I had been so negative. That’s so not like me.

There were seven others competing in my category. If I had used The Secret, I would have taken my leg off the chair and grabbed my cane to prepare for accepting the award. I figured it was too late. Instead, I crossed my arms and sat back.

When they announced my name, I almost knocked over both chairs! I couldn’t believe it. How did that happen? I used the power of negativity and still won. I guess there’s more to it than the law of attraction.

All those years of watching the Academy Awards rushed back to me. When the actor stood at the podium, Oscar in hand and said they didn’t expect to win, so they didn’t prepare a speech, I figured they were using their award-winning acting abilities. Now I believe them!

Have you ever felt lucky?