subject: Can We Teach Our Kids to Be Lucky? [print this page] Can We Teach Our Kids to Be Lucky?
You are in the wrong place if you are looking for poker strategies or how to pick winning lottery numbers. This first article in the series "Teaching Our Kids to be Lucky" introduces the idea that luck can be taught to our children through helping them gain certain tools.
Recently, I read the blog by the self proclaimed happiness expert Christine Carter discussing that we can teach our children to be lucky, it got me thinking. While I chewed on it, I sought out a different term. My definition of luck was based on the word "chance". It didnt seem possible to teach. Positive attitude? Gratitude? Coping Skills? All seemed to be pieces of the luck puzzle, but none captured the true essence.
After reading Christine's article several times and following her suggestion to read Dr. Wiseman's book The Luck Factor, I am readjusting my position. It seems that my definition was limited, not the term itself.
Dr Wiseman, a British psychologist who studied luck, says that "Lucky people meet their perfect partners, achieve their lifelong ambitions, find fulfilling careers, and live happy and meaningful lives."
Who wouldnt want this definition to describe their children's lives (or their own)?
Not only that, but he goes on to explain that "Their success is not due to their working especially hard, being amazingly talented, or being exceptionally intelligent. Instead, they appear to have an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time and enjoy more than their fair share of lucky breaks." He has also determined that luck is learnable. In fact, he created a Luck School which teaches unlucky people how to change.
In his book, Dr. Wiseman outlines four common characteristics in lucky people. They:
-Take advantage of chance opportunities
-Make good decisions
-Expect positive outcomes
-Change bad luck into something positive
The next four articles will be dedicated to looking at these lucky traits and how we can help foster them in our children. As parents, one of the most important steps we can take is to model lucky behavior. As you read through the next four articles, think about how your life provides examples of the lucky behaviors for your children. If you find too few, take charge of your own luck. Your bad luck behaviors can be contagious.
Don't minimize the importance of luck in determining life's course.
Alex Trebek
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