Seneca said:

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

Richard Wiseman said:

Those who think they’re unlucky should change their outlook and discover how to generate good fortune.

This article by Richard Wiseman, psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire and author of The Luck Factor (Century) reveals what his research on how outlook changes luck.

A decade ago, I set out to investigate luck. I wanted to examine the impact on people’s lives of chance opportunities, lucky breaks and being in the right place at the right time. After many experiments, I believe that I now understand why some people are luckier than others and that it is possible to become luckier.

Unlucky people often fail to follow their intuition when making a choice, whereas lucky people tend to respect hunches.

Unlucky people tend to be creatures of routine.

Lucky people tend to see the positive side of their ill fortune.

Reference:

• Be lucky – it’s an easy skill to learn | The Telegraph | Author | Richard Wiseman | 9 Jan 2003