How To Be Lucky

Three Ways to Use Words

1. Use Your Words Wisely

As a society, we have become conditioned to talk about our misfortunes and problems. We take our interpretations of events, people, and ourselves and communicate them to the world, bringing them into existence. So, by that admission, when we moan or complain about our lives to others, we are putting those negative words out there to become a reality. When you say something out loud enough, your words become the truth, not only in your own mind, but in the minds of everyone you are saying them to. If this is really so, then ask yourself – do you really want to tell yourself and everybody else that you know that you are unlucky in love, unsuccessful, miserable, bored, or whatever else you have been complaining about? Especially now that you know that it is these exact words that are creating the life that you live? Begin to choose the words that you speak consciously. Practice improved self-awareness over the words that you use to describe yourself and your life. Negative, powerless words such as "can’t", "shouldn’t", "need", "won’t" should all be avoided. They strip you of your ability to manifest the life that you want to live. As the creator of your universe, what you say goes. Therefore, next time you catch yourself about to use negative words, regain control and frame your word choices so that they have a much more positive impact on your world.

For example, if you usually say things like "I am unhealthy and poor," why not change it to something more positive and constructive like "I am in the process of becoming healthier, and every day I get closer and closer to my abundance and prosperity?"

Your words are the paint with which you paint your reality. Choose those words wisely and positively to create a reality that is good for you. "Words are seeds that do more than blow around. They land in our hearts and not on the ground. Be careful what you plant and be careful what you say. You might have to eat what you planted one day. —Unknown

2. "I Am" or “I can”

Another effective way to use your words is to affirm who you are, your dreams, your hopes, and your successes with the most powerful words that a person can ever utter – "I am", I will and “I can”.

These two small but incredibly powerful words should be considered the most precious words that you have in your entire vocabulary. How we end the sentence "I am" defines who we are to ourselves and to everybody around us. So, when you say "I am... fat/lazy/shy" or "I am... beautiful/confident/successful/happy", this is the exact truth that you are creating for yourself. It doesn't even matter if there is any truth in the words that you are saying; how you finish those two little words is how you define your reality. By choosing “I can” makes is a possibility. Right now tell yourself, I can make this money, I can pass this course, I can win this case. The use of I can, I will and I am gives you a winning edge over any situation.

So why not choose a higher expression for yourself? Remind yourself of what you are and what you wish to be by starting each morning with a positive affirmation beginning with the power-carrying words "I Am". I often say, "I am unstoppable, I am born to rule, I take charge wherever I go etc." Create your own I am, I can or I will and see where it takes you.

3. Speak for a Purpose

When we complain about negative happenings in life, speak anxiously or use hateful words, we usually do so from a place of fear. So, the first step toward overcoming this is to improve your self-awareness of the words you use. Next time you open your mouth to complain or put yourself or others down, ask yourself:

1. Why am I about to say this?

1. "How is this going to serve me or others?"

Ask yourself these two important questions and you will no doubt discover the reason behind what you are saying. One can track either faith or fear after you have spoken. Most importantly of all, you will realize that by voicing these fears, you will be doing nothing for your happiness. Your words can only make you feel worse, manifesting these fears into your life with greater intensity. Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of some that don't mean much to you may stick with someone else for a lifetime. " Rachel Wolchin: Because your words have the power to stick with someone for a lifetime, you have to definitely speak with a godly purpose and intention. Choose your words bravely, consciously and lovingly. Always speak from a place of love for yourself, for your life and for others. Your words are your world, so use them wisely. This is another key principle that differentiates the lucky ones from the unlucky ones. Lucky people mostly speak about their success and upcoming success, and even if they see a hindrance or hurdle, they believe that there is a time coming when the obstacle won’t be there. Hence, they are lucky in all their ways. Let us once again learn how the Great God of the Universe used His words to create, preserve, and consummate the entire world.

In the book of the beginnings, you will see how God saw darkness, void, pain, and disorderliness yet applied these principles to changing the course of things. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

1. The earth was without form or void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

1. Then God said, "Let there be light, and there was light".

Regardless of your current experiences, if you could see into the invisible, you could create the luck you desire. God saw chaos, confusion and darkness but He chose to speak light and light also came. Thanks to the positive confession, I have realized in my life that anytime I declare a possibility for anything, I accomplish it. Let us again get some more light on this approach from the book of Hebrews and how words can create and preserve your entire activities.

God's word is a prominent theme in the book of Hebrews. A fascinating phenomenon regarding God's speech, and one that has, in my opinion, not been adequately explored, is that the writer possibly implies that God created by His word (Heb 11:3), preserves creation by His word (Heb 1:3), and will consummate creation by His word (Heb 12:26). This rendition examines whether the writer indeed had the conviction that God did, does, and will do this by His word.

The anonymous writer starts his sermon with the striking statement that the same God who spoke in the past has spoken through his Son (Heb 1:1-2a). An interesting phenomenon regarding God's speech in the book of Hebrews is that the writer possibly implies that God created the world by His Word, preserves the world by His Word, and will consummate creation by His word. Three passages in Hebrews allude to this:

1. Hebrews 11:3 By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible (creation).

1. Hebrews 1:3 He [the Son] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power (preservation).

1. Hebrews 12:26 At that time, his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens" (consummation).

Although Hebrews 12:26 does not contain a reference to God's word, it does refer to God's voice and the consummation of creation. This is how the Omnipotent achieved his goal through the use of words. Every day, speak words that are consistent with God’s divine provisions, plans, and purpose for your life. You can talk your way out of any predicament, and even talk yourself to the top! The power is in your mouth. Start now and start right. “remember the mind is your best muscle… BIG ARMS can move rocks, but BIG WORDS can move mountains…ride the brain train for success”. Sylvester Stallone.

CHAPTER THREE

MAXIMIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”. Winston S. Churchill

We live in a world where many people look but few people see. What you see determines what you can seize. If you see opportunities, you can make use of them, but if what you see is difficulty, then it is imperative that you worry. I would like to tell you the story of two gentlemen who went to Africa for an inventory of the market and the results they came up with.

Once upon a time, a shoe company sent two salesmen to Africa to determine the market potential for their products. One salesman was sent to the east coast of Africa, while the other salesman was sent to the west coast of Africa. Both salesmen returned to the office after completing a basic survey of the target market. The salesman sent to the east of Africa reported: "No one here wears any shoes; there is no market for us here"! The other salesman sent a message: "No one here wears any shoes, so there is a huge market for us. Send inventory fast."

The point of the story is that your perspective influences your vision, and your vision affects your success. If you feel a situation around you is a difficult problem that you cannot change, you will usually worry. On the other hand, if you see the world as a place full of opportunities, you will act differently. So, with the economic slowdown and business downturns right now, many entrepreneurs and business owners are putting off decisions to invest in and are with an attitude of "wait and watch." However, there are some managers and companies that are currently looking at the same business environment and seeing an abundant opportunity for growth and enlargement. Those managers and CEO’s are working hard to capture the evolving opportunities in the market and are continuing to grow despite the economic recession. Which of these managers do you believe will be fortunate and successful? In short, Peter Drucker put it this way. "The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity."-Peter Drucker Allow me to ask you a question: what kind of shoe salesman are you or will you become?

In times of discouragement, we are tempted to believe that only "lucky" people receive the best opportunities and that we just don’t have that "lucky" quality. However, when we put in the effort to be in the right place at the right time, we can encounter a plethora of opportunities. Our success very much depends on whether or not we can seize opportunities in our lives; time and chance happen to all of us. This, of course, won’t happen by itself. You must do your part to make it happen. There are essentially three things you should do:

"Opportunity is everywhere. The key is to develop the vision to see it. " -Anonymous

1. Preparing your mind
   Following the advice above, it is important to first prepare your mind. Preparing your mind means improving your skills and knowledge in your niche so that you are ready to tap into the opportunities as they come. Without preparing your mind, you may be at the right time and place, but you can’t seize the opportunities. They will just pass right in front of you.

1. Preparing others’ minds
   It’s not enough to just prepare your mind. You should also prepare others’ minds so that they are aware of your skills and knowledge. When they have problems related to your niche, they should remember you, preferably as the first name on their mind. That way, they will become your channels of opportunity. It’s all about building your brand.

1. Maximizing your exposure
   Besides preparing and branding yourself, you also need to expose yourself to as many potential opportunities as possible. The world is now a global village and internet is the market square, therefore place yourself on the available social media platforms. Finding a lot of opportunities requires you to be out there. You need to be active and visible. Visible online and onsite.

By doing these three things, you will increase your chance of seizing great opportunities in your life.

A positive opportunity is one program God Almighty uses to effect change in His people. It is nature's tool for change. Hence, opportunities are presented to each of us to identify them and change our stories. Obviously, failing to recognize and capitalize on any opportunity that presents itself is tantamount to refusing change, and as a result, you become unlucky.

Opportunities come in various forms. I strongly believe we fail to recognize opportunities because of the nature in which they present themselves. They come disguised. This very statement is worth keeping throughout one's life. Opportunities don't come gift-wrapped, looking inviting and appealing as treasures, or else every human being will be on a common pedestal in life. Instead, opportunities come, sometimes looking dreadful but apparently worth overlooking. Ann Landers saw opportunities as hard work, saying, "Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them." —Ann Landers. We should be able to see every defeat we are confronted with, every adversity, or negative situation, as a real opportunity to change our lives. We should see every termination and excommunication as a way forward in disguise. Again, we ought not to consider an opportunity to help a fellow as a burden but a seed of kindness sown to be reaped in God's perfect time. Do you see a challenge in front of you as trouble? That is a sure sign of an opportunity staring at you. Grab it now.

Even when you are certain there is no opportunity lurking around, prepare yourself for one. Henry Hartman rightly said, "Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity." Preparation is indispensable to incoming opportunities. There are numerous examples that prove the disguised nature of opportunities. What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity. " J. Sidlow Baxter. The Holy Bible gives track records of a number of people who recognized and utilized one opportunity after another, thus having their stories appear in the bible. Abraham saw an opportunity in accompanying strangers to his house, and eventually, his wife received a glorious prophesy. "Remember to welcome strangers into your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it. " (GNB) (Hebrews 13:2) David saw Goliath as an opportunity for advancement, whilst the soldiers of Israel came each day to analyze the strength of their popular foe. Joseph saw the need to make useful his God-given gift in an uncomfortable prison environment. How many humans will see the prison premise as an opportune place to display their talents? Joseph ruled in prison. Nehemiah, Daniel, and a lot more of the Bible characters recognized and maximized their opportunities.

Opportunities fly away if we are not fast enough to cage and engage them. Therefore, to maximize opportunities in our lives, we must take advantage of whatever we have at the moment. Even the families we find ourselves in, whether rich or not, provide us with the opportunity to do something worthwhile in life. Opportunities can be created. Be the creator. “Don’t wait for the right opportunity: create it”.- George Bernard Shaw

People who are hospitable, charitable, and kind sow seeds that will certainly be reaped either directly or indirectly when they least expect them. "Because we have the opportunity, let us do good to all men."(KJV Galatians 6:10). The harvest is always as certain as the day itself.

Every person has talents and gifts within. It is the untapped resource in your mind, your spirits, and your inner man that is important. Let's go down with a flashlight within ourselves and look for the untouched treasures that have never been touched. Then let us bring the thing that we find and make it worthwhile. "-E. W. Kenyon Your gifts and talents are for service and also present in you to change your story for the better.

Remember, not all opportunities are positive. Be quick to discern the right ones. Take advantage of every moment in your life, home, family, church, your school, workplace, and your world. Be mentally awake and diligent. Put your very best in every day and in everything you do. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming. Don't fail to recognize an opportunity due to its disguised nature. Look up for opportunities everywhere. An opportunity is close to you now in disguise. Take it! And when you look around and see none, remember that it's time to create one.

Keys to maximizing opportunities in life

Highlights of great opportunities that do occur in our lives. Often, we are brought to a full glimpse of realization shortly after these opportunities have slipped away. Opportunities are channels of help and benefits created by God and the efforts of others. Opportunities do not come out of the blue. I mean, they are not sudden occurrences. What must be addressed is how to see and maximize an opportunity. As important as opportunities can be to our individual success stories, they don’t always come knocking. Therefore, we must have a pragmatic approach to know how to make the best of them. Here are five keys that can be of great help in doing just that.

Key 1. The first step is to identify and define an opportunity.

In every challenge, there is an opportunity. Also, opportunities do not come with name tags, and we must seek to identify opportunities irrespective of the form in which they may appear. Understanding this will help you realize not only how to overcome your challenge but also how to maximize the opportunity that comes with it. Some challenges come to reveal or unearth potential in us. Ask yourself, "What can I do about this situation?" What resources or information do I have to create a solution? By doing this, you are identifying an opportunity. Begin to see an opportunity for what it is and not a bad omen as some have seen it and have succeeded at nothing.

Key 2: Make a Decision on What to Do

Decision-making is very important in maximizing opportunities in life. Imagine a hen that lays several eggs and does not brood (sit on eggs to hatch) them. There’s no way the eggs will hatch on their own. Similarly, without a clear-cut decision, a well-defined opportunity would remain an opportunity. It may be tough to make a decision, particularly if you are uncertain. A decision is a conscious acquisition of something that informs our actions. Therefore, be optimistic and confident that you can do it, and you will be amazed at the outcome. One day, the decision made by four lepers helped secure food for a whole nation (2 Kings 7:3-20).

Key 3: Create a workable strategy.

Most people do not make the most of opportunities because they often do not have a working approach. Have a plan, a blueprint, a flow chart, in fact, develop a systematic approach to maximizing every opportunity that comes your way. There is no such thing as "this is a small opportunity." Even if it appears so, make it big by bringing your big guns to the table. Do not leave things to chance; make a plan! The observed routine is that many pray more and often have no plan when their prayers are answered. Do not plan without praying, and do not pray without planning. A farmer who tills his land while waiting for rain shows readiness compared to another farmer who sits praying and waiting for rain to start pouring.

Key 4: Take action.

Do what needs to be done to turn every opportunity that comes your way into a success. At this level, there are certain traits you should unfriend. Procrastination, familiarity, laziness, excuses... you know them, so don’t fall under their spell. Many young men and women have had great opportunities in life but wasted them on account of such friends. Let this fourth key be a principle for you. Take action! Don’t stare at opportunities, saying, "There is nothing I can do or I don’t have what it takes to do this or that. Richard Brandson said, "If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later." Need I remind you that "where there is a will, there is a way". Again, consider the case of the four lepers (2 Kings 7:3-20), they took action.

Fifth key: Determination

In two ways, I would like to address "determination" as a key to maximizing opportunities. Firstly, a person who has succeeded in making the best out of an opportunity ought to remain determined, keep at it, and while doing that, he/she may identify greater opportunities. Secondly, when you do not achieve the expected outcome, don’t give up. Maintain your focus and faith in God, and He will undoubtedly assist you.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15-16). You might not have noticed, but God has a keen interest in how we use opportunities (Matthew 25:18-30). Some of these opportunities include life, time, money, information, friends, children, etc. many who discovered and deployed their opportune time are usually termed as lucky and that can be your story to. In the bigger picture, we will give an account of what we did with these opportunities. It is my prayer that you will not miss opportunities that come your way. I ask that the least opportunity you find will become an avenue of greater glory because God will help you to make the most out of it.

CHAPTER FOUR

TURN BAD LUCK INTO GOOD ONE

We are still discussing the wisdom pills that are capable of making you lucky. Whenever successful people practice such principles and start enjoying its fruits, the average man sees it as luck. If you can religiously practice such principles on daily basis, you would be the next lucky guy in town. Now, let get into this chapter for wisdom. Often times many people ask me is it possible to turn bad luck into good? How can something bad be changed into a good thing? That is why you should continue reading the book how to be lucky. At the end of this chapter, you will be amazed at how easy it is to change your bad luck into a good one. People often say, "What you don't know kills you," but this book will teach you how to turn preconceived bad luck into an enviable testimony. Bad luck is simply a challenge or a problem an individual is facing, so to overcome that challenge, there are definite steps you have to take to overcome every unsurmountable situation. While some people subscribe to superstitions, there are several things you can do to change your luck. Don't fear black cats and red danger any longer! Instead, change your behavior and mindset. Good luck will follow you!

Bad luck is not something to live with – it is a challenge that has to be grabbed by the neck and dealt with. Here are a few tips on how to do it.