Luck doesn’t fall from the sky—whether the lucky person knows it or not, it’s cultivated by experience, attention and practice. Neuroscientist Nakano opens up a simple, science-backed way of looking at the events in our lives to both “attract” luck and feel lucky!

Good luck falls equally on everyone. But most of us don’t feel that way. Why do lucky people feel the way they do? Japanese neuroscientist Nabuko Nakano has made a study of luck and discovered that luck is a *mindset*. It’s not the same thing as gratitude—though thankfulness may well be involved—and it can appear in those whose circumstances are rough as often as in those the rest of the world might envy.

How can a reader develop what Nakano calls “a lucky brain”?:

--Put Yourself at the Center of the World: this isn’t selfishness but rather the understanding that actions you take make a difference

--Convince Yourself of Your Own Luck: pay close attention to what happens around you each day; you will likely be surprised by how many things “go your way”

--Pursue Harmony with Others: going into any interaction wondering what you can do for someone else, or simply what you can do to make the situation more pleasant, will have almost instant effects

--Set Your Own Standard: maybe the toughest to accomplish in today’s world of FOMO and curated IG posts, this simply means deciding what you want to be like and making sure your actions take you closer to that goal rather than dissipating your energy trying to be like (or look like) someone else

Luck isn’t fairy dust or the proverbial happy accident. It’s the mood-stabilizing effect of small daily cumulative efforts that allows us all to make the most of what happens to us and around us.