In the dictionary, this is the definition of LUCK: Success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions. Is luck always created just through chance though? Isn’t there something that we can do to stack the ‘chances’ in our own favor?

I have always felt that having a positive attitude can encourage or sometimes even bring about good luck. Or, at minimum, a more satisfying life, and aren't we one of the lucky ones when we are feeling satisfied? When we really think about it, feeling lucky is all in how you ultimately view - and experience - your individual days.

I understand that we've all had some "dog days" recently, and it's been so scary and stressful, and I'm hoping that these will soon be behind us. During the past year, the only thing that I've been able to do is to try to have hopeful, optimistic days in spite of the stress, negativity, and worry. And it's helped me.

A positive day typically starts with a positive morning. And I have learned that there's something very real and even scientific about it.

I learned about morning routines when I recently took a month-long "morning meditation challenge" (InsightTimer) and gained insights from many experts, including Arianne Huffington, founder of Huffington Post.

If you have ever experienced burnout and overwhelm, I’m sure you can relate to what she said - although it's extreme! Her story goes that one morning in 2007, she apparently passed out from exhaustion and burnout right on her desk, while sitting there. She broke her cheekbone to boot, and this was the wake-up call where she realized that things in her life had to change. Her pace had been simply too much. (Can anyone relate to this?!)

This inspired her on a deep journey to health and well-being, especially of mind / body / spirit.

One of the things that Arianne Huffington discovered that she decided to change was how she would comb her emails upon waking up, and her stress would rise and her heart would race, she would become in a state of reactivity almost immediately. So many of us do this as we feel that we must. But really? Can it not wait for awhile so that you can take these moments to literally set your mind to something more positive? Arianne discovered that she needed to keep her smartphone charged in another room so she would not be tempted to use it in the morning. While this might not be realistic for some of us, it ended up being a great start to a new life for discovering her higher, more healthy self.

Feeling uncomfortable about this? Well, sorry, but this being "smartphone free" is a theme I continue to hear from countless successful people . It seems that digging into your emails – and the NEWS! – is a surefire way to start your day in a mode of reactivity, increased stress. Instead, if you start it from a place of centered-ness and calm, your days will at minimum feel more satisfying and fulfilling, because your pace and perspective is more grounded.

In fact, according to a research study conducted by Harvard Business Review and Arianne Huffington, "Individuals who watched just three minutes of negative news in the morning had a whopping 27% greater likelihood of reporting their day as unhappy six to eight hours later compared to the positive condition," the researchers surmised.

Apparently these morning habits may have a significant negative impact on your feelings and mood all day. That doesn't make you feel very lucky now, does it? Especially with our busy lives and the added stressors of Covid-19 and everything that's resulted because of it, a morning routine is more essential than ever.

So, how do we establish an attainable morning routine that could create more positive days, and potentially more good luck? Here are a few tips that I hope you'll find helpful, as well as some farm-fresh herbs and teas to help!

SETTING YOUR MIND in the BEST DIRECTION:

Taking time to meditate for me is a great start to my day. Apparently others agree. Benefiting you in both the short-term and long-term, this will improve your focus, perspective, and help de-stress and decrease anxiety. Then, try setting your intentions for the day, determining the way you want to be. Patient? Loving? Compassionate? Joyful? Happy? You can choose and use this as a practice throughout the day to return to this feeling.

AFFIRMATIONS:

Affirmations are another great way to stay positive, confident and to become in greater alignment with your best self.

“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.” — Muhammad Ali

Affirmations help create a new way of viewing your own world. It starts working on your own brain’s wiring, helping you to begin to see things differently and encouraging a new way of seeing yourself – and your life. The more you do this, the more things evolve into how you are seeing it.

Full transparency, I often thought that affirmations were a bit ‘out there’ for me. But I’m wrong. They are actually an important way to help create your life the way you want it, help you feel more satisfaction and fulfillment, and it all starts with the way you are thinking.

Positive Affirmation Examples:

Based on this definition, here are some examples of positive affirmations:

• • I believe in myself, and trust my own wisdom
  • I am a successful person
  • I am confident and capable at what I do.

THOUGHTS:

Each thought you have is actually powerful. The more we think about something, the more it ‘increases.’ Not to mention that your brain begins to support that thought process by finding more situations to confirm your own belief, or your bias!

So, thinking in a more positive and affirming way does make your brain start to think differently and more in line with your desired thoughts. It actually begins to change the way you view your world, and ultimately allows you to shift your own perceptions and perspective. Then, that sets the stage for magical things to happen for you - maybe even lucky things!

VIEWING IT ANEW:

Did anyone see that movie Shallow Hal? The main character (Jack Black) is so shallow and thinks so negatively about people (specifically women!) who aren’t ‘perfect.’ However, he’s ‘hypnotized’ by Tony Robbins to actually see people for who they are, versus their outer appearance. This way he can see someone’s real beauty, versus being swayed or influenced so greatly by their outer physical looks. He finds his dream girl, falls in love with her, and realizes that she was not actually the physical epitome of beauty that he once held on a pedestal. She would have not been given the first chance if he had kept his limiting beliefs. So, it was the way he was ‘thinking’ about people, his own viewpoint that was limiting his happiness for all of this time. His thoughts literally had kept him from finding love, as he had unrealistic ideals that were never to be met.

When you do affirmations or simply when you change your thoughts, you are teaching your brain to think about the world in a new way. This changes what your brain processes on your behalf, leading you to see things differently, and trains your brain to believe something in a new way, and ultimately the world around you reflects what you have begun to believe. You actually can start to realize or feel what it is you affirmed.

As the adage goes, you get more of what you think about. Think about good things, you get good things, think about sad things, you get more sadness. And more sadness? No, thank you!

GIVING THANKS:

Let's say YES, and THANK YOU! Gratitude is always a great thing to incorporate into your mornings as well. Start a gratitude list with a gratitude buddy.

I have a friend whom I text daily with three gratitude subjects, and it reminds us to focus on the positive. It's fun to exchange these things, and it can be big or small, but do try to make them specific. The more you practice gratitude, the more you’ll see the blessings around you. And that makes you feel pretty darn lucky!

So, overall, being lucky is really about creating your own luck day by day, and creating the life that you want starts from the inside out. Through daily routines and consistent practice, you can shift your reality (and luck) one day at a time. Things will evolve, and like compounded interest of an investment fund, hopefully you’ll have a much greater return on your positivity. And who knows, you might even win the lottery of life!

FARM-FRESH FOODS: TRY SOME TEAS WITH SPECIAL 'LUCK'

Chamomile: Aids with sleep and deep relaxation, treating cold symptoms, great for mild skin conditions, helps ease anxiety. Embodies energy of the warm sun and relaxes the solar plexus. Center of light. Chamomile is in a number of folk traditions - one is from the American South its known as the "lucky flower". Used in a hair garland to attract a lover or in picked for good fortune!

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