What Does Luck Have to Do with Holistic Health?

May the luck of the Irish bless you this month of St. Patrick’s Day!

“The luck of the Irish” is a curious phrase, and being from Irish ancestry I had to take a look into the history of it. It seems to have started in the 19th century when many Irish immigrated to the United States to try their hand at mining and, due to sheer numbers, many were mightily successful. 

Then there is Murphy’s Law (which comes with a good Irish name as well) a true, mathematical concept stating that if anything can go wrong, it will. Hmm, maybe the Irish are both lucky and not? Or, maybe, we are each responsible for our own luck. This is the camp I fall into.

Who remembers “The Secret”? It was truly revolutionary when it came onto the scene, and yet something was missing. There was in -depth discussion about our mindset and making sure our focus was on the outcome we want, but what was not included was that action is necessary to get us where we want to be.

Here in Southern Oregon, we’re moving out of the gray of winter into the green of spring. Many of us will already feel luckier thanks to longer daylight hours and the mood boost that comes with. But just like many aspects of our health, we have a lot more impact on how lucky we feel and are than you might think. So long as we meld that focus on the outcome we want, and lend a little elbow grease to make our luck happen.

Healthy Mindset + Healthy Action = Holistic Health

Even the luckiest person will be plagued by negative experiences if they’re set on directing their attention to the points of lack and engaging in a scarcity mindset. That might seem hard to believe, but hear me out.

What we focus on expands: we have the ability to direct our thoughts towards what we want. This idea is called the Positivity Principle, and is pretty simple. When we intentionally direct attention on the wants rather than the don’t wants, we are literally rewiring the synapses of our brain to seek out what validates those thoughts. When we are motivated to seek out thoughts that validate outcomes we want, we’re more likely and better able to choose actions and behaviors that align with those outcomes.

Our brains are incredibly neuroplastic long into adulthood, so even if you have been a lifelong pessimist, this is a habit you can start building today. It’s never too late to switch to the power of positive thinking and move towards your desired outcome.

You Might Actually Feel Lucky

It’s not just in your head, sometimes you might actually feel more lucky because your body and subconscious mind know something you don’t. Trusting our intuition is important to not just help us make the choices we want and need, but can help us tap into vital information gathered by our bodies. 

Evolution has equipped us with somatic markers (things like change in muscle tone, heart rate, breath speed, etc.) so that when we are faced with a decision to make, information like our past experiences and gut reactions help guide us to make the right choice for us. While there are a few instances where you might need to recalibrate those somatic responses a bit (like after a traumatic experience) our intuition is innate and powerful.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t hone it. When we get used to noticing the somatic markers our body has in response to choices and decisions, through use our intuition gets stronger and clearer. Just like most communication happens non-verbally, a ton of the processing of our internal and external worlds happens subconsciously.

Tapping into your intuition by learning and listening to those somatic markers gives us more information to work with, and helps us stay aligned with our truest needs and desires.

Let Yourself Ask for Help

Let’s circle back to the beginning of this blog: luck doesn’t just happen, it’s made. Once you know what you want, you have to match effort to those positive thoughts and affirmations. Our actions must match our words.

Getting what it is we want often requires a lot of sweat equity and time. When you feel discouraged, take a breath and refocus. By being diligent in working towards whatever that desired outcome is, each moment of each day becomes an opportunity to push in.

For those moments where you feel stuck, or like you need some help with motivation, course correction, or some expert support, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s a coach, therapist, role model, or someone who has achieved what you’re aiming for and can help guide you, having someone working alongside you can help tremendously.

One of the luckiest things about being a human being is having a community we can go to and ask for insight and wisdom from. Often, having another person to reflect with, or simply to cheer you on, makes the journey easier and more enjoyable.

Best of all, by asking for support from others who have been where you are, you can learn from the mistakes of those who went before.

Holistic Health and the Body-Mind Connection

Whether it’s helping retrain your brain to look on the brightside, listening to the somatic wisdom of your body, or connecting with support to help you build healthier choices in your life, holistic health happens when we honor and support a strong body-mind connection.

Each of us has the capacity to build luck into our lives. For those times where you need a little support, Thriving Family Chiropractic is here to support your goals for a healthy body and mind.

“I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, The more of it I seem to have.”

-Coleman Cox, 1922

Sláinte to us all making our own luck!