The more we practice peace and fill our spirit with it, the more attuned we become to an unseen force that is a gateway to serendipity in our lives. At any moment, we have the agency to create a fork in our path and spark a new chain of events that otherwise would not have opened themselves to us. To cultivate peace, we must practice awareness, participate, and take in the world around us. The moment we do, moments that appear random and lucky come through others.

When we intentionally lead our lives practicing peace, we open portals to instances of lucky moments and new relationships. Peace is an aura readily available to us in the form of pausing to observe, caring for others, and appreciating our personal connection to the world. All moments are an opportunity to see others fully and make ourselves available for spontaneous interactions that enrich our lives. It’s only when we engage and immerse ourselves in our environment and encounters that we expose ourselves to rifts of events that appear lucky. But so many of us cage ourselves from the world with our eyes down and our minds somewhere else. Crucial to our luck is breaking out of our thoughts and emotions, and surrendering to the peace we can find in the present.

It’s difficult to cultivate peace and feel lucky when we are engulfed in fear rooted in the past or anxiety about the future. Nobody wants to feel this way, and because it happens subtly, we are unaware when we are wrapped in our thoughts. Anger, worry, regret, and fear are catalysts for evolving our behaviors and indicators of what is important to our souls. However, they should not shape our lens of the world. Instead, they present a perfect opportunity to bring attention to the world around us and offer ourselves to others. Good moments are waiting to reveal themselves if we can show up where our feet are. You can wave hi to the person next to you in traffic, thoughtfully look at the person in front of you, or do an act of service out of the public eye. The opportunities are endless, but we first must breathe and pull ourselves out from the walls we build. Our mind frequently blocks us from peace and destroys the luck that may come through people and environments. If we choose to practice intention and awareness daily, we also invite change, discovery, love, lessons, beauty, and open prairies of luck.

With luck, Ray

P.S. In times when it’s difficult to see the good around us, it’s helpful to remind ourselves that death will take us from our body. In the wise words of Haruki Murakami, ”But if you knew you might not be able to see it again tomorrow, everything would suddenly become special and precious, wouldn’t it?” Out of darkness our soul came with a unique combination of events, friends, and family. Soaking in the awe of it all will give us peace now and in old age. Enjoy life and make it beautiful.