Te Māori columnist Ngahi Bidois talks about luck and people who seem to have it. Photo / File
Nga mihi ki a koutou katoa.
I have met many people described as lucky and there are three things I have noticed about them and their behaviour.
Funnily enough these are things that I think we can practice and hopefully improve on the luck in our lives too.
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The first thing is they have faith in someone or something bigger than themselves.
They positively believe that they are blessed or gifted, described by many as luck, and live accordingly.
As one of my university lecturers professor Mason Durie pointed out years ago there are three types of knowledge in the world.
One is scientific knowledge which can be described as facts or phenomenon established through scientific knowledge, including independent and rigorous testing, peer review and publication, measurement of actual or potential rates of error, and the degree of acceptance within the scientific community.
The second type of knowledge was described by Durie as the fastest growing knowledge in the world at that time called Indigenous knowledge, he described this as knowledge belonging and established by indigenous peoples of the world.
It was growing fast because indigenous people were revealing aspects of indigenous knowledge that had been kept in their tribes and passed down for generations.
One example being herbal medicines found in their flora and fauna which pharmaceutical companies were taking an interest in.
The third type of knowledge he called faith. One explanation being you either believed or you did not. Lucky people have faith and they believe.
The second thing I have noticed about lucky people is they work hard and smart.
They do not rely on luck to get them through life. For example, they will learn as much as they can about a situation or venture before engaging in it.
They do their best and let their faith do the rest.
Have you noticed how the horse punters who diligently study the forms of horses seem to have more luck? Or how people who study the stock market make the best investments?
Speaking of working hard and the relationship to luck I am reminded about the golf spectator who once remarked to golfer Gary Player how lucky he was with his bunker shots.
Gary Player then quoted fellow golfer Jerry Barber when he replied.
"Funny that, the harder I practice, the luckier I get."
Gary Player had a reputation as being one of the hardest working golfers on the professional golfers circuit and yes, he has had a lot of "luck" on the way.
The third thing, and there are more factors, that I have observed about lucky people is that they are not bothered when their luck seems to have run out.
I know someone who is an outstanding fisherman and numerous times I have asked them before our fishing ventures how they reckon we would get on.
Their reply, as with other lucky people I know, has been "oh well, even if we don't catch anything we will still have a good day, aye."
This person catches fish 99 per cent of the time they go fishing.
I have been with them when they caught nothing and their attitude and behaviour was the same as if they had caught lots of fish.
In other words it wasn't a bad day, it was just another day, everyone has them.
So to summarise we all know people who are just luckier than everyone else at whatever their area of luck is.
They seem jammy and always on the right side of the ledger and in surplus of good fortune that seems to frequently come their way.
So how lucky are you? Or should I be asking what do you have faith in? How hard or wisely do you work and do you have days where nothing seems to go your way just like everyone else has.
As one of my kaumatua Mita Mohi always said, kimihia nga mea pai ... seek the good things in life.
If we do that than perhaps luck will find us more often. Kuta raka.
Ngahihi o te ra is from Te Arawa and is a professional speaker, professional director, columnist, author, businessman, husband and father. www.ngahibidois.com
A woman, 25, has been charged with assault.