Psychology of LUCK

Psychology of LUCK

What drives someone to seek a life that actually feels lucky instead of cursed? Here, Dr Will Horton unpacks why many people feel stuck in "close but no cigar" patterns, and how this links to beliefs formed long before they ever picked up a drink, a cigarette or any other habit. Drawing on nearly 40 years in psychology and addiction treatment, Dr Horton argues that "you're not unlucky, you're untrained".

He shares research from Stanford showing how people who see themselves as lucky literally spot more opportunities – like a hidden "win $250" notice in a newspaper – because their attention is wider, not locked on a single task. That same mental filter, he suggests, can either keep someone trapped in relapse cycles or help them see new chances for recovery and change.

You’ll hear about simple exercises to shift those filters, including a “curse release” timeline where you trace back the moment a belief like "I'm cursed to be overweight" or "people will always treat me like rubbish" first took root. The key phrase? "That was then, this is now... that used to be true, and now it's not.

That's not who I am anymore." Dr Horton links this directly to long-term recovery from alcohol and other addictions, where identity shifts matter more than willpower. There’s also a playful side: writing "I am a very lucky person" with your non‑dominant hand, using outrageous gratitude, and even treating your brain like a social media algorithm that shows you more of whatever you keep clicking on mentally. Throughout, the focus stays practical: luck as a trainable habit, not a mystical force.

If you’ve ever felt cursed, stuck, or constantly on the “B team”, this episode offers a fresh way to question those stories and test what happens if you start saying, "I'm a very lucky person" – and acting like it. What if changing your luck starts with changing what you decide is still true about you?