Luck comes in many different shapes and sizes. There’s, of course, the obvious—winning the lottery. Then there’s the more exclusive—being born into a rich and well-connected family. And then there’s more random ones, like stumbling upon a free ice cream giveaway or finding the perfect parking spot next to the store’s entrance.
We’re not sure how lucky the people from the list below consider themselves to be, but the pictures prove that they do have fortune on their side. From unexpected leg room, to seedless watermelons, to barely avoided accidents, the list below has quite a range. Scroll down to vote for your favorites.
#1 I Got Her Back After Five Years
I fostered her for 6 months five years ago and cried like a baby when I had to give her back to her people. I remembered her so fondly and talked always missed her. She would sleep with me every night. She was always there.
A few days ago the same person texted me asking if there was any way I could take her again, but permanently. How could I not say yes?
She remembered me and everything is already back to how it used to be. Five years difference, she’s 16 now and in perfect health. I really hope that she loves the rest of her life with me. I feel so lucky to have her again.
Image credits: ilovemycatsfurrytoes
Can a person even be lucky or unlucky? Isn’t this just about chance and coincidence? Well, according to scientists that study luck, it isn’t as much of a phenomenon but more of a personal trait. That is because they have discovered that being lucky has a lot to do with your attitude. If you are in general an optimistic, open-minded person, you have more of a chance to be favored by fortune. That is often because these traits make you more likely to notice an opportunity and take a chance.
Richard Wiseman, author, speaker, and professor in the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, has been studying luck for decades. In one experiment, he separated study participants into two groups—one that considered themselves lucky and another one that thought they are not. He gave people in both of these groups a newspaper and asked them to count the number of pictures in it. The people in the “lucky” group were more likely to find the text on the second page that read “Stop counting—there are 43 photographs in this newspaper.” Their luck, in this case, was all about them being open-minded.
#2 Meeting Keanu Reeves At A Traffic Light
Image credits: unknown_human
#3 My Son Neo Met His Namesake Today. As A Bonus, My Name Is Konstantin
Image credits: DerDieDas
When talking to The Washington Post, Wiseman emphasized how a positive attitude can impact your life. “If you are relaxed and happy, your world view becomes bigger and you see more opportunities,” he said. “If you’re a flexible person, when those opportunities come in, you’ll make the most of them. Lucky people know where they’re heading, but often they change the course depending on how the wind is going.”
He also noted that people that have a positive outlook tend to deal with negative situations better because of how they see the world. For example, if a slice of toast fell buttered-side up, the positive person will be relieved that it didn’t get ruined and think of it as a lucky accident. Those that are pessimistic will consider themselves unlucky simply because the toast fell in the first place.
#4 This Woman Adopted An Elderly Dog That Turned Out To Be The Very Same Dog She Had As A Child. A Microchip Scan Confirmed The Dog’s Identity
Image credits: Nicole Grimes
#5 My Friend And I Replaced Christmas With Brucemas, Where We Exchange Bruce Willis Themed Gifts Each Year. I Win Forever. And Yes, It’s Real
Image credits: TylentGreen
#6 I Run Down An Old Dirt Road. Trash Is Dumped There. One Day I Stopped And Found A Box Of Money
All the envelopes are from different countries all over the world. Mostly dates from the 1700s-1900s. The oldest is a coin from 1621. I’ve got some from countries that no longer exist. I’m still researching.
Image credits: follysurfer
There are some things that can be seen as inherited luck, though. For example, anything to do with where and to whom you were born is pure coincidence. If your parents happen to live in a country where people have rights to opinions and education, and have the means to provide a happy and secure life—all of that is pure luck.
#7 I Was Finally Comfortable Enough With Myself And Lucky Enough To Finally Go On My First-Ever Date At 31 Years Old And Was Even Luckier To Get Asked On A Second
Image credits: cyguyr
#8 For A Month, I Thought I Lost My Wedding Ring On A Cross Country Road Trip. I Gave Up Ever Seeing It Again When We Realized It Was Under My Husband’s Deodorant
Image credits: roseazom
#9 About 15 Seconds After Getting Out Of The Car
Image credits: ThirstGoblin
If you think you’re down on your luck and you don’t have a masquerade ball to attend and transfer your bad luck to like Lindsay Lohan, know that you’re not out of options. As mentioned previously, a lot of what luck is about is attitude, so there are things you can do to increase your luck. An easy one is to start a luck journal where you note the lucky things that have happened to you that day. Maybe you didn’t need to wait for the elevator when you got to the office or you decided to buy some toilet paper when it was half-off. You can also note down simple positive things you are happy about as well as negative things that aren’t happening anymore.
#10 Finally Found My First Megalodon Tooth After Years Of Hunting Shark Teeth
Image credits: Elthimon
#11 If I Were To Ever Go Back To Work, I’m Putting This On My Resume As Perhaps My Greatest Accomplishment
Image credits: jennygogliotti
#12 Taking A Picture Like This
Image credits: pythagoreal
Another tip for those wanting to increase their luck is to have a little perspective on what’s happening. You never know—a situation that seems to be going wrong can sometimes reward you with something unexpected. Like, sure, you might have missed your bus, but maybe the next one is less crowded or you happen to meet your friend on it. Try to appreciate the spontaneity of the situation you’re dealing with.
#13 My Cousin Hit The Jackpot At The Arcade Last Week
Image credits: Ballparkfrank21
#14 Went To The Dump. Someone Was Chucking This Out. Jackpot
Image credits: heydude1471
#15 I Guess It’s My Lucky Day
Image credits: in_recent_news
If you think that carrying a lucky charm with you might help, you’re both right and wrong. Lucky charms are famously favored by primary school kids and world-class sportsmen that believe their results depend on the supernatural power held by an item. And, in a way, it does work. That is, it gives you an extra boost of confidence making you believe that you can do it. Not having it can make one anxious, that way impeding the result. So, again, the power is actually in the mind.
#16 Roman Coin I Found In France While Metal Detecting. Emperor Constantine I. Minted In Trier (Treveri) Germany. Bronze, A.D. 306-337
Image credits: bitcoinsucksass
#17 Found This In The Crawl Space Above My Bedroom
Image credits: Whiskey___Neat
#18 I Decided To Do A Little Exploring After Hurricane Dorian. This Is What I Found
Image credits: Elthimon
Another thing that can actually make you feel luckier is to try to get out of your comfort zone a little. Take a different route to work, go to a new restaurant, connect with different people—do things that give you a chance to experience luck. You might discover beautiful new areas, find your new favorite dish, or bump into the love of your life. As the old saying goes, “Fortune favors the brave.”
#19 Went To Take A Picture Of The Rainbow And Lightning Struck At The Same Time
Image credits: jerm1323
#20 This Is A 1969 Dollar Bill We Found In My Dad’s Small Money Collection With A 00000001 Serial Number
Image credits: Miss_Behaves
#21 Got Home From Work And All Of This Was On My Porch. I Called The Pizza Place To Notify Them, No Answer. I Called The Customer – Turns Out They Used To Live In This House
We had a nice convo as strangers, I was assured the pizza is okay to keep and eat!
Image credits: CandidEstablishment0
So, take this article as a sign that maybe it’s time to invite a little more luck into your life, and get working on your positive attitude. Isn’t it so lucky that you clicked on this article? Isn’t it so lucky that you read all these tips? See, it’s already starting to work!
#22 I Drove Over 100 Miles With All Of My Keys Sitting Right Here. Karma Was Definitely On My Side
Image credits: tinytrailerbigadventure
#23 I Hit The Watermelon Jackpot Today
Image credits: Odin343
#24 As A Tall Man, This Was Like Winning The Lottery
Image credits: mrblahblahblah
#25 I Won A Custom Xbox From A Contest. It’s The Only One In The World And I’m Very Proud Of It
Image credits: JackSuperFan
#26 My Dad Is The Macy’s Santa In Seattle. Today He Got To Meet A Legend
Image credits: FlyingCrunkman
#27 I’m About To Collapse
Image credits: Brendan_linden
#28 Met The Michael G Scott Today. Steve Carell Is Incredibly Kind And Just As Hilarious In Person
Image credits: English_Muffin1
#29 I’ve Never Been This Close To Such A Young Fawn And Was Extremely Lucky To Get The Opportunity To Do So
Image credits: FierceTigergirl2000
#30 In 2017, A Reindeer Hunter Found A Perfectly-Preserved Viking Sword In The Mountains Of Norway, Which Was Just Sticking Out Among The Stones
Image credits: amonaloli12
#31 Snow Fell In Rostov Today. Indescribably Lucky Two Car Owners On Mechnikov Street
Image credits: Proper-Sock4721
#32 My 9-Year-Old Nephew Has Found Over 1500 “Lucky” Four-Leaf Clovers And Keeps Them In A Big Binder
Image credits: The_Littlest_Teapot
#33 Nailed It
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#34 I Won A Nintendo Switch From A Lunchables Sweepstakes, And It Came In Today. I’ve Never Won Anything Like This In My Life
Image credits: greencloud7
#35 This Huge Box Of Lindor’s Chocolates We Got For Free
Image credits: momlikegluethrowaway
#36 My Wife Went To The Gasparilla Bowl And Jokingly Said “Look For Me On TV!” Guess Who I Saw On TV?
Image credits: snow1868
#37 Lady Found A Message In A Bottle From 1926 While Diving
Image credits: dsav99
#38 My Brother Hit The Old School Jackpot Today At A Garage Sale. $40 And All The Memories
Image credits: jrminoh
#39 Kharkiv, Smerch Rocket Landed In The Street. Well, That Was A Close Call
Image credits: no_itsmyturn
#40 I Had To Come In To Work On Christmas Eve. My Boss Got Everyone A Christmas Card With A Scratch-Off Lottery Ticket. I Still Can’t Believe My Eyes
I’m literally shaking. This literally saved Christmas at the last minute.
Image credits: fleshflavoredgum
#41 I Found A Crisp $20 In The Pocket Of These Thriftstore Jeans When I Got Home! And Green Tags Were 75 Percent Off. A Great Haul For Me
Image credits: anydayemily
#42 Found This While Metal Detecting On The Treasure Coast Of Florida
Image credits: IchKeineLust
#43 Everyone In The Office Left Early Last Friday. Boss Came With A Box Of Goodies And I Was The Only One Still Working. Jackpot
Image credits: lg300r
#44 Our Local Magazine Did An Interview Featuring My Wife’s Novel. Didn’t Expect To Land The Cover
Image credits: Catmeowmeow6
#45 My $15 Estate Sale Find. Today I Got The Watch Back From A Free Appraisal Where They Accidentally Restored The Watch. So It Was Done Free Of Charge
Should I buy a lottery ticket?
Image credits: glockout40
#46 The Amount Of Luck Here Is Over 9000
Image credits: reddit.com
#47 Didn’t Expect To Find This Today While Metal Detecting. Hell Yeah
Image credits: zynthesis1981
#48 Was Swiping At The Dispensary When I Looked Up And Saw The Girl I Was About To Swipe On
Image credits: ColfaxDayWalker
#49 Montreal Ice Storm 2023
Image credits: alliiebaba
#50 Girlfriend Just Missed This Falling On Her
Image credits: jakegrubbs19
#51 I Work For An Industrial Cleaning Company. We Clean Storm And Sewer Lines, This Is What I Found Today
Image credits: beefstu411
#52 Found My Wedding Ring 3 Weeks Later
Image credits: sdracerr1
#53 Good Luck Everybody
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#54 One Person Is Having What You Call, A Good Day
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#55 You Know Those Arcade Machines Full Of Awesome Prizes That No One Ever Wins At? I Won
Image credits: OfMonstersAndSuicide
#56 I Got 6 Peppers In 1
Image credits: TheSaxking
#57 Got A Scratch Ticket That Won On Every Single Space
Image credits: sarch13
#58 So I Randomly Got Shipped An Extra PS5. Merry Late Christmas To Me I Guess. Sorry To That One Kid
Image credits: TheLustySnail
#59 I Found A Tripple Banana
Image credits: BanalPlay
#60 Won 7000+ Tickets From $2 In An Arcade, Took Me An Hour And A Half To Pick Them Up
Image credits: Kanels
#61 Bought Stuff For My Daughter In Disney’s Online Store. Got Option To “Include Random Gift For 1 Cent”. Hit Jackpot – Disney Pixar Collection For 1 Cent. Blown Away
Image credits: nohiddenmeaning
#62 Reason 953 For Posting A Photo: When You Get Your Phone Stolen On A Friday Night And It Gets Recovered Two Days Later In A Different City Without A Scratch And The Case Still On It
Image credits: msmegancolleen
#63 No Neighbors For Either Of My Flights And Both Were Full, Except For The Exit Rows. It’s A Good Sign, Y’all
Image credits: elm1593
#64 Might Have To Invest In This New Nailflap Device. Seriously Though How Lucky?
Image credits: FlexLuther_
#65 I Should Buy A Lottery Ticket
Image credits: OomplexBOompound
#66 I Won A Switch Prize Package From Pepsi
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#67 Asked For Extra Roast Beef On My Sandwich
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#68 I Needed Some Luck
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#69 I Had A Bad Mood, And Went To The Game Room. Hit The Jackpot Three Times
#70 Today Is My Lucky Day
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#71 Guys, This Seriously Just Happened To Me
Image credits: xenatheblindpitbull
#72 This Very Small Avocado Pit
Image credits: bryn_n_juice
#73 Golf Oddities
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#74 I Hit A Jackpot And Started Redeeming The Tickets Before They Finished Dispensing
Image credits: NotVerySmarts
#75 I Wish I Was This Lucky
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#76 Cat Knocked Over A Pile Of DVDs. They Never Hit The Ground
Image credits: Notorious-Stag
#77 Dropped A Small Bolt While Working On An Outboard Motor, Then Realized I Should Go Buy A Lottery Ticket
Image credits: Nautical94
#78 Found A Supermarket With 20+ Cashiers… All Open With Little To No Line
Image credits: monty82
#79 My Dad Did This Playing Darts This Morning (He Won)
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#80 This Is The Luckiest Unlucky Shot I Think I’ll Ever Take
Image credits: morequarterpast
#81 Completely Random Volume Of Vegetables And Spices Made Precisely Five Quarts Of Spaghetti Sauce
Image credits: austexgringo
#82 Day 6 Of Quarantine And I Found A Triple-Decker Oreo
Image credits: TacoBellMexiMelt
#83 My Yogurt Cup Didn’t Have Any Yogurt On The Lid
Image credits: IcandowhateverIlike
#84 I Got An Extra Biscuit In My Box Of M&S Biscuits
Image credits: Ainalhafila
#85 I’d Better Go And Buy A Lottery Ticket Now
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#86 I Kid You Not… I Just Got Another Yahtzee! And 6’s Again, No Less
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#87 Breakfast Jackpot
Image credits: Countess_of_Penrose
#88 That’s Quite Lucky
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#89 Got 5 Instead Of 4
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#90 I Have 15 Hens. Five Nesting Boxes. They Are Using Four Of Them. Is This Some Sort Of Miracle? Should I Go Buy A Lottery Ticket?
Image credits: abhitchc