8 ways to improve your luck in Year of the Dragon

Those who have succeeded at anything and don’t mention luck are kidding themselves.  — Larry King

For ages and in all cultures, people from kings to commoners try to improve their luck by doing all sorts of things — from knocking on wood, using amulets or anting-anting like revolutionaries Emilio Aguinaldo and Andres Bonifacio did, folks changing personal names or choosing auspicious numbers, ancient emperors to modern multinationals in Asia consulting feng shui experts (beware that not a few are outright fakes), and others.

Unlike westerners who consider “luck” as random, unpredictable or purely by chance, the Chinese for thousands of years have believed in fate or ming and luck or yun, which fluctuates with time. Studying our fate, gifts as well as limitations can help people improve success.

Korina Sanchez of DZMM TeleRadoyo recently interviewed me on her show about how to improve your luck in this new Year of the Dragon, starting Jan. 23, with today Jan. 22 being the New Year’s Eve of family reunions for ethnic Chinese and Asian communities worldwide.

Here are some ways to improve one’s luck based on my research and observations:

1. Hard work — The more hardworking we are, the luckier we become! Even if people are blessed with many opportunities, great family background, talents and natural intelligence, if one doesn’t work hard and just dozes off all day, then he or she will suffer bad luck. Hard work always beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard!

2. Filial piety — Filial piety is the highest Confucian virtue in Chinese culture and is considered a wellspring of blessings. Coincidentally, the Bible in Exodus 20:12 and the fifth of the 10 Commandments say: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” In the New Testament, Jesus Christ in Ephesians 6: 2 also said: “Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise.”

Unlike the western idea of respect to parents or elders, the Chinese and East Asian concept of xiao-sun in Mandarin or hao-sun in Hokkien requires more than just respect. It is reverence and total obedience to parents and family elders, also honoring deceased ancestors by rituals as well as with our good acts and exemplary life.

3. Good karma — Be kind. Doing good works will bless not only you and your family, but also your future generations. Although the word karma is Indian in origin and widely believed by Chinese Buddhists or Taoists to be a principle whereby humans doing good will reap blessings, Galatians 6: 7 also says: “A man sows what he reaps.”

4. Positive thinking — Optimism or thinking positive is rooted in faith, not in illogical or whimsical fantasy. Whatever happens to us, even if we encounter or are suffering emotional, physical, financial or other crises, positive thinking will strengthen us so we can overcome it with more strength. Positive thinking not only brings us blessings, it is good for long life and lessens unnecessary stress.

When asked by Korina if some people were just born lucky and others born unlucky, I replied that it is my belief that God created all of us here on earth to be lucky or blessed. I believe success is our destiny, we just have to work hard and fight for it. The quest might be easy for some, for others it might be arduous but still attainable.

Our dad lost control of the family business and died when I was seven years old, then our mom died when my sister and I were in our early 20s, but whatever difficulties that came, I never — even for one second — doubted that success is my birthright.

5. Feng shui — This Chinese phrase literally means “wind and water,” also translated as geomancy. Feng shui as art has good, logical, sensible and wise principles like its frowning upon clutter as bad for our luck and detrimental to our efficiency. Other feng shui ideas promote ecological order, harmony with nature and positive principles seeking to enhance our environment.

Due to its growing popularity and with even New Age adherents in the West, there are also low-brow or bastardized forms of feng shui claimed as folk remedies and with eclectic rites. These remind me of our local folk Catholicism with people touching church statues for healing or to attain their wishes.

6. Study — One way to improve luck or the ability to benefit from opportunities is to continuously seek self-improvement through studying. It is a Confucian tradition of Chinese people to keep on studying. In fact, in ancient times men from even the poorest rural peasant families could rise to become prime minister and son-in-law of the Emperor, if he excelled academically in the imperial civil service examinations — the first “meritocracy” of its kind in the world.

7. Living healthy — A balanced life devoid of corrosive and energy-dissipating vices like gambling, alcoholism, smoking, gluttony and others can surely increase our luck or blessings. A healthy lifestyle leads to a lucky or blessed life.

8. Prayer — On the wall of his office, RCBC and Malayan Insurance Group boss Alfonso Yuchengco has a framed calligraphy of a Chinese saying by the Three Kingdoms era statesman and military strategist Zhuge Liang, which he explained meant: “Man proposes, but God disposes.”

Indeed, to be truly blessed, we should pray every day and not only when we are in crisis or in need. Prayer is a dynamic source of strength and ultimate good luck!

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