Unless you are living under rock (or just blissfully unaware of social media!), you have probably heard about the "Lucky Girl Syndrome" which has been circulating on social media in the weeks after the new year. The concept behind this craze is that if you consistently tell the universe how fortunate you are, repeating phrases like " I am the luckiest girl in the world" or "everything is always working out for me", you will eventually start to be fortunate – to manifest luckiness – and be rewarded with that new job, new lover or more money in your bank. Sounds easy right?!?
Depending on who you watch, you may hear that it's an easy and simple way to reframe your mindset or a toxic, non-inclusive social media trend used by already rich white girls who need to check their privilege. I'll be honest, when I saw the trend online I visibly recoiled and thought it was another example of toxic positivity akin to the "everything happens for a reason" or "you only get what the universe thinks you can handle" bullshit that many already successful influencers gush online but..... I think there is some truth to it.
First up, I think it needs a rename. "Lucky Girl Syndrome" sounds like a disease and something I definitely don't want to catch so I now think of it as "Lucky Woman Mindset". It sounds way empowering to me rather than a wishy washy superficial catchy phrase.
Also, reframing it from an out of touch narrative to one of shifting your mindset to a open and positive vibration can only be a good thing. It's true that our minds are wired towards focusing on negative experiences more than positive ones, (hello negativity bias), which means that even when we experience numerous good events in one day, negativity bias can cause us to focus on the sole bad thing that occurred. It can lead us to ruminate on small things, worry over having made a bad impression, and linger on negative comments. This is definitely something that I have noticed in my own life. So I think the idea of shifting our mindset to a state where we feel more positive, grateful and hopeful can only be a good thing.
I used it recently when I was looking for a carpark at the supermarket (one of my least favourite activities!). It was packed after school and I was getting really anxious, thinking "I am not going to find a park" and "someone is going to run into me". Remembering the "Lucky Girl Syndrome" (now renamed "lucky woman mindset" by me of course), I took some deep breaths and said out loud: "I am the luckiest woman in the world and I am going to get a carpark". My kids thought I was talking to them but I keep doing some deep breathing and guess what.... a big ol' beautiful carpark became available for me to drive into. Just so you know, I was feeling extra confident so even reverse into it too! Coincidence or divine act of fate? You decide but I'm betting on the "Lucky Woman Mindet"!
By renaming and reframing this concept, I think the focus shifts from luck to individual resilience and a strong positive mindset. What's the harm in thinking "everything is working out for me?" Instead of perpetuating the idea that external circumstances determine a person's destiny, maybe we can celebrate our ability to navigate challenges, learn from setbacks, and grow stronger. The power really is in all of us. This approach fosters a culture that values resilience over superficial notions of luck and I like the idea of that.
If you want to explore the notion of the Lucky Girl Mindset a bit more, I have just released a mini podcast on the topic. You can listen to it here >>>