You probably know a few. These gals marry the millionaire. Meet the talent agent in the drugstore. Stroll off into the Tahitian sunset with the guy who looks like Tom Cruise.

Why does the Wheel of Fortune seem to always land on the winning numbers for some and not others? Is it luck of the draw? Divine decree? Sure, your charmed galpals were in the right place at the right time. But how'd they get to the right place in the first place?

One researcher thinks he knows. He's Richard Wiseman, PhD of the University of Hertfordshire, UK. Dr. Wiseman studies the lucky and the not-so. He discovered the lucky among us don't really think they're doing anything differently. They've just developed attitudes and habits that pay off in good fortune. His conclusion? A great deal of what you may consider 'luck' results from your own actions. In fact, good luck is a skill-set you can learn. So, start the Wheel of Fortune spinning in your direction with these four lucky attitudes:

Expect good fortune

Follow intuitive hunches

Turn bad luck into good

Create chance opportunities

Dr. Wiseman set up an experiment in which 80 people went to 'luck school.' Over the course of two years, they were taught the four attitudes. When they first started, 50% considered themselves as unlucky, 10% as lucky, and 40% as neither. After only one month, 80% reported their luck had gotten better.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Imagine and visualize success

Keep on keeping on when facing failure

Attract other winners to your team

Lucky people naturally assume everything will work out well, even when events appear otherwise. It's a 'self-fulfilling prophecy.' Expect to do well, and you're more likely to strike out on new ventures. Expect to fail, and you give up even before you begin. A positive drive keeps you pumped up when you run into roadblocks. You also inspire other people with your upbeat attitude, drawing winners to you and encouraging them to support your projects.

How can you create great expectations? Paint positive pictures in your mind and feel your dreams fully, as if they were real right now. Take a test run of any upcoming important opportunity, such as an audition or exam. Find a quiet spot, close your eyes, and start to picture the event clearly and completely in your mind's eye. Visualize the sights, sounds, surroundings, and people. Feel the positive outcome by imagining your elation when you land the part or ace the exam. Welcome that happy glow and how fantastic it will be to tell your family and friends about your triumph.

Dr. Weisman also recommends starting a 'luck journal.' Write down your daily lucky breaks and positive outcomesand only those, no tales of woe, please.

FOLLOW YOUR GUT FEELINGS

Boost intuition by clearing your mind and meditating

Use discernment

Listen to and act on your instincts

You've had that instant 'hit' that someone you've just met isor isn'tto be trusted. That gut feeling you getcreepy and queasy or warm and fuzzyis your unconscious mind speaking. Listen. You'll do well to heed its call. Lucky people do. They not only listen, they also act, instinctively attracting the right partners in personal and business relationships.

Learning to listen to your intuition is easy. Sit still for a few minutes in a quiet place or calm your mind with a meditation technique. Discernment is important in the process. Do you trust your past experience to guide you? Listen carefully, then act wisely. A note to those with grandiose schemes: Going by the gut works best with people, not lottery numbers.

LEMONADE, ANYONE?

"It coulda been worse"

Don't dwell on misfortune

Take charge of bad luck and thrive

The degree to which you think something is lucky or not is the degree to which you come up with other scenarios that are better or worse. It's called 'counterfactual thinking,' according to Dr. Wiseman. Delusional? Calling a sow's ear a silk purse? Not really. It's merely learning from your experiences and mistakes.

You may not have control over certain chance events like accidents or illnesses, but you do have ultimate control over your response to them. The fortunate among us don't constantly complain "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all." Instead, they consider the worst-case scenario, and move on. Rather than dwelling on the down times, lucky people always see the silver lining and are convinced things will work out for the best in the long term.

Dr. Wiseman found that when experiment participants were told to imagine they had slipped on the stairs and sprained an ankle, the 'unlucky' ones considered the experience tragic and very unfortunate. The 'lucky' ones said, "Whew, I could have broken my neck!"

Once you've taught yourself to be lucky, you'll bounce back more easily and readily. You'll also find yourself taking steps to prevent more bad luck in the future, and if misfortune happens to block your path, you'll be resourceful enough to confidently step around and continue on.

YOU DESERVE A LUCKY BREAK TODAY

Build and maintain a strong network

Be open to new experiences

Relax

Lucky people's lives are filled with fortunate events. The right mindset can take you to the right place at the right time. This is where a little bit of planning and paving the yellow brick road comes in: Dr. Wiseman recommends 'networking' to maximize your chances for good luck. Get out there and spend more time with friends, smile at people, and yescontrary to your mother's advicedo talk with strangers. Then stay connected. You never know where a chance encounter will take you.

Don't get stuck in a rut. You're more apt to spot an lucky break when you're out of your 'comfort zone.' So, mix it up. Try eating at a different restaurant or taking another way to work, for instance. Above all, just relax. You don't need to rush around chasing opportunities. In fact, a frenzied approach can blind you to the lucky breaks, like meeting the love of your life in the checkout line. And then, lucky gal, you may soon find yourself strolling off into the Tahitian sunset with the guy who looks like Tom Cruise.

To learn more, read Dr. Wiseman's book, The Luck Factor: Changing Your Luck, Changing Your Life: The Four Essential Principles (Miramax, 2003).