Vishen LakhianiFounder of Mindvalley | NYT Bestselling Author | Transforming Lives Globally

The 15-Minute Technique Paul McKenna Used To Change A Stranger's Luck | Paul McKenna

21 May 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:05

Paul McKenna describes a 15-minute visualization he did with a poker player at LAX who said he'd lost his luck. The player recalled a lucky moment, then vividly re-experienced its sights, sounds, and feelings. McKenna argues luck isn't mystical but a state of mind you can shift through mental rehearsal.

Chapters

He said, "My luck hasn't run out yet." About 10 years ago, I was in the queue for immigration at LAX, and this guy in front of me, he turns around, he goes, "It's you!" Yeah, it's me, yeah. He goes, "No, you don't understand. I'm a poker player. I've lost my luck. You might be able to help me." And we've got about 15 minutes to go there. "Close your eyes right now and remember a time." He went, "Yeah, I remember times I've been lucky." "Go back to it. See what you saw, hear what you heard, and feel how good How good you felt. Make the colors rich and bright and bold. Make the sounds loud and the feelings strong. And he went, "Yeah, yeah, yeah!" I said, "Bam!" And I touched him on the arm and I went, "You must be one of the luckiest people in the world. Take that with you." You see, I look upon luck as a state of mind and body. We're all moving from different states of mind and body all day long. Love, anger, apathy, fear, confidence, motivation, etc. And why shouldn't luck be a state? If you do this every day, there is not a chance on this earth Things will not get better.