Next Sunday (at the time of this writing), many people around the United States, Ireland, and anyone looking for an excuse to party will be celebrating St Patrick's Day for numerous reasons. The history behind the day is pretty rich and worth a read (if you're struggling to start the week).
One of the more well-known aspects of St Patrick's day (from a secular perspective) is the four-leaf clover. Clover generally produces 3 leaves - called shamrocks (fun fact, four-leaf clovers are not shamrocks, only three-leaf clovers are shamrocks). If you find one, you are bound for some good luck because it's estimated that only about 1 in 10,000 clovers have four leaves!
I remember finding some in elementary school - and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Whether there is a correlation between finding those four-leaf clovers long ago and some of the good things I have experienced is up for discussion. However, while I do not go looking for four-leaf clovers anymore (unless it is the marshmallow shape in a Lucky Charms cereal box) for good luck, I do certain things to bring myself good luck that don't necessarily require me to stay on my hands and knees for hours on end.
For example, whenever I am about to speak, I always wear my special Atlassian Team socks (before I got them it was another pair of socks):
Last week, I had the privilege of speaking at Team Tour Government in Washington DC, and yes, I wore these socks. I think my talk went well, and I can partly attribute it to my good luck charms pictured here. Of course, practicing for a month and a half before the talk might have played a role...but it's not as fun a story as having "lucky socks."
So let's hear it, what good luck charms do you have or good luck habits do you follow in preparation for something big in your life?
