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Stanford Luck Researcher: How to Manifest the Life You Want

2026-04-20 Education
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Mel Robbins
Mel Robbins
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Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — In today’s episode, a Stanford neuroscientist is going to teach you exactly how to manifest the life you want – by becoming a luckier person. Dr. Tina Seelig has spent 25+ years at Stanford, where she also earned her PhD in the science of neuroplasticity, studying leadership, success, neuroscience, and luck. She's written 18 books, including her newest, What I Wish I Knew About Luck – and after this conversation, you will never see luck the same way again. In it, she breaks down something most people get completely wrong: You may believe that luck is something you have, or you don't. As Dr. Seelig will teach you today, there is a science to luck. And when you understand it, and start using it, you can create a life that feels a whole lot luckier. In this conversation, you’ll learn: -What research reveals about lucky people -The #1 mindset shift that separates lucky people from everyone else -The difference between fortune (what happens to you) and luck (what you create) -The 3-step framework to creating luck: build your sailboat, recruit your crew, hoist the sail -The 6 kinds of risk (and how your risk profile might be keeping you stuck) -Why asking for a “5-minute favor” can change your entire life -Simple ways to “stir the pot” this week so new opportunities can find you Dr. Seelig isn't ignoring reality. A lot of life right now doesn’t feel lucky. Everything is more expensive. Jobs are harder to get. Headlines are scary. Owning a home feels out of reach. That is real. And Dr. Seelig acknowledges all of it. And still she says this: There are practical, everyday things you can do - even when you feel stuck in the thick of it - that can change your luck and the direction of your life. If you’ve been telling yourself, “Nothing ever works out for me,” this episode is your wake-up call. If you follow the formula that Dr. Seelig is sharing with you today, there is no doubt that you will have a better and luckier life - because you will have created it. For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page: https://www.melrobbins.com/episode/episode-388/ Follow The Mel Robbins Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 00:00 Intro 01:35 What Is The Difference Between Fortune And Luck? 07:35 How To Create Your Own Luck 19:26 This Is How to Be More Lucky 28:58 The 6 Types of Risk You Need to Know 39:39 Is It Worth Taking Risks In Life? 50:28 The Best Tool For Increasing Your Luck 53:09 The First Thing You Should Do If You Feel Unlucky 55:43 You Can Create Your Own Luck — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com​ — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins​?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah

Top Comments (10)

@felisak6053 2026-04-20

I hope and wish that Mel should let her guest finish the topics before jumping to another question. A little of listening is much appreciated. We want to make sure we don’t miss the most important information the guest wants to share.

209 21 replies
@vanwin2804 2026-04-20

My dad always loved to say, “He who asks is a fool for a minute, he who does not ask is a fool forever.”

140 5 replies
@lexario_mindset 2026-04-20

Luck isn’t random; it’s the byproduct of preparation meeting belief. Brilliant episode.

105 5 replies
@dr.safousalami 2026-04-20

Mel is coming here to change our world for good 👍 🌎🌍 ❤❤❤

50 1 replies
@ruthgodfrey6955 2026-04-20

It's about the light you carry in your heart, a wonderful light in your attitude.

36 2 replies
@cherylmusson9368 2026-04-20

I am a behavioral health therapist and very often share Mel's podcasts with my clients. This is being shared with many. Thank you Mel and Dr. Seelig.

21 1 replies
@TheShellyHansenShow 2026-04-20

The idea that luck is something you create rather than something that happens to you is such a powerful reframe and this is exactly the kind of science-backed mindset shift that changes everything. The sailboat framework alone is worth the entire listen. If you've ever told yourself you're just not a lucky person, this episode is going to mess with you in the best possible way. Big love to Mel Robbins for consistently bringing the conversations that actually move the needle!

14
@josephsweeney4411 2026-04-20

I’ve always believed luck isn’t something that just happens to you… it’s something you create. Every person who crosses your path is there for a reason, and it’s on us to figure out what that reason is. Some are only in your life for a moment, others stay longer, but each one brings an opportunity. Looking at life this way has opened doors I never would’ve seen otherwise.

11
@Valgirl7 2026-04-20

Life can change on a dime for good or bad. I met a new man late last uear after being in a relationship for 9 years after my 30 year marriage. My life changed for the better by meeting this wonderful man.

11
@milarozhko9384 2026-04-21

I wish Mel and some other podcasters could understand that we are here to listen to the GUESTS of the show! It’s an absolutely necessary skill for them to navigate the conversation but let the guests speak, finish their thoughts and not to constantly interrupt them making themselves a center of the conversation!

2

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