With the dawn of St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, thousands around the world prepare for parties, parades and lively street festivals. Green garb will surely be sold out in stores shortly. Even if one is not superstitious about being pinched by a leprechaun, most people enjoy joining in on the fun. In addition to celebrating Irish heritage, many seek the “luck of the Irish.” Whether one’s goal is to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow or simply find a four-leaf clover, “luck” is the word of the day.

However, not everyone will be fortunate enough to find a rare four-leaf clover or stumble (perhaps quite literally) on the fabled leprechaun’s pot of gold at the end of the endless rainbow. To make up for the lack of luck, especially if one lacks Irish ancestry (aren’t we all Irish at heart, though?), we can always find our own fountains of youth. Wait—wrong culture. Never mind. The point is, luck comes in many forms and fashions. When life gives you lemons… Find your own four-leaf clover.

If you find yourself on St. Patrick’s Day wearing every color of the rainbow except green, fear not. You are the rainbow. That means that the legendary pot of gold was within you the entire time. If this is your case, the pot of gold was, fortunately or unfortunately, serving as a metaphor for the wealth of non-monetary riches you already have in your life. As King Midas should have understood, who needs a pot of gold when your life is already golden?

There are, of course, other ways to find luck. If you are fortunate enough to dine on a chicken, do not miss the opportunity to break the wishbone. Ending up with the larger half of the wishbone after breaking it with a friend (or foe) will guarantee that your wish comes true. Perhaps Cinderella had it all wrong. A dream is not a wish your heart makes, but what your wishbone makes. Glass slippers, fairy godmothers and wishbones each have their time and place. Just keep your head up.

Keeping your head up will certainly come in handy if you happen to see a nice shiny penny (or dirty one, for that matter) squinting up at you from the street. Finding a penny heads up is sure to bring you luck if nothing else will. Not only will a pretty penny brighten your day, but will also (slowly but surely) make you one penny richer each time you find one. College students (and anyone getting by on loose change) will greatly appreciate the slightest increase in the bank account.

Seriously, though, if the leprechauns see you due to your lack of green clothing, you will probably wish you had been bitten by a snake instead. Those leprechauns are not as cute and cuddly as the advertising world makes them out to be. Luckily (for the Irish, that is), there are no snakes in Ireland, thanks to the efforts of St. Patrick many, many, many years ago.

Luck comes in more ways than we can count. It is up to us to find the four-leaf clover that brings us the “luck of the Irish.” Sometimes, luck does not come in such blatantly obvious ways, though. Sometimes luck stares us in the face without revealing itself. For just a moment, we are as Irish at heart as can be… Even on the days that are not “St. Patrick’s Day.”