Rituals Of Success: What Talismans And Omens Are Used By The Most Successful People Of The Planet
- 8.06.2025, 17:21
Unexpected habits of billionaires, presidents, and recognized geniuses.
We all have little rituals and habits that we believe bring good luck or at least help us focus. But what if billion-dollar businesses, winning elections, or creating world masterpieces depended on them? LIGA.Life tells us about the surprising habits of famous people that help them reach the top.
Steve Jobs and his black sweaters
The legendary Apple founder Steve Jobs had his own special "uniform" - more than 100 identical black sweaters from Issey Miyake. He wore them every day, creating a recognizable style.
John McCain's Mascots
Senator John McCain
was quite superstitious and always carried special talismans: a tribal leader's feather, a compass, and a quarter dollar coin issued for the 200th anniversary of the United States in 1976.
U.S. Presidents
Barack Obama never misses a basketball game
The former U.S. President Barack Obama is a big basketball fan and plays every time his schedule allows, especially on Election Day.
In the 2008 primaries against Hillary Clinton, he missed the tradition twice and lost both times. According to his former aide Robert Gibbs, time for basketball became mandatory after that. Barack Obama first became a presidential candidate in 2008 and then won the 2008 and 2012 elections to become the 44th president of the United States.
Astrological advice for Ronald Reagan
After an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, his wife Nancy decided not to rely on security alone. She turned to astrologer Joan Quigley, who helped set the president's schedule with astrological predictions in mind. Nancy truly believed that the stars would help keep her husband out of danger.
Franklin Roosevelt was afraid of the number 13
President Franklin Roosevelt was very afraid of the number 13. His secretary Grace Tully recounted that he never sat down at the table if there were 13 guests at it, and avoided trips that fell on the 13th of any month.
William McKinley's Red Carnations
President William McKinley considered red carnations his good luck charm and often wore them on his lapel. He was shot and killed shortly after giving his flower to a young female fan.
Selebrities
Ellen DeGeneres
Famous comedienne and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres tosses a mint into the air and catches it with her mouth every time before beginning her monologue. This tradition has accompanied her on The Ellen Show, which has earned her 28 Daytime Emmy awards. Ellen jokes that she needs the fresh breath not only for dancing in the aisles at the beginning of the program, but also for unexpected kisses with guests such as Matt Damon and Colin Farrell.
Heidi Klum Travels With Her Baby Teeth
Supermodel, TV star and Victoria's Secret Angel Heidi Klum has a rather unusual talisman - a small bag containing her baby milk teeth. She once recalled losing that pouch on an airplane and having to explain why she was looking for her own teeth on the floor.
Lucille Ball was afraid of birds
Legendary comedic actress and TV producer Lucille Ball, star of the sitcom I Love Lucy, had a panicky fear of birds. This stems from childhood trauma: when she was three years old, her father died the same day a bird flew into their house and couldn't get out. From that time on, Lucille avoided anything with the image of birds. She refused to stay in hotels with wallpaper that had birds painted on it, and it was strictly forbidden to put any porcelain figurines of birds on the set of I Love Lucy.
Athletes
Michael Jordan's Lucky Shorts
In 1982, future basketball legend Michael Jordan executed the game-winning shot that brought his North Carolina Tar Heels team its first NCAA title since 1957. He has since come to consider his shorts lucky. Even after becoming an NBA star and already while playing for the Chicago Bulls, Jordan always wore his old UNC shorts under his uniform. So he initiated the fashion for longer basketball shorts not only for comfort, but also apparently to hide his "lucky" pair. During his career, he led the Bulls to six championships, was named MVP five times and earned a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Serena Williams laces up in a specific pattern
Legendary tennis player Serena Williams dominated the court with her aggressive style of play and incredible stamina. Her career includes a record number of Grand Slam titles and Olympic medals. But she was not without rituals: before a match, Serena tied her shoelaces in the same way, and during the tournament she wore the same pair of socks. In addition, before the first serve the athlete every time hit the ball five times, and before the second - two.
Designers and artists
Coco Chanel and the magic of the number 5
Legendary French designer Coco Chanel was very superstitious. It is said that a fortune teller told her that her lucky number was 5. That's why she named her iconic fragrance Chanel #5. Her apartment even had a crystal chandelier designed in the shape of fives, and she always presented new collections on May 5 (the fifth month of the year) - for good luck.
Diane von Furstenberg's Lucky Coin
The famous Belgian designer Diane von Furstenberg has a special talisman - a gold coin of 20 francs. Her father hid this coin in his shoes during World War II, and then gave it to his daughter when she was young. Since then, Diana has attached it to her shoes before every fashion show and believes it will bring success. Her iconic robe dress revolutionized the fashion world, and von Furstenberg's designs are now sold in more than 55 countries.
Pablo Picasso cherished his "essence"
The famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso believed that even the smallest pieces of himself were part of his creative energy. Therefore, he did not throw away old clothes, hair clippings or nails for fear of losing part of his "essence". Picasso was also a collector of his own artwork - at the time of his death he had about 50,000 of his works, from prints and drawings to ceramics and theater sets. Today, he is considered one of Writers
Dr. Seuss's Hats
Cult children's author Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, had an astounding collection of nearly 300 hats. When a creative crisis struck, he would look into his secret vault in his closet, select a hat, and wear it until inspiration returned. Thanks to such unusual habits, he created favorite children's books, including the classic "The Cat in the Hat."
Dan Brown Hangs Upside Down
The bestselling author of "The Da Vinci Code," Dan Brown is read around the world - his books have sold more than 200 million copies. To overcome a creative crisis, he uses inversion therapy: he puts on gravity boots and hangs upside down on a special frame. This helps him see everything from a new angle and get his imagination running again.
Joanne Rowling leaves the title page for last
The author of the iconic Harry Potter books, Joanne Rowling, only prints the title page when she has completed the entire book. It seems to be her specialty - and it works! After all, the Harry Potter series has become one of the most successful book and movie franchises in history.