Do You Have a Jinx, Too?

One morning, this is a story that happened in the operating room.

While talking with a patient who was about to undergo surgery, the patient said this:

“Whenever I have something important to do, I always do it on a prime number date. Today is one of those prime-number dates, so it feels like a good day.”

The patient was a retired math teacher.

Prime numbers. It’s been a long time since I last heard that word.

Numbers that cannot be divided by anything other than 1 and themselves.

That day happened to be the 13th, and 13 is a prime number.

When I asked, “Since you taught math for so long, do you have many number-related jinxes?”

the patient quietly smiled and nodded.

Michael Jordan

Source - MyDaily

When you think about it, it seems everyone has at least one jinx of their own.

For example, Michael Jordan reportedly always wore his old UNC basketball undershirt under his uniform during games.

He believed the power of victory was in it.

Basketball player Seo Jang-hoon reportedly always dribbled the ball five times before taking a free throw.

He said that if that rhythm was broken, he felt like the shot would not go in.

NFL legend Tom Brady always drank a set beverage before games,

Taylor Swift

Source - Newsis

and singer Taylor Swift reportedly had a habit of writing the number “13” somewhere on her body before performances.

It is a number many people commonly consider unlucky, but for her it was instead a symbol of good fortune.

Also, soccer player Messi reportedly has the habit of touching the grass with his hand before a match.

These actions, they say, help create one’s own rhythm and calm the mind.

I also have a small rule that I always follow during surgery.

When performing hair transplant surgery, I must start from the side hairline,

and the first follicular units implanted are 24 on each side.

It is hard for me to explain exactly why it has to be 24, but starting that way makes me feel like the surgery will go more smoothly.

Following this habit helps me feel calm and focus better.

In that sense, isn’t a jinx less a simple superstition and more like a “mental warm-up” that gives us a sense of stability?

Like how starting something in a familiar way makes it feel much more comfortable.

Of course, if a jinx becomes too complicated or demanding, it can instead become inconvenient.

So even if you make one, it would be best if it is a simple method that anyone can easily carry out.

If that jinx has a positive effect on me,

then by itself it can be a meaningful and worthwhile action.

What kind of jinx do you have?

And what role is that jinx playing in your life right now?