Planned Serendipity

Copyright (c)2005 by Benjamin Devey. All rights reserved.

Serendipity is an attitude for making accidental, fortunate discoveries.
It’s moments of happy coincidence that surprise you and turn you in nunanticipated directions. It can solidify your sense of purpose or nlaunch a new-found venture, whether it’s in pursuit of wealth, fame, or npassion. It’s often viewed as a stroke of luck or good fortune.

We tend to view serendipity as haphazard and whimsical, and it often is.
But you can create the elements that bring unexpected, beneficial noccurrences in your life. Serendipity isn’t really accidental.

You can intentionally create serendipity and plan for coincidences that nbless you with the fortune you’re looking for. By pursuing a plan with npassion and purpose, you can expect more of the seemingly random events nthat turn your luck.

Thomas Edison did just that. He didn’t wait for defining revelations to ndiscover new inventions. He boldly pursued new ideas with passion and ncommitment. As a result, he regularly found unexpected inspiration along nthe way.

I write on a regular schedule, even if I don’t know what I’ll be nwriting. Why? Because my goals demand a timetable and progress, if nthey’ll ever be anything more than dreams. Writing brings ah-ha moments nof coalescing themes and unexpected, prolific creation. After a session nof writing, wondering where an idea came from, I realize the inspiration nmight not have come at another time, under different circumstances.

A large part of opportunity is being there when it happens. It’s like ngoing to a dance, instead of staying home. You may have better things to ndo; but unless you show up, you’ll never know what experiences you might nhave missed. Your one true love may have been there, the person you nmight have clicked with and wondered how you ever could have lived nwithout him or her.

Tony Robbins said, "Once you decide that something is a priority, you ngive it tremendous emotional intensity, and by continually focusing on nit, any resource that supports its attainment will eventually become nclear." Daily disciplines open the door to opportunities. Lots of things nhappen when you stick to your plan. Insights come into opened thought npaths. While you work on your goals, you inte
alize processes to turn nideas into reality. You invite the muses as your companions. You focus non the details and inner workings of your plan, and the fuzzy details of nthe schematics come into clear focus.

Peter McWilliams said, “Serendipity accounts for one percent of the nblessings we receive in life, work and love. The other 99 percent is due nto our efforts.” Goals are part of dreaming. You build your dreams out nof persistent effort. Genius is the mechanics of putting the pieces ntogether. Walt Disney died before Disneyland was a reality. Someone once ncommented what a shame it was that he didn’t live to see that dream nbecome reality. But his son countered, “He did see it, or it never would nhave become the reality it is.”

“Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of the nimagination,” wrote John Dewey. Your life dreams are just as attainable.
Whatever you hope for can become your reality, but it happens when nyou’re in the driver’s seat, steering toward your destination. Just open nyour eyes to the vistas ahead and look for surprises of fortune along nthe way. n