Image by Ryan McGuire
Quest 2015
Theme Day 2
Serendipity and Awe
Today I’m sharing a stream of consciousness on the second topic from Tracking Wonder‘s Quest 2015 visionary adventure. This time we’re going to explore the magical mystical world of serendipity. This is by no means new to my vocabulary; having become a common topic over the course of the past decade or so with various authors having written on the subject, but I digress. Even before I’d heard of the word, I’ve experienced many serendipitous events and encounters throughout my life.
Visionary Guide
I was pleasantly surprised to recognize this theme’s visionary guide. His name is Jason Silva; a film maker, futurist, and television personality. He is also the creator of ‘Shots of Awe’, which is a short film series otherwise known as ‘trailers for the mind‘. The one I’m most familiar with is called ‘Creativity Is Madness‘.
So without further ado, here is the writing prompt Jason provided for today’s theme:
‘In what ways might you artfully curate your life in 2015 to occasion serendipity, creativity, and awe?’ Ontological designing says: We design our world and the world designs us back. What are the linguistic and creative choices you can make in 2015 that will in turn act back upon you and transform you?
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As previously mentioned, I’ve experienced many serendipitous occasions throughout my life. These events could only be described as almost surreal in the way they seemed preordained in timing and effortless in manifestation. These aren’t things that could be planned in advance. This is what David Richo described as Unexpected Miracles where the right people are destined to collide at just the right time.
Or something you’ve been longing for your whole life suddenly unfolds with a precision that could only be considered as nothing short of DIVINE. Or the rare moments of unity and bonding I’ve encountered with a fellow soul; where it feels like I’ve known this person my whole life and yet we just met. Or in the case of ‘love at first sight’, where I KNOW that I know that I know that I love someone without knowing them or knowing why. It just IS.
Or it could be more simple than all of that.
It could be that you are drawn to a particular book, person, or blog post that carries the very message you needed to hear that day. Sometimes, it seems the author penned those words with YOU in mind; they were so perfectly in sync with the circumstances in your own life. It’s as if the universe, or God as you understand it to be, was listening and like an abundant and loving provider, guided you to exactly what you needed.
Serendipity is the miracle that fills the bill of our need right on time.
One of my favorite seemingly serendipitous authors (because she arrived at just the right time in my life) wrote a fantastic description of serendipity, although she called it something else. This brilliant piece of prose came from none other than a wild and rebellious creative cool ‘kat’ called Danielle LaPorte. (Yes! Chics can dig chics even if we’re heterosexual!)
A few years back she wrote a blog post that to this day….is STILL… my all time favorite from her! I have it bookmarked and re-read it whenever I think of it! The post was called, ‘On Bright Faith and Why Falling In Love is Totally Uncool’.
Yes…it’s a very long title but Danielle can get away with it!
What we might call serendipity. She calls it ‘bright faith’. In my heart and mind, it’s the same thing. Her post describes to a TEE…at least for me… what happens whenever I’ve experienced one of those serendipitous moments. She sums this serendipitous or ‘bright faith’ moment up exquisitely in this nutshell or in her words...truth bomb!
It’s the Holy wow, I’m standing at the beginning of something that is so insanely ripe with potential that I wanna get naked and roll all over it right now, while singing rock opera…kind of faith.
Yes. I’ve experienced what she describes in her blog post. Almost word for word. Which is probably why I love it so much! Because it’s REAL! This ‘magical’ collision of serendipity really happens!
I just don’t know WHEN it will happen or HOW it will happen….WHO it’s going to happen with. I can’t predict the circumstances nor do I have control over these miracle moments at all! I just know they are very real because I’ve experienced them. More then once.
So that brings me to my vision for 2o15.
How can I do my part to artfully curate or prepare myself and my life so that perhaps I’m more awake and aware to serendipitous opportunities when they arise? I know this will require more of some of what I’ve already been doing. And it will require me to be willing to branch out in new ways as well.
As Jon Mertz , creator and author of the Thin Difference leadership website and blog, shared in his post, ‘Your Life Quest: Create. Curate. Conflict‘, it’s about sowing intentional seeds into various ‘fields’ in our lives. This resonated with me in a big way since after my husband died, the first blog and website I ever created was called ‘Sow Your Destiny’. And it was based on this same concept and premise of sowing with intention into our lives. Or basically, doing what we can to shape our destiny in ways that we actually have some control over.
Yet, none of us can be open to much serendipity in our lives unless we are willing to take some risks and to put ourselves out there. If I didn’t go anywhere or interact with anyone, this would greatly reduce the odds of possibility that serendipitous events would manifest in my life! So I intend to continue to plant seeds in my life, I will continue to reach out as I do, and I will also find new ways and new fields to plant into.
All of this will require me to remain curious and courageous.
Open and receptive to new ideas, people, and opportunities.
On the one hand, this isn’t new for me. On the other, I know I have some blind spots that still challenge me. While I may be very curious and open to serendipitous encounters and events, I’m not always good about knowing when to let go of what is no longer in alignment with my highest good. Much time gets wasted in trying to persevere and endure things, circumstances, or people that it would be more wise to let go of sooner rather than later.
All requires discernment and wisdom of which we all could use more of in our lives!
I also recognize another element to all of this. Doing my part to prepare myself and my respective environments to make serendipity far easier to show up. If we’re not prepared, serendipity could arrive on the scene only for us to see the sight of it but not be able to take hold if we aren’t ready!
I will prepare and someday my chance will come. ~Abraham Lincoln
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Now over to you! Think about how serendipity has shown up in your life and how you can prepare yourself to be open to more in the future. From this day forward.
Share your stories, thoughts, and ideas below.
Also, if you have taken up the Quest 2015 challenge and have written your own post about serendipity, please let me know. I’d love to link to it as an additional resource at the end of this post.
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Additional Related Resources
Quest 2015 Theme Day 1: Living Connections by Samantha Hall
Your Life Quest: Create. Curate. Conflict by Jon Mertz
Quest 2015 Information Page by Jeffrey Davis
Watch ‘How We Create Serendipity‘ by Jason Silva
This Is Jason Silva – official website
Tracking Wonder – official website
