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
unanticipated directions. It can solidify your sense of purpose or
launch a new-found venture, whether it’s in pursuit of wealth, fame, or
passion. 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
occurrences in your life. Serendipity isn’t really accidental.

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

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

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

A large part of opportunity is being there when it happens. It’s like
going to a dance, instead of staying home. You may have better things to
do; but unless you show up, you’ll never know what experiences you might
have missed. Your one true love may have been there, the person you
might have clicked with and wondered how you ever could have lived
without him or her.

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

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

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