#86 Serendipity

Greetings from Nice, where my sister is participating in the Ironman World Championships. It’s an incredible event to witness, and I could not be prouder of her achievements. One fact about my sister is that she has a tattoo on her rib that reads ‘Serendipity’.

Serendipity is defined as the occurrence of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. It describes those magical moments when something unexpected yet delightful happens—often when you’re not looking for it. Whether it’s stumbling across an opportunity, meeting someone who changes your life, or finding something valuable when seeking something else, serendipity adds a little extra charm to life’s journey. I’ve always found it to be a nice word and an even nicer concept, and apparently, my sister does, too.

A conduit for serendipity

A few months ago, I took a course on how to get started as a YouTuber (more on that in the future, perhaps). In the introduction, one of the reasons given for starting a YouTube channel was that it serves as a ‘conduit for serendipity’.

The idea behind this statement is that by putting yourself out there—by creating content and sharing value with the world—you naturally increase your chances of encountering serendipitous moments and interactions.

I think it's a really interesting idea, because of the role luck plays in our lives. Some people seem to have all the luck; good things just seem to come to them. It’s almost as if the universe is conspiring in their favour.

But here's the question: Can we increase our chances of ‘luck’? I think the answer is a resounding yes.

Can we cultivate serendipity?

By its very definition, serendipity cannot be engineered. It happens by chance. What you can do, however, is create the conditions for serendipitous moments to occur more often.

Consider a simple example: imagine two people, one of whom only leaves the house on Mondays, while the other is out and about every day. Who is more likely to have more serendipitous moments throughout their week?

The same logic applies to other areas of life. Every time you step outside your comfort zone or introduce yourself to new experiences, you increase your chances of serendipity.

Implementation idea

Are you putting yourself out there enough to invite serendipity into your life? It’s not just about waiting for luck to strike; it’s about opening yourself up to new possibilities, experiences, and interactions. That’s when the magic happens.

So, think about it—what small step could you take today to increase the chances of a serendipitous moment?  Could you attend a new event, strike up a conversation with someone new, or share a creative project you’ve been sitting on? The possibilities are endless when you allow yourself to be open to the unexpected.

— AJ

On my bedside table:

📖 Non-fiction: I’ve been using Google Scholar for scientific papers on Seasonal Affective Disorder. When I want to really understand health-related concepts, I go directly to the source literature.

💬 Quote: “Everyone nodded, nobody agreed.” ― Ian McEwan, Amsterdam

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