Chance encounters is what keeps us going
I came across this photograph on Unsplash by chance. And what caught my attention was the blurb by the photographer Bill Huynh.
Here’s what he wrote:
“More than anything, this photograph was really the result of a series of little accidents. After abandoning a hike halfway through due to lack of sunlight, we subsequently began to make our way back home. As we drove through a long stretch of highway, I made the decision to nap in the back, but before that, for whatever reason, I peered out the window and into the heavens first. At that point, I began screaming like a madman telling everyone to look up. Amazed, we pulled into the next rest stop”.
The photograph is great! But what’s even more incredible about this picture is the capture of a serendipitous moment.
It’s this accidental discovery that has made me write a blog post about it.
If we sit down with ourselves and pay attention to the patterns with which we find new connections, make choices and decisions we take, they are all an act of serendipity.
What I learned from entrepreneurs and business leaders on serendipity is to always keep our goals in mind, but at the same time, be ready to process and utilise the experiences you didn’t anticipate.
Take Phil Knight, for example, he acted upon his chance encounter meetings which lead him to build connections to grow his empire. Companies like Google have learned to find a creative balance between their goals and a world that is entirely unpredictable.
Steve Jobs created “engineered serendipity” and what he believed is that
“…serendipity is not something one thinks will happen, or hopes will happen, but is engineered and ultimately trusted to happen.”
Serendipity is a story of a paradox — How do we bring the right people to the right place at the right time to discover something new, when we don’t know who or where or when that is, let alone what it is we’re looking for?
Serendipity is not a fortunate stroke of luck or a happy accident. No, what it means is being open to possibilities. We are guided continuously to find these serendipitous moment or chance encounters. It’s up to us if we want to embrace them or resist them. In hindsight, we may also realise that we acted upon these chance encounters to learn, grow and evolve.
And to me, serendipity is all about these little series of accidents, chance encounters, unintended consequences that fills our life experiences.
I read this quote about serendipity and sums up how I feel about serendipity. “If there were no serendipity, then life would be far too rational for my liking.”
Why am I drawn to serendipity?
The more I think, I feel it’s the novelty of the experience that keeps me going.
We all have our encounters with serendipity. But what do we do with it matters? Do we embrace it or resist it ?
Have you experienced serendipity? I’d love to hear your stories on finding these chance encounters and how you feel about them.
