Serendipity

Those of you who know me well know I have a fascination with this concept...and this word. It just rolls off the tongue, don't you think?

Anyway, Serendipity is commonly and simply defined as "a happy accident," but I don't feel like that definition encompasses enough of the meaning. Some people think it's the same thing as fate...but it's not. The original definition of the word is "the quality or faculty, through awareness and good fortune, of being able to find something good while seeking something else." Serendipity has everything to do with being in the right place at the right time and living the right way so you can make the right choice that will have the biggest impact.

I think it has a lot to do with being flexible, too. For example, I have the next three years of my life pretty planned out, but I have learned from past experiences that life doesn't always respect my plans. The best I can hope for is that I will make choices that will lead me to be in the right place at the right time so that I will find the best things in life and help the most people, whether I'm looking for those specific opportunities or not.

Right now I'm reading a book called Spiritual Serendipity, by Richard and Linda Eyre. It's not quite what I was expecting, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I kind of think it's a lot of words for what I think is a simple concept...even if it is difficult for me to explain.