Connect with us

Success Advice

Creating Success Through Serendipity

Published

on

Image Credit: Unsplash

Long before the movie came out, Serendipity has always been one of my favourite words, purely because of the meaning.

Serendipity means a “ fortunate accident” or “pleasant surprise”; Any event or incident that happens purely by chance while one is not actively searching for it, resulting in a life transforming happy outcome – ‘Serendipity‘.

Many inventions and discoveries owe their existence to serendipity.

Fireworks, Superglue, Penicillin, Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity and the discovery of America by Columbus – just to name a few!

Are the examples given above just pure luck and happened just because somebody was at the right place at the right time, or is there something more to it?

Reflect on the fact that everybody would not have reacted like Newton if an apple fell on their heads and started wondering about gravity. But Newton did, he recognized and took advantage of the event. Are there ways in which we can improve our ability to recognize and take advantage of events, which can bring about a great change in our lives or perhaps to the whole world?

When I came across the SerenA project I was immediately intrigued. University College London has a project running on Serendipity in which it is trying to find out if there are patterns to people’s experiences that could help us to recognize and take advantage of such events. What a brilliant idea!

With many stories submitted from people all over the world, what have the researchers found to be the common denominator?

Well, people who converted those opportunities into positive outcomes had two things in common. The first trait was their ability to recognize the opportunity, and the second was their willingness to act on it. Action is always needed to translate the opportunity to a desirable end result.

‘First, you need to notice the old friend. Then you need to stop and talk to them, even though you might be busy or running late. Finally, you need to follow-up on whatever might come out of that conversation.’

In short, serendipity involves an element of luck that is out of our control but you also have to have the wisdom to spot the opportunity and act. Without the latter, the opportunity would be lost.

So why do some people seem luckier than others? It is simple! These people are more open to recognising an opportunity and seizing it. What makes them different from others is their ability to be open-minded, to look for the signs that could lead to an opportunity as opposed to people who are anxious, tense and worried all the time which disrupts their ability to be aware of the unexpected.

Being outgoing and interacting with people and your surroundings will provide you with a higher chance of hitting that lucky chance or situation, leading you into a  Serendipitous moment,– coming off as luck to an onlooker who is afraid of failure and doesn’t step outside of their comfort zone.

People interpret serendipity in a lot of different ways but it all comes down to, not what you see, but what you do with it.

“The harder I work, the luckier I get.” – Samuel Goldwyn

 

Article By: Charlene Barry | Addicted2Success.com

I am the the Founder of Addicted2Success.com and I am so grateful you're here to be part of this awesome community. I love connecting with people who have a passion for Entrepreneurship, Self Development & Achieving Success. I started this website with the intention of educating and inspiring likeminded people to always strive for success no matter what their circumstances. I'm proud to say through my podcast and through this website we have impacted over 200 million lives in the last 10 years.

Advertisement
5 Comments

5 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Success Advice

12 Skills to Acquire in 2024 for Career Success

In 2024, the professional world is evolving rapidly, so taking the initiative and planning strategically for skill development is essential

Published

on

skills required for a successful career

In 2024, the professional world is evolving rapidly, so taking the initiative and planning strategically for skill development is essential. If you want to do exceptionally well at your job, moving past the ordinary and concentrating on improving various skills is essential.

This article looks at key abilities that will contribute to your future career. (more…)

Continue Reading

Success Advice

How to Use Link Building to Get More Traffic to Your Website

A meticulously executed link-building strategy can transform your new website into a digital powerhouse

Published

on

link building strategy

Why do some websites skyrocket to the top of search engine results while others languish in the digital abyss? Does the new site you’ve just created have a chance to get a target audience and organic traffic? (more…)

Continue Reading

Success Advice

Simple Secrets to Building a Profit Pumping Freelance Business

Freelancing is a highly profitable venture, but its overwhelming nature tends to be daunting

Published

on

freelance success

Freelancing is a highly profitable venture, but its overwhelming nature tends to be daunting. To maximize profit, it’s important to adopt favorable mechanisms and workflow aids. You can increase your productivity to a significant level by staying true to your workflow. (more…)

Continue Reading

Success Advice

Here’s Why Your Digital Marketing Efforts Fail and What to Do About It

A key distinction between traditional and modern marketing is targeting.

Published

on

reasons digital marketing is failing

In a renowned anecdote, Albert Einstein is said to have given his graduating class the same exam paper two years in a row. His assistant, worried that the great scientist had made an error, alerted him. Einstein’s reply was simple: “Yes, it’s the identical test. But the answers have been altered.” (more…)

Continue Reading

Trending