It’s a tricky operation in some ways.
Do you ever feel like you’re onto something, and if you just reach a little further, you’ll figure it out? I’ve been in that spot for a while, and I feel like a mini- breakthrough came this past week . Only a mini one, though. I’m still looking for the last piece to fall into place.
That’s why I’m actively trying to cultivate serendipity.
Sounds silly, right?
Serendipity can’t be predicted, by definition. Things just happen to come together in unexpected ways. That’s what the word means, right?
I know. That’s what makes it tricky.
But hear me out. Things can only come together if they are close to each other somehow. So the more opportunities I create for that to happen, the more likely it is that a moment of serendipity will come.
That’s the theory I’m working under at the moment. But how do you create those opportunities?
One way might be to change things up. Instead of doing the same thing the way you always do it, try something different. Take a new route to work, or go out for lunch instead of eating at your desk, or whatever it might be.
And just as importantly, create opportunities to have more conversations, maybe even with people you don’t know. Maybe go to an event over the weekend instead of staying home or sign up to help at a nursing home (assuming you weren’t already slated to do those things). Wherever you go, the key part is to talk to people. Strike up a conversation. Find out what interests them, what they are most excited about, where they’d go if someone handed them a first-class ticket to wherever they choose. See where the conversation takes you.
Will any of that lead to serendipitous happenstances? Who knows? Maybe.
But it makes it more likely to happen than if we don’t change things up.
I’m not suggesting that we should all start running around seeking novelty every minute of the day. That would be exhausting, not to mention hard to do.
Just pushing ourselves a little bit outside our comfort zone is probably enough.
At least, that’s the assumption I’m working under at the moment.
With a little luck, I’ll find that last bit of inspiration I’m looking for soon…and in the meantime, I’m enjoying the hunt!
Hope you find some serendipity, too!
Nature through the senses
Scent:
I had a strange encounter with scent a few weeks ago, when I walked out on the porch and smelled licorice pretty strongly. I couldn’t find anything that would cause it, which made me wonder if there’s an animal that gives off that kind of scent. I couldn’t find any information on one online, so I’m guessing maybe there’s a plant nearby that I didn’t find. It’s a mystery I’ll continue to explore if the scent comes back, with the most likely candidate being Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). Though why on earth it would have registered the scent in the middle of winter is beyond me…
Sight:
The wildlife we see most commonly this time of year around our house are deer. I’ve been reliably informed by a local hunter that he’s seen a dozen or more deer living on our property, so while our resident bear slumbers away, we’ll enjoy sharing the farm with our frolicking herd. What animals are active near you this time of year?
Sound:
Have you heard the chickadees singing yet? It’s that time of year when they start to call, and they’ll do it more and more as we progress through the later part of winter. They stay year-round through most of the country – maybe you’ll see one!
Taste:
Hazelnuts store well, so they are a great winter treat. I especially like them with chocolate, but I could probably say that about anything. Hazelnut-chocolate chip cookies, anyone?
Touch:
It’s a classic for a reason: who doesn’t love sledding down a hill when the snow is deep enough? With major storms forecast for much of the country, I hope everyone gets a chance to make the best of it and enjoy some sledding!