Hollywood loves making movies about serendipity.
RomComs, of course. Serendipity is almost always the inciting incident in a RomCom. However, most other genres also use serendipity to either throw the characters into the action or provide a critical piece to the puzzle along the journey.
Because serendipity makes a great story.
Is it chance? Is it fate? Is it Providence? Is it some other over-arching force from the Universe that wants it to happen?
It taps into something deep inside us. We want to believe in destiny, that someone or something is watching over us, and that our lives have a greater purpose. We want to believe we can win the lottery. We can picture ourselves with the great big check in our hands as we stand at the front of the room full of flash bulbs. We dream about serendipity.
Serendipity makes it all change in a heartbeat. One minute, you’re A. The next, you’re B. And B is amazing.
But progress rarely happens due to serendipity in real life.
I’m sure each of us can recall serendipitous events in our lives. Maybe even one or some of those led to something remarkable. You still tell that story.
However, progress usually happens due to plain old incremental steps in the right (or wrong) direction. Get up today and do the work. A little better or more complete today than yesterday.
Then, next week or next month, you look back and realize how far you’ve come.
