Something very deep and mysterious, very holy and sacred is taking place in our lives right where we are, and the more attentive we become the more we will begin to see and hear it.
Henri Nouwen
Welcome back to our Co-Creative Mandalas blog!
Each month, we share insights, inspiration, and all the ways the cycles of the Great Mandala uplift and support you. We draw upon the metaphors and messages of each season to explore and celebrate our individual and collective journeys toward Unity.
The Co-Creative Mandalas have a name that represents something about the natural world and the energy of the current time.
This month's mandala is Serendipity.
I hope you’re having a magnificent summer, and that you are taking the time to bask in the preciousness of small things. August 1st marked mid-summer and now Fall Equinox is on the horizon. In Colorado (and other parts of the US), we're still enjoying summer's heat.
This is the hottest time of year, when all the plants are flourishing, growing out of the rows we neatly planted in the spring. Even so, I sense the shift in energy that comes with the subtle changes in the light and shortening of the daylight hours. We've entered the beginning of harvest season when we're really rewarded for our gardening efforts.
Our garden continues to be a miracle, a sacred space of goodness, which Don and I appreciate daily. It feels as though we're living in a paradise. “If you want to live in the garden,” a friend says, “you have to be the gardener.” That’s key to what we’re doing. We're Being gardeners in paradise tending to the plants, in just the same way we tend to our families, our friends, ourselves, and each another. It can't get much better than that!
As the new season is unfolding, do you feel called to create positive change for yourself, those around you, and our planet? Our individual and collective evolution of consciousness, our inner growth is a lot like growing and tending to a garden.
Whether you're physically or metaphorically growing your garden, this is a very powerful time to remind yourself of what you planted and wanted to harvest this year by revisiting and examining your intentions--what you planted in the spring & what you're growing in your life right now. What are you beginning to see ripen from those intentions? What still needs nurturing? How can you re-engage with those intentions? What is something you can do to continue to move those intentions along?
From ancient times, wisdom teachers tell us that our Universe is perfectly balanced by natural and spiritual laws which maintain order. We can learn to depend on these laws and live in alignment with this order and be “in the flow”. If we plant carrot seeds, carrots will grow, not squash. One of the Universal Laws is, “what we sow in consciousness we reap.” It is important to remember that Source (the Divine, Nature, the Universe--whatever you name that power and presence) doesn't operate in a straight line. Many years ago I realized that we're on a "zig-zag path to enlightenment". Our logic would like to use the straight line method of getting things accomplished, for setting intentions and meeting our goals--with no detours, scenic routes, or inconvenient barriers to fulfilling our dreams.
With experience we learn that when we are “in the flow” things run smoothly in our lives AND unexpected events happen. Some call these events coincidences or synchronicity, some even call it luck. Others call it Serendipity.
Webster defines it as, “the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.” It refers to the discovery of a idea or goal which you stumble into (or which stumbles into you) while you are on a search for an altogether different one.
Read about the fairy tale that inspired the word serendipity.
Those are delightful or surprising moments when you bump into an insight, a person, or a circumstance that you never could have imagined, but you recognize deeply in your soul as something that you’ve always wanted – that’s serendipity. Serendipity is the Universe’s way of saying "YES"--telling you that you’re on track.
Serendipity is the process of making happy discoveries along the road of life. Whenever you have a clear goal that you visualize continually and that you are working toward each day, happy, unexpected events and experiences occur in your life, each of which seems to help you to achieve your goals even faster.
Brian Tracy
Goals –second edition
The Universe continually sends messages to help us remember our Wholeness. Often we're so absorbed in the changes and challenges that we call life, we miss the subtle clues. Serendipity, is a slight nudge in the right direction, a tiny hug to let you know you are not alone in the Universe. It's the reminder to stop, breathe, and notice.
Martha Beck, life coach and columnist for Oprah's O Magazine, talks about serendipity in her book Steering by Starlight. In her comments on how things unfold when people get started on the the path to living their best life – fulfilling their destiny, she says, “Circumstances beyond your control will begin aligning as if to facilitate your actions."
These are often happy accidents.
The challenge is to have an observant mind that accepts the unexpected, or at least pauses to be present with what these un-looked for happenings may mean in relation to your vision, your intentions, your life in this moment.
Serendipity has played a significant role in my life, so much so that I feel it has outweighed all my carefully laid out plans, both personal and professional. I like the idea of Serendipity in that it allows me to think life is purposeful, i.e., that things happen for a reason.
One quick example, which I'm guessing is quite typical for others--even if the details are different. I know the power and magic of being open to the unexpected from personal experience.
Read how Co-Creative Mandalas manifested because of Serendipity and were born out of a random search on Google.
John Krumboltz says in his Planned Happenstance Theory that people with optimistic qualities are more likely to turn Serendipity into opportunity. We can transform uncertainty into opportunity if we can keep a philosophical attitude that “something good and enjoyable can happen"...which creates a space in which we notice Serendipity.
When you trust your guidance and your intuition you begin to trust you're on the right path. When you experience Serendipity you'll notice that you feel:
Motivated by the experience.
Filled with a sense of Wholeness.
You and the world are uplifted.
The unexpected happens all the time and that kind of unexpectedness can lead to positive outcomes. Trust what you are feeling. Let go of someone else’s meaning if it doesn’t resonate. Simply call it in and let go. Then, open your eyes to the mystery, magic, and simple wonders in the present moment. That's where you'll find Serendipity.
If you calmly and confidently believe in the mystery and magic of Serendipity, no matter what happens, you will have repeated serendipitous experiences that will help you to achieve your real goals in life.
Brian Tracy
Goals--second edition
The great news is that this attitude can be cultivated by all of us. If you want to experience Serendipity more often, cultivate these six qualities that support noticing and experiencing those magical moments:
1. Humility: The willingness to meet anyone and any opportunity with openness, curiosity and compassion.
2. Surrender: For a fun and interesting talk, check out Todd Kashdan's TEDtalk "Becoming a mad scientist with your life"
3. Openness: Make space to explore, to discover, to be surprised. This...“or something better.”
4. Growth mindset: When we step outside of our comfort zone and take calculated risks, magic happens.
5. Wonder: Mix perspectives by building self-awareness while simultaneously reflecting on the world around us.
6. Ownership: Acknowledging you have gifts that can benefit others, a voice that can bring about change, and a responsibility to show up fully.
Serendipity is not simply good fortune that shines on a blessed few. It is a frame of mind, a desire to live fully, that allows us to venture into the little mysteries of life with humility, curiosity, and a real hunger to make a difference.
Staying open to the power of Serendipity helps you remain flexible when things don’t go as planned, or when you’re invited to an even better opportunity. We can’t always see the path ahead, so practicing mindfulness and paying attention to the small things helps steer us in the right direction. Plus, gratitude and patience are two of the keys to living in the flow of serendipity-filled lives.
This Co-Creative Mandala, "Serendipity" is from a photograph of Turk's Cap Lily (symbolizes reassurance). The colors are related to your heart and crown chakras. Lilies also represent the circle of life, compassion, and the love and support from your guides, allies, and the Universe. This mandala invites us to see the wonder in everything around us, in nature, in music, in our creations.
I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.
Joseph Priestley
Serendipity Sacred Practice:
Intention:
The real power of the practice is the intention you place behind it. Start your day with gratitude and by setting the intention that you are dedicating time to self-care, to remembering Serendipity, and awakening to Unity. This practice is a simple method of helping you to honor Serendipity. So with practice, it can be used to be present, without conscious effort to the magic and mystery of Serendipity. With practice, you'll discover that this inner resource is available to you for increasing periods of time.
Be gentle with yourself as you discover what nurtures and
sustains you.
Before you begin the practice:
Choose what you need to create sacred space: Flowers that
represent summer, candles that represent the fiery summer
energy, incense, and music can help guide your focus.
Invest time toward moving into stillness.
When you are ready, invite any subtle colleagues, allies, your guides and helpers to join you in your sacred practice. Wait a moment for that connection and alliance to form.
Next, invest some time for reflecting on the Serendipity mandala.
Let you gaze fall softly on the mandala. Use one or all of the following prompts for connecting your purpose to the energy of the mandala:
What message does it have for you? What expansive energy do you want more of in your life? You may choose to reflect on your vision statement. How will honoring Serendipity support manifesting your vision? How will you nurture the mandala of your life? How will you practice self-care and self-compassion by welcoming Serendipity into your life? How will you bring more light into the world?
Now, the Serendipity Practice. (It has two parts)
Part 1: (Remember, there are no right or wrong answers).
Give yourself five minutes to center yourself and sink into the topic of the mystery and magic of Serendipity.
Find a comfortable position. Take three deep breaths. Feel the details of your body—where it is touching the chair, how your feet feel on the floor, the sensations of your breathing.
Take a few moments to notice what is happening right now. What do you hear? What kinds of sensations do you feel?
Part 2:
As you find your center, think about Serendipity—those times when you accidentally stumbled on something fortunate, especially while looking for something entirely unrelated. How do you define Serendipity?
Consider timing associated with those moments of Serendipity. When were the times you felt yourself magically in the flow of life? When frustration evaporated, when parking spaces opened, when you made it just in time, when you said just the right words at the perfect time, or someone said the perfect words to you.
Continue to focus on the experiences that you know as Serendipity. It might be a chance encounter, a song you heard, a moment of connection with your favorite place in nature.
Fill yourself with the feeling of connectedness, of life opening to you, of it unfolding, of the Universe saying "Yes".
What does Serendipity feel like in your body? Notice where you feel sensations, ease, tingling. Place your attention there and notice what happens. Go back and forth between the memory of Serendipity and the sensations in your body. Fill yourself with the memories. Think of the smallest details. What is it that makes this moment serendipitous? Allow yourself to luxuriate in your memories. Remember how those experiences felt in your body. What thoughts come up? What images do you see? Stay in these memories for as long as you like.
When you're ready, gently bring your awareness back to yourself sitting, present in your space.
Invest the time to journal about the Serendipity Practice. Write down how that experience felt in your body. How will you anchor those memories in your body, so that you can practice being present for Serendipity when it happens in the future?
In the days ahead, be on the lookout for Serendipity. When a serendipitous event leads you to a new opportunity, it’s a chance to revisit and refresh your goals. Trust your experience, your guidance, and your intuition. Does the experience motivate you? Does it fill you with a sense of Wholeness? Does the information uplift you and the world around you?
Ask yourself: Is the new opportunity in alignment with my priorities and core values? Is it in alignment with my goals, my vision for the year, or is it time to set new goals based on this new information?
Making the most of unexpected moments comes with positive thought, the act of living in the moment, and creating action. This is both the wonder and awe of serendipity.
Wishing you the mystery and magic of Serendipity,
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