Serendipity

The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident

I looked this up tonight. I've heard the word before, mostly because it was the title of a movie back in 2001 (which I would have quoted as the 80's without the help of Google). I never really thought much about the word until I was talking with the career councillor that was paid for by my last employer after getting let go. We were working on my resume and starting to talk about what my career path was. I kind of cut her off and told her that I've never actually had any direction in life, and seem to keep stumbling into things that have ended up going well for me. Right after that I began to say that perhaps I should give a career path and future plans some thought when she smiled and uttered the work 'serendipity'. She indicated that that's the word by which I had led my life, but I never really new what it meant.

What she did say, is that it's OK to approach life like that and that it works for some people. I left that meeting that day feeling proud of myself that I've stumbled through life and have ended up with more than I ever thought I'ld have. A good career, a beautiful loving wife, two beautiful kids with great personalities, a great house, climbing, windsurfing, snowboarding, and the list goes on.

But I have to say, recently I've gotten schooled.

I put a question out there, and as a result I've seen an answer. The topic was related to what I want to do with my career, and the answer was clear as day. Now, the thing is, I've been worried, because now that I've seen this path, I don't want to get stuck in the same grind and end up ultimately failing at what I've seen to be the way. And, to fuel that fear, I'm back at a previous company and getting busy with work that is now streaching full time until April. I've been wondering how I'm ever going to break out of old habbits and have the courage to chase an uncertain path.

Now, here's where the unexpected happened. A management job posting came up. Manager of Mechanical Engineering, or some such title. I've always held a management position as a possibility in the back of my mind. And when I heard of it, and that the preference was to promote interally, I found the idea more than intriguing. On top of that I've had a co-worker tell me, in their opinion, I'm the only qualified person internally for this job.

This is the bit, where making fortunate discoveries by accident pops up to change the direction of my life, as it's done so many times in the past. AKA, Serendipity.

Only this time it's different. I intended to apply for the position, but the vision I had regarding the shape my career will take in the future kept nagging at me. It made me think. Then it reminded me of past experience, and my last job specifically. It reminded me that I really don't like administrative tasks. It reminded me that I'm beginning to realize some core values I have regarding my career.

I just want to build stuff and play with big equipment.

This realization has been great. I would have applied for that positon immediately in the past, and I almost did, but it would have been the wrong path. I know that for certain now. I have a mission statement, it's clear, and it's from the heart. And it helped me avoid a mistake.

The only problem is, I still believe in serendipity, but now I believe in a plan too. And how do I embrace both?

What is the Challenge?

I don't want to say it's a problem, cause I've been watching this show with my wife regarding getting rid of excuses from one's life. So let's say that one of the challenges of being unemployed is being able to stay posative all the time. I do believe that mood, feelings and thoughts can guide what happens to a person from what's seen as outside influences. So, with that belief the trick is to be and feel posative about what I want out of the next 6 months.

I guess the challenge here is that I'm not sure what I want out of the next 6 months, especially when I realize that it may affect what I do with my next 15 years career wise. A lot of ideas have been racing around between the old ears. When the ideas pop up, it's really a great spot to be in. Creative energy is flowing, which leads to new, bigger ideas and the whole thing has sort of a postive snowball effect that leaves me feeling on top of the world. Eventually though, the creation of these ideas slows down and stops.

Trying to pick up on the same ideas later just doesn't seem to bring the same fire, as the initial thoughts brought.

I guess that's not entirely true. I do get excited about some thoughts continuously. Maybe these are the ones that need pursuing? Well, they are probably most definately the ones that need pursuing. I guess maybe this is where the challenge comes in. The thoughts that produce continued excitement are not the ones that lead in the same path as the one I know.

That's kind of scarry for just that reason. It's the unknown. And I'm not certain how to bring the unkown into reality.

There is the quote by Martin Luther King Jr. that says, "Take the first step in faith . . . you don't have to see the whole stair case, just take the first step." It's a great quote and speaks volumes, especially with the problem of bringing the unknown into reality, but I'm not sure I'm there yet. That's sad, because it's only fear that holds a person back.

Maybe the first step in that faith for the moment is to continue to let the ideas flow. That's brought about answers in the past for our family, and it can certainly happen again. Is that the challenge then for now?