Serendipity and happiness

Use this forum to discuss the December 2023 Book of the Month, "Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope" by Dr. Randy Ross
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Jennifer Coxon
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Serendipity and happiness

Post by Jennifer Coxon »

“those rare cases where some folks seemingly stumble backwards into fortuitous situations. They rise to the top without any clear explanation as to how or why they got there. It occasionally happens. They find themselves at the right place at the right time and the winds of chance simply blow in their favor. They don’t understand it. They cannot explain it.”

— Fireproof Happiness : Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope by Dr. Randy Ross
https://amzn.eu/9cG1cIJ

The author didn't term this situation as serendipity but this is what I understand it as. Have you or anyone you know found yourselves at the fortunate hands of serendipity? Did it bring happiness?

I did when I found my current career. I was two years out of university, with a single-minded pursuit of a career I was making no traction with. I ended up on holiday with my parents where I met fellow holidaymakers. Somewhere along the way I made an impression on a fellow traveller and was offered the opportunity to pursue the option of working for them. 12 years later and I love my job, still working for the person I met on holiday, purely down to the right place, right time, right person, and right context.
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Sarah Zain
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Post by Sarah Zain »

I am one of the believers of serendipity. it has proven its beauty to me many times. Whether when I chose the field of my diplomas or in my side work. But in my opinion, it is not a guarantee of happiness because sometimes the desire to believe it makes us overlook some things that is possible to change our decisions under normal circumstances .
Life is hard on its own so let's make it easier for each other if we could.
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Bettny Andrade
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Post by Bettny Andrade »

Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right person and with the right context, as you mention, is something that I am sure can happen to me, and I hope for it.

Fortuitous events, I have experienced them, in which I think, what made me do this this day?, because it fit "like a glove", which is an expression that means that it was just what was needed at the right time.
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Post by Vivian Writes »

Living serendipitously is the best way to live, in my opinion. Everyone needs some luck. Relying on hard work or hard plans alone can be so exhausting. The best times and people I have had were ones that happened to me through serendipity.
I am currently really hoping for more of that in my life.
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Post by Dalia Chf »

The concept of serendipity is so fascinating to me, but if you're a religious person you don't call it serendipity, you call it the will of God. It happened to me many times, being in the right place at the right time and experiencing something incredible, I hope everyone gets to experience this kind of feeling!
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Oleabhiele Joseph
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Post by Oleabhiele Joseph »

Wow. I’d say that I’ve been at a position where I couldn’t understand how I got there, and doubted if I deserved it. I always chuck it up to the grace of God, because I’m a Christian and I believe any good luck is God’s grace.
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome, 161 AD -180 AD
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Post by Ika Apo »

I have found myself in such aituations a few times and it did bring happiness at the time, but I also got confused as to how I got there and how could I repeat it again.
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Post by Catalina Isabel »

I have experienced this many times and often wondered "Do i just have really good luck" but sometimes it felt like more than that! It's a very nice feeling when things work out perfectly. Right place, right time. I do believe mindset plays a big part in this too!
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Post by Ophiohonren Hiram »

I first came across this term in my high school days and didn't really have a concrete understanding of what it meant, that is until reading this book.
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Post by Nenye Lauraa »

Sarah Zain wrote: 02 Dec 2023, 16:40 I am one of the believers of serendipity. it has proven its beauty to me many times. Whether when I chose the field of my diplomas or in my side work. But in my opinion, it is not a guarantee of happiness because sometimes the desire to believe it makes us overlook some things that is possible to change our decisions under normal circumstances .
I am happy that it has worked for you. Unfortunately, this is not the case for me and I guess it just made me feel that serendipity is something we use to keep a facade, and it doesn't exist.
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Post by Christian_ James »

Serendipity smiled upon me when an encounter in school led to a career opportunity.
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Post by Nguavese Abeva »

In my opinion, embracing a serendipitous approach to life is the most fulfilling. Everyone can benefit from a bit of luck, and relying solely on hard work or meticulous plans can be draining. Some of the most memorable moments and connections I've experienced were the result of serendipity.
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Post by Amy Luman »

Like you, I found proofreading and reviewing quite by accident. I had recently retired and was looking to do something that I really enjoyed for once. I don't think that this kind of thing happens often (at least to me), but it sure is nice when something you are looking for seems to drop right into your lap.
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Post by Upphilan Paul »

Honestly, I took some time to think about this. I've seen many people in similar situations, but serendipity always works in my favor.
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Post by Samina Moiyadi »

Jennifer Coxon wrote: 01 Dec 2023, 19:38 “those rare cases where some folks seemingly stumble backwards into fortuitous situations. They rise to the top without any clear explanation as to how or why they got there. It occasionally happens. They find themselves at the right place at the right time and the winds of chance simply blow in their favor. They don’t understand it. They cannot explain it.”

— Fireproof Happiness : Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope by Dr. Randy Ross
https://amzn.eu/9cG1cIJ

The author didn't term this situation as serendipity but this is what I understand it as. Have you or anyone you know found yourselves at the fortunate hands of serendipity? Did it bring happiness?

I did when I found my current career. I was two years out of university, with a single-minded pursuit of a career I was making no traction with. I ended up on holiday with my parents where I met fellow holidaymakers. Somewhere along the way I made an impression on a fellow traveller and was offered the opportunity to pursue the option of working for them. 12 years later and I love my job, still working for the person I met on holiday, purely down to the right place, right time, right person, and right context.
People term it as luck. I think everyone is given ample opportunities. One has to identify them and do whatever they can to turn it into success. Congratulations to you for finding the opportunity for which you still feel blessed.
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