Often, what defines the tone of our day isn’t what happens – but how we choose to respond.
Will an unexpected event make us contract? Or will it open a new and surprising door?
One morning, I arrived for a scheduled meeting with a senior executive at a café.
To my surprise, he wasn’t there.
When I reached out to him, his reply came quickly:
He apologized and explained that the meeting hadn’t been added to his calendar.
I immediately responded positively, saying it’s okay – these things happen.
And that I had just run into a friend, so I’d use the time to have coffee with her instead.
As I joined her, her own meeting arrived – a senior executive – and she said,
“You two have to meet.”
We exchanged a few words and scheduled a meeting for the following week.
Two hours later, I received a message from the same executive who had missed our meeting,
Asking if we could meet next week at the same café.
The time and day he suggested were exactly after the new meeting that had just been set.
I laughed. That’s precisely what serendipity in action looks like.
Beyond the amusing chain of serendipitous events, this story reminds us that everything depends on our response.
In that moment of “cancellation,” I could have gotten angry, resisted reality, and fallen into frustration or victimhood.
Instead, I chose acceptance and openness, taking the change lightly and looking for the opportunity that had emerged.
Serendipity isn’t just raw luck that happens by chance – we can cultivate it consciously by increasing our awareness and adopting a mindset that actively nurtures it, even in the workplace.
Research indicates that organizations are seeking leaders and employees with mental agility.
The ability to handle unexpected change, adapt their approach, recognize opportunities, and reset priorities.
As leaders or entrepreneurs, when we stay present in the moment with curiosity, openness, and acceptance of the unplanned, we begin to notice wonderful opportunities that would otherwise pass us by.
Still, it’s important to remember: not every opportunity requires a “yes.”
Awareness allows us to see the options and freely choose the ones that are right for us.
So, when things don’t go as planned, the real invitation is to ask:
What’s possible now? ✨
