by Juliana Bledsoe
I venture to say that after college, very few things in life will be handed to you, so pay attention when life hands you serendipitous moments. The universe has a way with things, and if you listen closely, you can hear the whispered secrets between the lines of your life.
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, and I am a firm believer that the mental and emotional energies we send out into the world have the ability to reach the person we are thinking about or lead us to a positive outcome.
Have you ever had those moments when you’re thinking about a friend, maybe even one you haven’t seen in a long while, and they inexplicably contact you at about the same time? Maybe you’re looking for something tirelessly and as soon as you stop looking, you find it. Maybe you’re seeking something, and in the act of searching, all of your questions and needs are answered when you unexpectedly come across something much better.
I do not think of this as coincidence. This is serendipity — a matter of unpredictable but pleasant happenstance — it’s the kind of stuff I live for. Some people exclusively subscribe to either fate or free will, but I choose serendipity almost as a religion. Life is like a choose-your-own-ending novel, and if you pay attention to the cues and foreshadowing, you just might pick the happy one.
Crossing the stage for graduation is a tired metaphor for how each class passes on to the next stage of life, but it is intensely meaningful nonetheless. The pressure, expectations and opportunities are boundless, but in the end, only each person can decide how to live their own lives. As my dad always says, you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose.
So I urge you as you enter this period of uncertainty to listen when the universe whispers in your ear— this world has a powerful way with things, and if you can pick up on the positive vibes (yes I said it; good vibes are a thing), you may find exactly who you need to meet, what you need to do, what you are searching for, or better yet, something beyond your wildest dreams.
You could turn your back on these little tips and directions from the unseen influence of that cosmic force in our universe. You can even choose not to embark on the adventure at all. But remember, it is only by striking out and taking that chance that you might happen upon a great treasure.
Think of Bilbo Baggins as the great wizard Gandalf urged him to embark on an epic quest in the classic J.R.R. Tolkien novel “The Hobbit.” He wasn’t keen to leave his little hole.
“We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”
But in order for serendipity to occur, you have to be out looking for something; buy the ticket, take the ride, as they say. Gandalf would tell you “The world isn’t in your books and maps, it’s out there.”
Tolkien goes on to remind us: “There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” Serendipity.
From now on, the only thing that you can count on landing in your lap is your graduation caps after that final throw at commencement. Get out and start looking for what makes you happy, and how you are going to change the world. Don’t be surprised if you end up far from where you thought you were going, just smile and look for a road sign and listen. When an opportunity comes to you, take it, and when serendipity occurs, pay attention. There is positive energy abound in this world if you choose to receive it, and the forces of the universe make a powerful guide should you choose to follow.
Juliana Bledsoe will be earning Bachelors of Arts in Journalism and Spanish. She can be reached at bledsoe7@sagebrush.unr.edu.