Tags

, ,

The Spirit of Serendipity

This week’s topic of #SpiritChat is Serendipity. I’ve been considering what is the connection between serendipity and awareness, serendipity and alignment with our souls, serendipity and growth, serendipity and self-love, for a while. And I wanted to share a personal multi-layer serendipitous journey that became possible thanks to SpiritChat, and all the other aforementioned “ingredients”.

I have been a participant of #SpiritChat Twitter chat on Sundays, created and hosted by Kumud Ajmani, @AjmaniK, since 2011. That same year, Jennifer Rowley, @liberateforlife, one of the chat’s participants, noticed that we were both living in NY at the time, and suggested we met for coffee. We did and have been dear friends since. You can learn more about Jenn’s work at http://www.fab55.com/.

A couple of years later, she introduced me to her sister Lara Simmons, @be_and_become, who lives in Seattle. Although Lara and I had never met in person, we became accountability partners, friends, and have been connecting every Friday for the past four years. Lara has published two inspiring books since, you can learn more at http://www.larasimmons.net/.

Last August, Lara mentioned that her husband Mark was coming to NY with his brother Pat, and she introduced us via text.I met them at a restaurant in NY, and a few days later, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge together. Since the first night, I noticed how kind hearted, open and wonderful they were, and wanted to stay in touch. Pat felt the same way and invited me for dinner the following week, and we connected. We have been together in a committed, long distance, relationship since then.

Both of us are grateful for the serendipitous way we met, and we are deeply happy together. I made it to Seattle in January, met Lara in person for the first time, and it was truly special.I also believe that there is much more than serendipity at play always. If Jenn hadn’t invited me for coffee, if I didn’t stay connected with Lara, if Pat, who didn’t know who I was, had decided to let only Mark meet me… If I hadn’t relentlessly kept practicing self-love (work in progress), and opening myself up for a loving relationship… If I hadn’t said yes, to myself and to Pat… If Kumud hadn’t created #Spiritchat… If I hadn’t found out about it… and the list goes on…

None of the incredible experiences we are having would have unfolded. Each are serendipitous moments that led to today.

This journey is only one of several wonderful relationships I have nurtured through #Spiritchat, and I’m grateful to Kumud and to all the weekly participants of the chat. What other serendipitous and ripple effects has the chat made possible, and could still create?

– Elisa Balabram (@womenandbiz)

Please join Elisa as she steps up to host our weekly #SpiritChat on Sunday, March 25th at 9amET, and share your stories about serendipity ~ I am sure that it is going to be a wonderful chat that will create many more possibilities… thank you!