Sometimes it feels like you can’t control anything. Everything is out of whack and totally out of sync. You feel helpless. It’s maddening. Most of us want control and even when we know we can’t affect the weather or traffic we stress and worry. But rarely do we look for the possibilities?
Some of the most famous entrepreneurs in the world actually take delight in the times in which they have the least control. CRAZY right? These visionaries see the possible in the unplanned uncontrolled moments in life.
Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Mark Cuban all suffer from what author Christian Busch calls the ‘Serendipity Mindset’. He writes in his book The Serendipity Mindset, The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck, that being open to the possible even in the face of impossible circumstances can uncover a world of options you never would have considered.
This ‘Serendipity Mindset’ means you find success in life’s random moments. “Success is based on factors you can’t control: Being at the right place at the right time. Meeting the right person at the right time. Experiencing something you weren’t necessarily looking for” (Haden, 2020). Sure that means getting out more, doing more, meeting more people and trying more things, but ask yourself, what have you got to lose?
Each of the wildly successful business men mentioned found opportunity from necessity. They outlasted, outwitted and out maneuverer their competition. Busch says, “Cultivating serendipity is first and foremost about looking at the world with open eyes and seeing opportunities others don’t. It’s not just about being in the right place at the right time and having something happen to us (blind luck), but rather a process in which we can be actively involved.”
Many people have lost jobs or had to down size due to the COVID pandemic. Lifestyles have changed and often not for the better. So, what is stopping you from starting your own business? Out of sheer necessity, now is the perfect time to embrace the ‘Serendipity Mindset’ and chart your own new path.
It’s never a good thing to lose a job or to go through hardship, but if you look for the opportunities and stay open to the possible, you may find the pot of gold at the end of new rainbow. Richard Branson started an airline because of a cancelled flight. Steve Jobs started a computer company in his garage that lead to a new era in technology. There are countless examples or vision leading to change.
So, if you find yourself feeling out of control take a closer look. There is opportunity in the most random of circumstances if you’re in the right mindset to see it. Take advantage of it and take a chance. You just might surprise yourself.
