Have you experienced Serendipity?

Serendipity is the act of making unexpected and fortunate discoveries by accident or chance. It is the phenomenon of finding something valuable or delightful when you are not actively searching for it. It’s a combination of luck and skill, as it involves being aware of one's environment and willing to explore new ideas. 

One of the most famous examples of serendipity is the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming. In 1928, Fleming noticed that a mold had contaminated a culture of bacteria in his laboratory. Rather than throw the culture away, he decided to investigate further and discovered that the mold produced a substance that killed the bacteria. This fortuitous discovery revolutionized medicine and saved countless lives.

Serendipity can also play a role in personal relationships and friendships. Sometimes, the people we meet by chance turn out to be some of the most important and influential in our lives. These chance encounters can lead to lifelong friendships, romantic relationships, and even business partnerships.

Here is a little story about how serendipity changed the fate of my Podcast ImiGrandes (www.imigrandespodcast.com.br). I started the Podcast in February of 2022, and I was having a blast. I was meeting awesome people, learning new things, and telling great stories. Most importantly, I was helping and inspiring people with my content. 

However, as with any new endeavor in this crowded space, my Podcast audience remained somewhat small. I felt I wasn’t impacting as many people as I would’ve liked. So, by the end of the year, I was having serious thoughts about quitting this project. 

Then, in October 2022, I had a trip to New York for some personal matters. My good friend, Airam da Silva, MPH, was hosting a Gala to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his Foundation, The Icla da Silva Foundation, Inc. Since I was in town, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to support him. Airam invited me to another dinner Gala for Pequeno Principe hospital two days later. That whole week I wasn’t feeling well, fighting a fever and body aches (it wasn’t Covid, I tested several times :-)), so I wasn’t in the mood for it. But he insisted. It was for a great cause, so I changed my plane ticket and decided to stay another day for the event.

On the day of the event, I almost gave up, but I took two Tylenol and went anyway. Getting there, I realized that Jair Oliveira, a famous Brazilian singer I’ve been a fan of since I was a little child, and his wife, Tania Khalill, were hosting the event. During one of the breaks, I approached Jair, asked for a picture, and introduced myself. I mentioned that I had this Podcast that talks about Brazilian Immigrants living abroad and that I’d be honored to have him. To my surprise, he said yes. A few weeks later, we recorded a fantastic episode that will air on January 9th, 2023, and will open Season 2 of ImiGrandes. And I met a fantastic guy!

That was true serendipity. I could’ve returned home. I could’ve used my health as an excuse not to attend the event. I could’ve not approached him and not asked him for that interview. But everything lined up for life to give me an opportunity to meet a great person. And that’s when I realized the true value of the Podcast. It’s to make exciting connections, meet brilliant people, and have meaningful conversations. These are my internal “KPIs,” and I will not be guided by any external metric or validation.

If you want to increase the likelihood of experiencing serendipity, you must be open to new experiences and try new things. This can involve traveling to new places, taking up a new hobby, or talking to people you normally wouldn't. Another way is to have a curious and open mind. This means being willing to ask questions, seek out new information, and challenge your assumptions. Finally, having a positive attitude and an open heart can also attract serendipitous experiences into your life.

This was my serendipitous story. I wish for more moments like this in the future. How about you? How are you going to attract serendipity in 2023?

Happy New Year! See you on January 9th on Spotify or wherever you listen to your Podcast and on YouTube www.youtube.com/imigrandes.