Serendipity Stories bring the practice of serendipity to life in real-world examples.
This week’s story comes from Cindy Jamieson, a health coach with 25 years’ experience in the treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.
My story goes like this: I was the nationwide fashion coordinator for a large retailer based in MSP. On a plane 4 days a week, flying around the country with my hair on fire, styling, and sometimes appearing on television segments.
After years of enduring a plane 4 days a week, I decided to start caring for myself and seeing my massage therapist on the way home from the airport late Friday afternoons. While getting a massage, my massage therapist told me about “Rolfing” (Structural Integration). I knew a bit about Rolfing and was intrigued.
She explained that Rolfing is a bodywork methodology that views the body as a whole, rather than as individual parts. Meaning, just because you have a pain in your neck or shoulder doesn’t necessarily mean it is coming from that part of your body. In fact, Rolfers believe that the pain is symptomatic of imbalances elsewhere in the body.
So, I decided to go through the Rolfing process myself. By the second session, I decided I would resign from my job and become a Rolfer. I knew I would never be bored again (not to be confused with being “born again”), being a Rolfer.
I am coming up on my 30th year of being an Advanced Rolfer/ Structural Integration practitioner.
Cindy's transformation from fashion coordinator to Advanced Rolfer wasn't just luck—it was serendipity in action. The difference? She had created the conditions for meaningful discovery to happen, connected the dots, and then took action.
Serendipity isn't random. It's receptive.
Serendipity requires three key elements that Cindy's story perfectly illustrates:
1. Create Space for the Unexpected. Cindy carved out time for self-care. When we're constantly rushing from task to task, we miss the subtle opportunities life presents. Serendipity needs breathing room—quiet moments, unscheduled conversations, wandering without a destination.
2. Stay Curious About What You Don't Know. When her massage therapist mentioned Rolfing, Cindy didn't dismiss it as irrelevant to her fashion career. She leaned in with genuine curiosity. Serendipity rewards the curious mind that asks "What if?" instead of saying, "That's not for me."
3. Act on Your Intrigue The magic happened because Cindy didn't just think Rolfing sounded interesting—she experienced it and then dug deeper. By her second session, she was ready to reshape her entire life. Serendipity favors those who move from wondering to experimenting.
How to Practice Serendipity:
Slow down enough to notice what resonates with you, even if it seems unrelated to your current path
Say yes to conversations with people outside your usual circles
Follow threads of curiosity without needing to justify where they might lead
Pay attention to what energizes you in unexpected moments
Trust the process when something feels inexplicably right
Cindy's story reminds us that our next great chapter might be hiding in plain sight—in a casual conversation, a new experience, or that nagging feeling that there's something more waiting for us.
The question isn't whether serendipity will find you. The question is whether you'll recognize it when it does.
Learn more about serendipity and how you can bring the practice of serendipity into your work and life at practiceofserendipity.com.
If you’re interested in learning more about Cindy and her practice, you can find her here.
If you’d like to share your serendipity story, send us a note! We’d love to feature you here.