The Practice of Serendipity
Turning the Unexpected Into Your Greatest Advantage
In a world where uncertainty seems to be the only constant—AI reshaping industries overnight, economic conditions shifting unpredictably, competition emerging from unexpected quarters—we’re often told to plan meticulously, to anticipate every scenario, to eliminate risk. But what if there’s another way? What if the unknown, the unexpected, and the unanticipated could become your most powerful catalyst for creating value?
If you’ve been following our stories, you’ve read examples of this in action. From entrepreneurs stumbling upon breakthrough innovations, scientists uncovering vital new medicines, and professionals discovering unexpected career paths, these narratives share a common thread. Each involves open-minded individuals who actively seek, encounter new information and interactions, collect insights and ideas, and embrace the unexpected rather than resist it—and then create!
This is serendipity in practice.
More Than Happy Accidents
Serendipity isn’t about luck or random chance—it’s a generative practice. It’s the result of intentional mindsets and behaviors, combined with varied inputs and conditions, that enable novel inventions, groundbreaking innovations, and personal clarity.
The serendipitous process follows a recognizable pattern:
Seek & Encounter: These individuals remained curious and open.
Collect: They collected what caught their attention, what piqued their curiosity, even when the relevance wasn’t immediately apparent.
Connect: They made new connections, building bridges where previously there was nothing. They allowed themselves to imagine what could be, rather than limiting themselves to what already exists.
Create & Pursue: They didn’t stop at interesting observations—they took action. They explored hunches, pursued ideas, and committed to the journey. They tested their assumptions, learned from results, revised their approach, and evolved their creations through continuous iteration.
The result? New value. Something that didn’t exist before—whether a product, a solution, an insight, or an opportunity—emerged from this dance between intentional practice and the unexpected.
Why Serendipity Matters Now
In an environment filled with unknowns, serendipity becomes not just beneficial but essential. It helps us:
React and respond to the unexpected with agility rather than anxiety
See hidden opportunities that others overlook or dismiss
Stay inspired and aware of the possibilities surrounding us daily
Pivot when necessary, helping us find a new course
Innovate continuously, finding both small iterative improvements and game-changing breakthroughs
Leverage the unknown as a catapult rather than viewing it as an obstacle
Cultivating Your Serendipity Practice
The beautiful truth about serendipity is that it can be cultivated. It occurs when you—actively or passively seeking—encounter the unexpected, unanticipated, or new, make a novel connection, and take action to pursue it. Through that pursuit, new value is created.
This isn’t passive wishful thinking. It requires:
Maintaining openness to diverse inputs and experiences
Developing the awareness to recognize interesting patterns and possibilities
Collecting and keeping track consciously or unconsciously of those things that are intriguing
Building the courage to act on unconventional connections
Embracing iteration as the path to breakthrough
In a world where we cannot predict or control every variable, the practice of serendipity offers something more valuable than certainty: the ability to transform whatever comes your way into opportunity. It turns the uncertain landscape from a source of anxiety into a field of possibility.
The unexpected will happen. The unanticipated will arrive. The question isn’t whether you’ll encounter the unknown—it’s whether you’ll be positioned to transform it into your next breakthrough.
Learn more about cultivating this transformative practice at practiceofserendipity.com and follow us here.