Transform Disaster Into Good Fortune - Guidelines to Develop "Your" Serendipity Advantage

An English author, Horace Walpole, coined a word for the ability to convert what could be a disaster into good fortune. He named this talent "serendipity." Serendipity is not good luck. According to Walpole three elements must be present to qualify serendipity:

1) Something accidental must happen
2) in response to which a person uses his good sense or wisdom
3) to discover a beneficial outcome.

Life's best survivors are better than most at quickly turning a disruptive event or adversity into a desirable development. The talent of serendipity can be developed.

Follow these seven guidelines to develop "your" Serendipity Advantage:

1) Learn to welcome adversity. Develop a saying that reminds you of your natural ability to pull yourself through difficult situations, and start the forward motion. (example ... "I've been in tough spots before, and I always figure it out." OR "Bring it on ... I can take it!")

2) Reset stressful emotions and overpower panic with your sense of humor. "If I didn't find a way to laugh about it, I would have cried." Breath deeply and calm your emotions so you can think rationally.

3) Accept and adapt to the new reality - quickly let go of "what was" or "how you wanted things to be."

4) Ask serendipitous questions: "Why is it good that this happened? Is there an opportunity here that didn't exist before? How did I get myself into this? What will I do differently next time? What is the lesson I lowest insurance rates supposed to learn? What can I do to turn this around and so it turns out well for all of us?"

5) buy Ritalin online on past experiences to eliminate fears, regain courage and build self-confidence.

6) Play with the possibilities, adopting a childlike sense of wonder and playful curiosity. Free yourself to ask for assistance, take risks, experiment with cause and effect; be willing to make mistakes and even look silly.

7) Take action. Try something new and different. Don't over-plan - identify the first step and jump in.

Pay attention:

1) Listen to your "little voice." Tap into your internal wisdom. Trust your intuition.
2) Look for the lesson. Gain valuable insight by reflecting on your successes and failures.
3) Supercar seek information, evaluate new ideas and look for hidden opportunity. Identify future resources.
4) Learn from mentors. Choose someone who thinks differently from you.

Resource: The Survivor Personality by Al Siebert, PhD

Lois McElravy, Lessons from Lois, works with individuals and organizations who want to learn how to effectively use humor, so they can handle the demands and pressures of work and home, maintain a flexible perspective, develop creative solutions, produce positive outcomes, and have more fun.

Learning to laugh and "hangin' on with humor" rescued Lois from the distress and despair surrounding her daily life, and initiated her recovery from a brain injury. Her universal message offers hope, motivates participants to be faithful to do the small things, and conquer their challenges one day at a time.

2006-2008 Lois McElravy, Lessons from Lois - Permission to reprint or repost this article is granted by notifying Lois McElravy, and including her name and contact information in the article.

Contact Lois to speak at your next event: mailto:info@lessonsfromlois.com">info@lessonsfromlois.com Twilight Zone (406)251.2887 www.lessonsfromlois.com">www.lessonsfromlois.com