Coincidence? I Think Not...

One of the quirky, unexpected and often magical things about life--especially life in New York it seems--is the potential for strange coincidences. I seem to be going through a period where series of seemingly random, unrelated events are turning out to have deeper significance. It's like those times when you learn a new word or phrase that you've never heard before in your life, yet within the space of days suddenly everyone around you is saying it like it's been part of their vocabulary for years. You know those moments?

I try to pay close attention when coincidences happen--like when out of the blue, a friend pops into my mind who I haven't spoken to in years, then out of the same blue I receive a message from her two days later. Like when I think about emailing my agent a certain book proposal, then she emails and asks about the status of the same proposal. I don't always know what such an occurrence means right away, but it always feels like a nudge toward something.

I suppose I believe it's possible for truly meaningless coincidence to occur, but I like to think there's more to it. The idea of coincidence having significance appeals to me because it suggests there are larger forces at work in the universe. I admit, I'm often intrigued by the tingle of deja vu, or left in awe of the sudden clarity that strikes when tiny little happenings add up to a larger picture.

For me, coincidence sometimes fills in a missing piece of a puzzle I've been trying to solve--whether I knew it or not! Sometimes it's a call to action, because even when things happen for a reason, the truly good experiences in life don't tend to happen entirely on their own. I try to strike a balance between letting things unfold as they will, and taking the initiative to go after the things I really want.

Do you tend to dismiss or pay attention to the coincidences in your life?