 |
| http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r40/benjiesmum/08250005.jpg |
I’ve been spending lots of time lately looking for confirmation that I’m on the right path. With the confusing economy and all the apparent limits on opportunity, I’m finding myself doing lots of personal and professional evaluating.
In this state of deliberation, I’ve come back to a basic principle that I’ve always found helpful: If synchronicity shows up, you’re heading in the right direction.
Synchronicity is a term used by Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung to define meaningful chance. And yes, it’s a bit of an oxymoron. But if you pay attention, I think you will realize that such occurrences are opportunities to wake up.
Here’s an example: Last week I had a dream in which the central figure was a drowning lamb. The next day I was in a café where the featured entrée was lamb chops. Then, while walking back to my truck in the parking lot, the vehicle next to mine had a stuffed unhappy-looking lamb prominently displayed in the back window. While I didn’t immediately understand it all, I decided to pay more attention to the images and the dream.
 |
| http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m316/JulesC_01/orlando009600x450.jpg |
Jung was not alone in appreciating the importance of synchronicities. G.K. Chesterton said that coincidences are “spiritual puns.” Deepak Chopra counts synchronicity as one of two indications that you are heading towards a higher consciousness. (The other indicator is a lack of worry and general light-heartedness.)
Carlos Castaneda suggests that we be “alert and deliberately waiting” for synchronistic events. There are times when synchronistic events will almost scream for our attention, but generally it helps if we are open and paying at least a tiny bit of attention. As American psychotherapist David Richo states: “We do not create our destiny; we participate in its unfolding. Synchronicity works as a catalyst toward the working out of that destiny.”
 |
| http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/Mizuke1/Unfolding_picture.jpg |
I realize I’m getting a little deep here for a Friday (or any day, for that matter), but I just wanted to share this phenomenon with you. It has been super helpful in my own life as a marker, next step indicator, and simply as a comfort. I don’t pretend to always understand it, but I have learned to appreciate it and to pay attention. To me, synchronicity is spiritual affirmation at its best. And who couldn’t use a little of that?
Have you experienced any synchronistic events lately? Would you be open to exploring them?
Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time
http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time
http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com
I've been doing a lot of thinking / reading about synchronicities myself. I have sometimes thought they were signposts that I was on the right path, but then again whose to say what the right path was even in retrospect. I had an amazing set of synchronicities occur about a week ago, but they were just related to the subject of family trees. How is that about the path I'm on?? Is it a suggestion that I should spend more time looking into my family tree? Who knows... One thing for sure, while I've been looking into them I find very little guidance on what we're to do with these intriguing little buggers. If nothing else, they provide a delightful bit of meaning along the way.. In a world where sterile scientism rules the public discourse it's nice to see spirit / the hand of God or whatever non-materialist construct one subscribes to moving the world around a little, just because...
ReplyDelete