Tag / serendipity

by Nathan Coumbe

Is your frying pan too small?

If you ever go fishing, it’s probably not too much of a stretch to say that you’ll keep the big fish you catch and throw the little ones back…

But not for this one guy.

Zig Ziglar tells a story about a fisherman who was found throwing all his big fish back and only keeping the little ones. 

When asked why he was doing such a ridiculous thing, the man had this to say:

“Boy I sure hate to do it… But I’ve only got this itty bitty frying pan to cook ’em in!”

Now, you might laugh, but you and I CONSTANTLY do the same thing on a daily basis. 

Here’s what I mean:

We say we want big opportunities. We want to achieve big goals and leave our mark. 

We want more responsibility at work, a chance to prove (or practice) our skills, and the chance to make “the big bucks” (or a big difference). 

We pray to God or ask the Universe to help us…

And we get an affirmative reply!

You get a huge opportunity to do everything you asked for…

Then what do you do?

You say, “Well… That’s too big. I don’t think I can’t handle that. I’m not [insert your adjective here] enough.”

We’re given the big fish… And we throw it back because we don’t think we have what it takes to cook it. 

My advice?

Buy a bigger frying pan. 

In other words, take the opportunity and run with it! The worst thing that’ll happen is you’ll fail. 

But failure isn’t fatal in most cases. You’ll be alright. 

And you’ll learn and do it better the next time you have a big opportunity come your way.

by Nathan Coumbe

You will be unhappy…

Anyone who thinks they can be happy every second of every day for their entire lives…

They’re setting themselves up for a lifetime of disappointment. 

Things won’t work out like they’re supposed to.

You’ll lose a job, a pet… Or a loved one.

It’s better to strive for happiness in as many moments as you can while expecting to have disappointments, setbacks, and heartache. 

Don’t delude yourself into thinking you can be happy all the time.

But at the same time, live an optimistic life. Expect things to work out in your favor and often, they will.

The Universe conspires to help us when we make the decision to act.

by Nathan Coumbe

Egrets and Snakes

I went on a walk at the park near the huge water reservoir where I live. There is something especially soothing for me about walking near water.

While there I saw a young woman doing yoga in the shade of some trees right on the edge of the water. Shortly after I passed her, she strapped on some rollerblades and rolled, danced, and sang over every inch of the the park. It was both beautiful and entertaining.

As I started my walk back to the car, I saw a little girl walking near her mother who was pushing a stroller. I moved closer to pass them on the left, and I noticed the little girl holding a red marker and a piece of paper with pictures on it. Her mother had created a scavenger hunt based on nature items, and the little girl seemed to be making great progress.

After spotting and crossing off her list a certain tree, the little girl said, “Okay, now it’s time to find a SNAKE!”

“A snake?!” the mother exclaimed.

“Oh yeah,” the little girl replied, “but don’t worry, mom—it’ll be easy to find out here!” Needless to say, the mother was horrified. Apparently she did not realize a snake was part of the hunt!

I also saw a beautiful egret on the water’s edge. They are one of my favorite birds: quiet, steady, and precise. They remind me of my mother, a great lover of birds who brought me up to love them too.

Synchronicity and serendipity abound when we ask the universe for things: I thought to myself, I’d really like a walking stick. Lo and behold! I found the most perfect walking stick not 10 steps away from where I had the thought.

As so often happens with long, undistracted walks outside, I had a small personal revelation: I would absolutely love to live somewhere close to the beach or a secluded body of water. Perhaps a quiet lake…

Walk outside today, with no distractions, no headphones, no noise. You’d be amazed at what the world has waiting for you.

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