Coincidence versus Synchronicity
“There are two ways to live your life –
one is as though nothing is a miracle,
the other is as though everything is a miracle.”
~ Albert Einstein
I’m sure that by now, most have you have seen the Oscar winning movie, “Slumdog Millionaire”. I’m a little behind the times on the movie scene, but I finally had the privilege of watching this Academy award winning film last night.
Slumdog Millionaire is a story about a young orphan named Jamal from Mumbai who winds up on the Indian version of the TV show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” He is just one question away from the jackpot when the show breaks for the evening, at which point he is attacked by authorities that accuse him of cheating. Each subsequent scene of the film involves flashbacks of Jamal’s life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, and explains how he knew the answer to each question.
Was it a coincidence that Jamal had the correct answer to every question? Or was it synchronicity? And what’s the difference between the two?
Coincidence and synchronicity are both defined as “striking occurrences of two or more events at one time”. The difference is that coincidence is perceived as chance or luck while synchronicity implies the presence of a deeper intelligence at work. There are only two ways to perceive an event in your life – either as a coincidence or as evidence of synchronicity.
If you believe in coincidence, you live as a “victim” of life. You think life is happening TO you, and that a coincidence is a random external event that has nothing to do with your inner world. You live as a reactor to the external. You are not yet conscious of the fact that you have the ability to think independently of your present circumstances, thereby creating your own experience. The magic of Life is overlooked.
If you believe in synchronicity, you know there is more to everyone and everything than what they appear to be in physical form. You know that the invisible essence of everything on the planet is interconnected. You recognize the power of your thoughts and have begun to consciously choose thoughts and belief patterns that will most greatly serve yourself and the planet as a whole. You are deeply humbled as you begin to see the connection between what you are thinking about and what the Universe is delivering to you in the mirror that makes up your external world. The recognition of a deeper intelligence at work holds you in a beautiful state of awe and wonder at the mystery of Life.
How do you choose to perceive Jamal from Slumdog Millionaire? Is he just a recipient of damn good luck – a coincidence? Or is his life evidence of infinite intelligence at work – synchronicity?
Jamal wasn’t a conscious colleague of synchronicity. He didn’t spend time cutting out pictures of millionaires for his vision board. But Jamal was a soul on a journey, with a strong desire for a better life for himself and his loved ones. His destiny was to serve as an inspiration to millions of his fellow people. His purpose unfolded in synchronicity on the stage of external reality.
The secret to Life is not knowing how it all works, but rather in knowing your purpose, you allow Life to reveal itself with grace.
My favorite snippet from Slumdog Millionaire, was the very last scene when a quote flashes upon the screen that says, “IT IS WRITTEN.”
So my question for you is, what are you writing?
~
Recommended Reading: The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra
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