The Coincidences Of Life: How To Accept The Unexpected?

Your life is full of many variables and factors… and one of them is coincidence. Despite the fact that you take it for granted that you have a firm grip on your reality, you are actually mostly in the grip of chance. But it is very difficult for us to accept the unexpected when it comes to the coincidences of life. 

Kurt Vonnegut Jr., a science fiction writer, used to say that in a world that does not consist of order and predictability, we are obliged to know how to deal with chaos ourselves. But of course we need to do this without letting the chaos slip into our worlds. Although this feeling that fate is often capricious and puts us in situations we could not foresee, it is not something we often experience.

Many people live, so to speak, without a single worry for years, with the feeling that everything seems to be in its rightful place. We live our normal lives, go to work, socialize, spend time with friends and family… and chaos seems far away . Then something suddenly happens, or something changes, and we suddenly have to face change and have to accept the unexpected. 

These are the times you need capacity, abilities and mental approaches that you have not used before. Oddly enough, there are those who manage to respond perfectly. It is as if they have some form of subroutine or code written into their genes or in a hidden corner of the brain, ready to be activated when faced with adversity. And it seems that they always manage to respond in the best way.

The coincidences of life: The difficulty of accepting the unexpected

There are days when the sun could not have shone brighter and the sky could not have been clearer. However, nothing can prevent the darkness from suddenly appearing in a matter of seconds. Sometimes it storms in an instant, but sometimes you get some warning clouds telling you that a storm is on its way. Under these circumstances , it does not help to complain. You need to find shelter. 

Sometimes stability determines the day. Everything on your schedule is completed; every project, appointment, trip and project happens without any problems. But without warning, something unexpected can happen.

The worst thing about unforeseen events is that they never come alone. They usually bring with them several changes and uncertainties. In the midst of these situations, it does not help to complain, regret, or stand still. You have to respond and act.

However, this is not easy for many of us for a number of reasons. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Your brain does not like coincidences

How can you accept the unexpected in the coincidences of life if your brain does not tolerate coincidences? This exceptional body has an almost obsessive tendency to look for patterns and learn from experiences, to help you respond better and better in everyday life. It likes to have everything under control.

Any unexpected event or unknown stimulus that has not been experienced before activates an alarm system and is interpreted as a threat. 

Does the fact that your brain is programmed in this way, however, mean that you are unable to respond to coincidences and chaos ? The answer is no! You have the ability to cope with these circumstances. And as surprising as it may seem, we’ve done pretty well over time.

We are naturally creative creatures, with great psychological resources to innovate, react and overcome difficulties. This is how we cope with surviving during these centuries, and this is how we will continue to move forward despite the changes and inevitable fears generated by the unexpected.

Accept the unexpected by remembering your purposes

Science often tells us that life is a random by-product of a random universe. Let us also remember what the well-known physicist Werner Heisenberg said: ” What we observe in matter are not things (or particles), but waves of probability.” 

This idea helped him formulate his famous theory of the principle of uncertainty, in which he says that it is impossible to measure or predict the position and motion of a particle. However, we may have conjectures.

Even in the world of quantum physics, however, there is always a small percentage of chaos. In fact, something that Heisenberg pointed out is that in an uncertain world, we must always be prepared for the unexpected.

This fact of life is neither good nor bad. It is simply a reality. There are those who take advantage of it and have no problem accepting the unexpected and moving forward in a brave and creative way.

Others, in turn, are paralyzed by the experience. Why is it like that? Because people often live a relatively peaceful life free of change for years. Their minds feel completely capable of predicting what is going to happen, until the black swan – as author Nassim Nicholas Taleb taught us – comes on stage.

So how do you deal with the inevitable factors of uncertainty in your daily life? Let’s take a look at areas you can reflect on.

The coincidences of life: The exercise of accepting and coping with the unexpected

You need to accept and deal with the unforeseen by considering the following:

• The first step to accepting the unexpected is to remember your purpose. No matter how chaotic your current situation is, you will find the strength and ingenuity to act if you are aware of your priorities.
• The second step is to take control of the things that you can really control. Here we talk about your decisions, mental approaches and actions.
• The next thing you need to understand is that in the midst of uncertainty, you will always have to take chances. It is true that doing this can cause unrest, but you really need to take innovative and positive steps to move forward.
• It is also important to awaken the skills we all have: curiosity, creativity and perceptiveness. You need to be open to your circumstances. Listen, accept advice, and then act with a view to following your internal compass. What you get out of these circumstances can actually be very enriching.

To conclude, you must be brave to accept the unexpected, no matter how bad the situation is. If you simply stand still and lament over the element of chaos in your life, your suffering will be greater. You need to be proactive and resourceful, and be able to rationalize your fears and put your emotions and creativity to work to get ahead.