Coincidences/Big Magic?

A few weeks after I attended an Elizabeth Gilbert workshop, I experienced some Little Big Magic of my own...

A few weeks ago, I attended Elizabeth Gilbert’s Magical Freedom Weekend at Omega Institute—yes, I am the stereotypical demographic of people who are drawn to her work…But still, before I went, I wasn’t sure if I’d be annoyed. She can be drippingly sincere, calling her readers Lovelets, and I tend to be sarcastic and bitchy (at least in my mind). But it wasn’t annoying at all. I laughed, I cried, I group hugged with random strangers after she asked us not to sit with the person we came with.

My favorite takeaway: She advocated for giving up on the “brutal theology of purpose” and instead living a life where, knowing that we can’t control anything, we instead take the next “most interesting path.” It reminded me of a game I used to play with my neighbor and best friend, Nicky, when I was a child. We would wander for hours around the winding twisty streets where we lived until we got lost, and then we’d have to find our way home. I realized one of my highest values is my love of wandering, which is the opposite of control.

Speaking of control, Gilbert asked us to list 20 things we have no power over. I listed things like Donald Trump and the fact that my dog will die one day—miserable things. But then she asked us to list 20 things we have no power over that are wonderful, and I listed: The Bonnards in the Phillips Collection (I didn’t create them, I can’t change them & I love them), the color pink, and peonies. That shifted everything for me, because if I’m powerless over flowers, then why would I think I can change whether or not someone I love drinks too much?

Being powerless and letting go, she said, can lead to “infinite interesting outcomes.”

In her book on creativity called BIG MAGIC, Gilbert writes about coincidences, deja vu or things that point to a particular ideas as a sign that an idea is trying to connect with you…

So just the other day, I was walking in my neighborhood and listening to a self-help podcast by Tony Overbay called The Virtual Couch. In it, he mentioned a novel that dealt with unresolved issues from childhood affecting present-day life. The novel was called The Silent Patient. I made a mental note.

I walked on a bit, then came to a neighborhood park with a little free library. I walked up to the library and looked in, spotted a familiar book, then to its left was: none other than the book he had just mentioned in the podcast, The Silent Patient.

I took the book, knowing I had to read it. It’s not my usual type of book—it’s a bestseller, one of those books lots of people have read, which I tend to avoid. It’s sitting on my shelf and I’ll get to it when I have time. Now I’m curious—after I read it, what thoughts will it lead to? What will be my next most interesting path?

Have you ever had a Big Magic coincidence like that?