When Synchronicity Shows Up Just In Time
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Terri Wingham is the founder and CEO of A Fresh Chapter, a cancer survivor, and someone who believes that we are not defined by the most difficult aspects of our story. |
Choosing to live an unconventional life in order to follow your dreams is not all sunshine and rainbows.
There are days when you stare at a spreadsheet of budget figures until your eyes burn, when nothing is gelling and when you want to shut yourself in a dark room and seal the door. Because even amidst all of the joy and satisfaction that comes with living for a purpose greater than yourself, you’re depleted, overwhelmed, and frankly you could use a nap.
But, if you’re lucky, every time you question whether it’s possible to keep pushing through the mountains of uncertainty and the valleys of fear, synchronicity shows up in the perfect way.
Whether it’s a friend who reminds you to follow your heart when you are inches from a meltdown, an acquaintance who offers you their guest room at the same time you realize you can’t afford the astronomical Chicago hotel rates at an upcoming conference, or a survivor who makes an unexpected $5000 donation because she believes in your dreams and the potential this cause has to make a lasting impact on patients, survivors, and communities around the world. In a moment, you can be lifted out of exhaustion and filled with fresh determination and excitement.
These moments of synchronicity (defined as the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection) are the guideposts to remind all of us to keep going. To keep believing in a purpose greater than ourselves. To keep trusting that everything is unfolding exactly as it should.
Over the last three years, I’ve been continually blessed by synchronistic moments. Today, I want to share a little about the two inspiring dreamers who showed up at perfect time in the last two weeks.
Friend and fellow blogger, Catherine Brunelle, just launched her first novel: The Adventures of Claire Never-Ending. At the book launch party, she organized a silent auction and raised over $800 for the Fresh Chapter Alliance Foundation. We are SO grateful to Catherine for using her dream to help make dreams come true for other patients and survivors. Her latest post is a must-read: Life Between The Scans- Survivor, Fresh Chapter Tribe member, repeat donor, and friend (let’s call her Angel as she prefers to remain anonymous) donated $5000 last year. She made it possible for us to offer a trip to India for a participant who didn’t have the financial means to get there, then she helped me cover the cost of my flight from Tanzania to New Delhi during my recent #fcafAfrica scouting trip, and yesterday she called to tell me that she wants to match her $5000 donation from last year to help FCAF grow and impact the lives of more survivors and patients. She said that we are her “tax receipting charity of choice” and I couldn’t be more grateful. As a growing charity, the money is hugely helpful, but even more important is her faith in our cause. Her ability to remind me – at the perfect moment – that we’re building this dream together meant more to me than I could possibly articulate. For that – and for the many people who have supported me in big and small ways over the last three years – I am forever grateful.
Now, I’d love to hear from you. One of my favourite parts of blogging is reading your comments. How and where has synchronicity shown up in your life?
If you are a cancer patient or survivor with big dreams of starting fresh with us, check out our new Fresh Chapter Alliance Foundation page with our target program dates for 2015. That’s right. We have THREE programs planned in 2015 including our first program in Africa. Stay tuned…the adventures are just getting started.
Comments (7)
Terri,
I LOVED this post. Just keep focusing on the people who continue to make a difference in your life and organization. It’s amazing how, just when you hit a wall, somebody or something comes through for you. For me, it was my botched biopsy. The radiologist didn’t do her job, and my then-husband and I asked to see my surgeon. The nurses said he never was around Wednesdays, so we had to make an appointment to get a surgical biopsy. Suddenly, out of nowhere, my surgeon appears, does the biopsy right on the spot, and we were left shocked!
Beth – Always so wonderful to hear from you. Thank you for sharing your story of synchronicity. I love it when moments like that happen!
You are doing a great thing, Terri. I can only imagine how challenging it must be, so I wish you many more moments of support and encouragement.
Thank you Catherine! So proud of all YOU are doing. I want to come to your writers retreat. One day 😉 Keep dreaming big!
Thank you for sharing these great reflections on how you’re able to keep going and to be such an inspiration in what you do. I do believe in the importance of synchronicity too, even for something as simple as starting a blog and building a readership. As a fairly new blogger, I would say there are definitely moments of synchronicity when I make a new connection with another blogger or reader–just when I was thinking only a handful of people read my blog! If a post is helpful for somebody, it’s worth the effort and real encouragement to keep on doing what you’re doing, and I think that is what’s most important.
Lisa – Thanks for your comment. I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s about the ONE person who is impacted. It’s too easy to get caught up in the # of Likes or Shares as a measure of success. But, it’s the one person at a time who reads your words and who is supported that matters. Thank you for doing what you do!
Yes! Synchronicity has been hard at work – or not, I suppose, as is the nature of synchronicity – in my life this week. It’s been totally crazy how many times I, or someone I’m talking to says “ooh, serendipity!”
What you’re doing is amazing and wonderful and brave and just … well, I like it, okay?
It’s amazing what happens when we open ourselves up to the Universe, to possibility.
xoxo