Have you ever felt that you were in the right place at the right time for NO particular reason? That feeling that goes through your body and makes you aware of all the possibilities. I have always thought we have our own say over our lives, and even if some things happen for a reason, we can also be that reason, that motor behind the actions and decisions that make up our lives. It is interesting to note that most people who believe in fate also neglect to take responsibility for their actions.
I don’t believe in one or the other. I believe in perception and sensitivity, looking for meaning in what we do and finding reason in why we are doing it. Most of the time we are so burdened by our “real lives” that we choose to block this receptivity- it gives way to practical thoughts and to-do lists. By doing so, we forget to feel and resonate the world that surrounds us.
I was talking to a very good friend of mine some days ago and we ended up talking about chance encounters. I thought this only happened to me or I was the only person that rationalized chance encounters in the way I do, but I was happy to discover I’m not alone.
Spending as much time as I do in lines, in the metro and the bus, in airports and on planes (for HOURS at a time!!) I am very much aware of the people that surround me and always like to be open to meeting someone new, no matter how, no matter where. This may sound weird, but sometimes you are in a crowded place, waiting and tired, BORED out of your mind and then you see a person and it all changes. This doesn’t have to be related to a physical attraction or any type of interest in this person, not at all. I’m talking about the feeling that, in that moment, you NEED to meet this person.
Call it energy, metaphysics, sensitivity or plain craziness, but when this happens you can’t just continue living your life not acknowledging THIS moment. And, being open to these encounters, finding a way to engage in conversation with this person or just waiting for the world to stop and have you two meet, is the best gift you can give yourself.
These people are shooting stars. Bright, powerful and intense beams of light that come to your life as quickly as they leave it. That is the beauty of it. As rational beings, we tend to overanalyze situations, going back and forth between the meaning of words, the hidden agendas, the things we didn’t say. When you are experiencing a chance encounter, this does not exist. The person in front of you is also waiting for something or doing something at the time, and both of you just chose to share this moment together. These encounters are not meant to be bottled or categorized. Most of the time, these people are not meant to stay in your life. All of this is fine.
You come to their life as they come to yours, you open up in ways you have never been able to BECA– — USE you know this is a fleeting moment, a beautiful gift with an expiration date. You came to learn or to teach, to listen and reflect, and most of all, to realize that we can find beauty everywhere, we just need to be open to new opportunities, adapting our plans, and enjoying everything life has to offer.
Shout out to Paul Nicolantonakis from the Belle Province, Cady from the bar Sala Rosa in Montreal and her friend Glenn, Peter Toth from Hungary, who I met 5 years ago and spent Christmas with in Frankfurt’s airport, Christina from SA with whom I spent 12 hours on a flight to Mexico talking and daydreaming, and all of my other Yellow people I have met throughout the years whose names I don’t know but whose faces I keep with me. Thank you for coming, being, teaching me and proving I’m not crazy.
-Yolanda, @Ellaonward on Twitter
