What's Happening?

What's happening?--A line frequently uttered by the characters of the late 1970s sitcom by the same name.  While the show is a distant memory, the phrase resonates with me this week as I explore what Carl Jung called "#synchronicity", or the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.

You know the sensation.  One moment you are thinking of a friend, and then all of a sudden your cellphone rings and there she is.  Or, as happened to me this past weekend toward the end of a 35 mile bicycle ride, I called my wife to ask if she wanted to meet me at the beach for a dip, and she said: "I was just thinking about you and wondering if we were going to the beach today."  According to Jung (and many who have come after him) synchronous circumstances while not related through casualty, are connected by intuition, meaning, or purpose.

It is the latter two connections (meaning and purpose) that I am focused on this week.  Deepak Chopra describes the link between the intentions we set and what shows up in our lives as "synchrodestiny".  Let me be clear: setting an intention and noticing what's happening is not the same as causing events to happen.  It's much more loose than that.  Even when we live our lives on purpose (or with intention), many circumstances appear to manifest that are beyond our control or creation.  Some of these seem fortunate, and others are unfortunate.  They are all grist for the mill of life.

As professionals and leaders it is essential that we navigate our work with a heightened awareness of what's happening.  Especially those of us who are fundraisers working with donors.  Notice what's working and what is not.  Be cognizant of your impact, and do your best to ask yourself frequently: "Am I working on purpose?"  

Well, are you?

Death--The Final Frontier.

A good friend's father-in-law passed away this week.  That event, coupled with discussions I've recently been having with my mother and sister about my own father's mortality inspired me to craft this post in a venue normally reserved for explorations on personal development and leadership. Let's call it an "advanced topic".

It appears that the discussion of #death in our modern western culture has become verboten.  Euphemisms abound: "passing to the other side", "going south", "it was his time", etc.  Bring up the topic of facing our own death with friends or co-workers and watch how quickly they become uncomfortable and attempt to abruptly steer the conversation to a more "light-hearted" subject.  "So, what TV show did YOU watch last night?"

On this Good Friday, I believe it is helpful to keep in mind that even Jesus suffered and died.  And, the image of Christ on the cross is a powerful reminder that our own death is certain (only the time of our death is uncertain).   If you have the courage to explore the inevitability of your own death, then I can recommend The Tibetan Book of the Dead without reservation.

For those of you who are grappling with the loss of someone close to you, I'd like to conclude with part of Psalm 23 for solace:

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."