Chance Encounters

This year has been a big one for personal and career changes. Sometimes the universe just falls right into place and hands you a key to the next portion of your path. If you know me, you know that I believe in fate, destiny and karma. I believe that there is a greater force -- let's call it simply, energy. In the last year, I feel as though I've made great strides in discovering myself, accepting who I am at the core and encouraging personal flourishing. I have sent positive energy into the universe. I have been confident in myself. I have had faith in the power of envisioning a destination and attaining it. All in all, I'm attempting to put my best foot forward.

But what is all of this worth if my daily positive efforts do not encounter another persons' efforts? If I do not affect anyone around me, then how can my life advance to the place that I envision it? I have been shown over and over this year that momentum in my life is accelerated substantially through chance encounters.

Last semester, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, I wanted to leave a mark on JMSB and go out with a bang. I intentionally stepped up my game and proved to myself and my class mates that I am intelligent, well-spoken and can hold my own in a professional setting. I made some marks on professors and I am giving myself a huge pat on the back for having done so. These professors are now showing me what it means to have connections, a strong network and most importantly, mentors. I am learning what it is to be in the "real-world" and to maneuver through bureaucracy, politics, and older men who think they're above me. :)

The professor I work for has put me in contact with the art director of Little Burgundy shoes. She is an amazing women! She has made me feel so right in my choices so far. I am headed down a similar path that she was on at my age... and look where she is now! And she's only 32. Who knows what this connection will mean once I'm finished my graphic design diploma and looking for a job.

Although I always suspected it, this year has solidified that the chance encounters you make can change the trajectory of your life. Not only in a professional way, but in a spiritual and emotional way as well. I now seeing meeting new people as an opportunity for change, excitement and a new perspective. I met an extremely interesting young woman this summer who was bursting with positive energy and hope. She said that meeting people was her favorite activity since she believes you can learn something new from every person you come across. She went on to say that everyone sees the world in different colours and opening your mind will enable you to see the world with more vibrancy. Takes the negative "personal gain" twinge out of networking, right? It's not about networking, it's about building new relationships.

These chance encounters can happen at any moment! You have to be ready. Think about it when you dress in the morning. Think about it when you have a sour face on after a long day of work. Think about it as you take the metro. Thinking about the possibility of these chance encounters has made me a more open-minded person. It forces me to put a smile on even if I'm not feeling so great. And all around it makes me more thoughtful and kind towards others. Who knows how the person next to you could end up changing your direction or outlook?

Italia in a tiny, tiny, nutshell...

As an example for one of her classes, my mother asked me to create a video composed of pictures, voice over, music and transitions...

What better topic to create a video of than Italy!? I had over 2000 pics to choose from and could talk about it for hours. Quite frankly, it was a great sum up of the trip for me; even though there was absolutely no way this video could do the trip justice... None the less, a touching reminder... and it was definitely liberating to talk about it and work on it, sort of like trip closure.

I've tried on countless occasions, unsuccessfully, to upload the vid through Blogspot. So here's a link to the vid on Youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KNj4c0__MM