A memorable photo perfectly encapsulating an Oregon coast roadtrip.

A poetic quote seemingly born to fuse with this image.

Seeing that the author of this quote was the same person whose retreat I had signed up for an hour before I sifted through trip photos of beaches, sunsets and our dog.  

This happened to me last September.

Is there wisdom in Synchronicity?

Carl Jung believed that synchronicities were evidence of a unifying consciousness at play in the universe, creating physical manifestations of what’s happening in our psyche.

Should I be “recharging” at the beach more, engaging in “inspired play”?  Sounds like wise advice to me.

I have told this story to Chip, Mark Nepo, friends and co-workers.

Individually, the image, quote, and story wrapping them together, stood on their own.

Woven together it felt like I was “stacking magic.”

Two months later, I saw Mark Nepo in person for 4 days.  For me, his retreat was a heart-opening, vulnerable and joyful experience.  I can only imagine what this would be like in Baja; with like-minded journeyers, local fresh food (#fishtacosporfavor), and activities like rock-balancing and surfing available.

Chip has talked about becoming “first class noticers” as we age; I have been listening.  The foundation of any remarkable photo is based on this.

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Here are a few takeaways I took from last September’s “Synchroincident”:

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• Playtime can clarify.

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• Notice what immerses me, and follow the “thread”.

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• Wisdom resonates, and can come from unexpected places.

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• Synchronicities do happen; can I stay open for more of them?

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I took 19 pages of notes at Mark’s retreat.  Some notable samples:

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We tune as we go.

There are no wrong turns, just apprenticeships.

When you stumble on a moment of eternity, why go anywhere else?

The job of expression is not to produce great art, it is to be a clear vessel.

How do we stay open to see our teachers?

Yesterday morning, I received an invite from the MEA SF East Bay alumni group.  There will be a speaker discussing “Tiny Habits”.  I’m just finishing up BJ Fogg’s book, Tiny Habits.  It’s fantastic. And, there he is teaching at the MEA Santa Fe campus in July. Another synchronicity.

As for the photo, it was taken on a beach in Brookings, OR.  The matchmaking quote of Mark’s?

‍“The life of expression is the tuning fork for which we find our way to the sacred”.

My “Wisdom Wall” in my office has a framed photo of this picture, which I can see while on my computer.  Adjacent to this, my corkboard has my “Quotes to Live By.” There are 8 quotes. Mark Nepo’s quote is number 7. And, by the way, Mark is teaching “The Power of Friendship” workshop at MEA’s Santa Fe campus Sept 16-21.
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-Douglas

Douglas Korb is a Broker-Associate with RE/Max Accord in the SF East Bay. He took MEA’s “Reframing Retirement” online workshop. He may be seen hiking many of the Bay Area hills with his partner and his dog Bodi. Doug feels that Bodi has the “It Factor” and would be perfect in any movie starring Reese Witherspoon.