Know that feel that you're looking for something and by sheer luck discover something totally different? For example, while googling for a specific subject you inadvertently hit upon websites that you had no idea even existed, or while searching for a specific address you accidentally reach an enchanting scene you had never heard of, or while trying a new recipe in the kitchen you erroneously use a wrong ingredient that results in a surprisingly delicious dessert. Examples of such occurrences are abundant, but all such cases of a fortuitous discovery are commonly known as a phenomenon called serendipity.
World history has recorded many revolutionary scientific and geographic discoveries that were made inadvertently, often while attempting to resolve a completely different issue. Columbus discovered America while attempting to find a westward route to India. Saul (first king of Israel) went in search for donkeys and found the crown. Cornflakes were accidentally discovered by the Kellogg brothers who forgot a brew of dough to over-dry in an oven. The ice pop ("Popsicle") was according to legend discovered by eleven-year old Frank Epperson when he forgot a glass of flavored soda-water on his porch on a freezing cold winter night in Oakland California.
Madeleine Kay, author of Living Serendipitously and Serendipitously Rich, proclaimed August 18 as Serendipity Day. On that day all are urged to acquaint themselves with new matters, follow unknown paths, listen to different music, cook and relish unfamiliar dishes and make new friends.
The aim of Serendipity Day is to break routine habits and step out of the box in order to discover things that may change our lives to the better.
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