Few people have found The Three Princes of Serendip (Wikipedia) and understood its message.

Common usage allows us to say that serendipity is what happens when we’re looking for one thing, but find something better in the process.

The story of the princes is better.

It covers the serendipity of something ostensibly bad happening, but the end result being something good.

You lose your keys.
You lose your best client.
You fail an exam.

All of these events can seem bad, but good can come of it through serendipity.

You meet the love of your life on the bus.
You have the space to invent a “game changing” service.
You discover that a new course of study better fits your life.

This is more than looking for the silver lining.

In fact, it’s better to assume that there is no silver lining. What you need to do is to work through the pain, loss and issues that present and see how your life changes.

It’s the process of going through life, through the negative, embracing it (without wallowing in it) that keeps you open to other possibilities.

Serendipity isn’t something that can be forced or cajoled into happening. It only shows up when you show up.

So show up.