Karen@KarenCommins.com

Karen Commins

Award Winning

Atlanta Audiobook Share-rator™

Phoenix

Coincidence — Or Something More?

On Sunday 2 August, I copied this quote in my commonplace book because I liked it. I often connect to a quote for a particular, immediate reason, but this time I didn’t. The truth of the words spoke to me.

Signs and coincidences are not just funny little weirdsies… They are not accidents. They are real. They are cosmic messages. They are made of love, and they are for you… There is a web that connects all things, all timelines, all thoughts, all possibilities, and certainly all souls… What you call a coincidence is nothing more than a moment when you actually notice the web… If you were even more tuned in. more calm, and present at all times, pretty soon you will see nothing BUT such glimpses, signs, and coincidences.
— Elizabeth Gilbert, 8/2/26 Letter From Love newsletter on Substack

Shortly after writing the quote in my book, I was bloomscrolling on Substack and saw 2 random notes from people I don’t follow that contained the same message. When 2 people who didn’t collaborate say the same thing, I know the Universe is trying to tell me something! The messages were:

THIS DID NOT APPEAR ON YOUR TIMELINE BY MISTAKE! August is about to blow you away with massive abundance and success!
— @EliseMcDowell

August will be a month of abundance.
— @BadRedheadMedia (Rachel)
(The message looked like it came from a fortune cookie.)

ACX had notified me on the previous day that one of my audiobooks is on sale throughout August. That’s certainly one way the Universe could bring some massive abundance and success to me this month!

When our housekeeper came last week, she asked me about meeting the incomparable Barry Manilow. At the precise moment I showed her the pictures, the SiriusXM Escape channel started playing Daybreak! Even she recognized it as one of Barry’s songs!

That afternoon at the dentist, I liked the electric mix of music, but I was still surprised to hear ABBA’s Dancing Queen. I always feel that’s a hello from my Daddy!

It’s easy to dismiss or completely miss little occurrences like these. However, sometimes too many related “coincidences” are stacked together that I must believe they were ordered by the Universe.

When writing about my experience of meeting Barry Manilow, I was reflecting on all of his concerts I’ve attended. One in particular stands out because a number of so-called coincidences taught me a valuable lesson.

prickly green cactus with purple flowers on top of it

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TDIMH — Maybe When I Retire

This Date In My History is an ongoing series of blog posts taken directly from my private journal entries written at least 10 years ago. 

I decided to make it a little more obvious that these journal entries are not current after the last article in this series caused a few people to think I was really down in the dumps. While I truly appreciate their friendship and encouragement, I share these journal entries to help encourage others along their path.

Situation

In this entry, I was in Phoenix for 2 weeks to attend a class for my day job, which I described in an earlier entry:

One down and 7 more to go. Seven more weekdays of mind-numbingly boring class on Exchange 2000 with all these people, 2 of whom are constantly, obnoxiously loud and on my nerves….The temperature here has been 109 degrees. Everyone says “yes, but it’s a dry heat.” It’s still hotter than hell. It’s like poking your whole body into an oven.

Journal Entry

TDIMH — Wednesday June 26, 2002 10:45pm watching Seinfeld in Phoenix

“Maybe when I retire” seems to be a common phrase and state of mind for most people I know.

I was trying to get [a coworker] thinking about her dreams this morning at breakfast. I guess the questions not only came too early in the day but also too early in her life. She’s 43 and said she might like to open a dive shop in Japan — someday — “maybe when I retire.” Most people can’t seem to think about the here and now, preferring to think of “somedays” that may never happen.

Not me. I am so focused on my goals, and I am determined that no one or nothing will stop me from achieving them.

Half of the people attending the class have spent the last 2 weeks drinking by the hotel pool.

Not me. I’ve spent time almost every day trying to make new contacts for voice work. Tonight, I was online for 3 hours. I posted a situation wanted at [one web site]. I looked at web sites on Mandy.com and sent an email to one company. I also have spent time today looking at [at least 5 other sites].

I am a working voice actress who makes my living voicing commercials, narrations, audiobooks and cartoons primarily from my home studio. I am well-known in the industry; well-loved by legions of fans; well-respected by peers, directors, and producers; very well utilized because I can pick and choose my projects; and EXTREMELY well-paid.

Today’s Take-aways

1. How you spend your days is how you will spend your LIFE. How will you spend your next 24 hours? If you have a day job, realize that it isn’t the thing that is holding you back. I’ve previously written about ways to find happiness when you hate your day job. Taking active steps toward your dream will spill over into every other facet of your life.

2.

3.  A dream is just a wish until you WRITE IT DOWN. Most of the last paragraph in the journal entry was so far away from my reality in 2002 but is becoming truer for me every day. It’s important to write what you want to happen in the present tense as if it’s already here. Doing so rewires your brain so that you can feel and live the truth of the thought. You become filled with a joyful expectancy that naturally inspires you to take action to make your statements a reality! To prove this point, take a look at Jim Carrey’s wonderful true story about visualization and manifestation.


Photo: iStockPhoto/maxmihai