This story comes from our blogging friend, Terri Patrick. It illustrates how an initial synchronicity can continue to evolve over time.
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In February 2009 I was new to blogging and used the word “synchronicity” in a post. I got a comment from Rob MacGregor that he didn’t see the synchronicity and he wondered why I used that word. He and his wife had recently started a blog on synchronicity because they were writing a book on the topic. Our online relationship has continued and since I was blogging to develop my Author Persona it was influenced by that first contact with Rob & Trish.
Morgan and I were barely acquainted in 2009 when we both attended a workshop on marketing for authors. We both had such a visceral reaction to the presentation we could read the other’s anger from across the room. So we hooked up and decided we’d put together a marketing presentation that was valid. We started meeting monthly and soon presented a short overview of marketing basics to our writing chapter. Attendees (many published authors) were stunned that this was such new information and requested a more in-depth workshop.
As we continued to develop our Author Marketing 101 message we learned the need was great and we should bring a business focus to our workshop so it could be more easily promoted to lots of other chapters and authors. Morgan and I also came to learn we shared a lot of things!
We are both from Cleveland, Ohio and now live in Portland, Oregon because of our professional focus – in the electronics industry. Our approach to business is rooted in the core value of helping others and giving freely. We share an “open hand” approach to life, but we aren’t afraid to close our hand if we feel abused or misused. Both of us were raised in households filled with faith, but also are willing to question and be open to energies and God’s infinite possibilities. Introspective and energy work are critical components of who we are and how we choose to travel through this plane of existence. Our stars complement each other, almost perfectly – kinda scary.
So in March of 2012, Morgan and I have been amazed at how our AM101-Author Persona message is expanding in only a year and has become so fun for us, and beneficial to our author friends. We were at an intimate writer conference in WA and chatting in a parking lot with a literary agent from NJ. She ruffled through the draft of our workbook and stated, “This looks very professional. You two need to build your platform.”
This is so obvious that Morgan and I are stunned. It’s a combination “Aha!” “Of Course!” AND “How the (expletive) do we do that?” A platform is a Marketing 101 concept required for any professional service business. Our message is that a platform does not apply to Novelists – they need an Author Persona. But a Platform does apply to us regarding our AM101 message about the Author Persona being the dynamic core of a novelist’s marketing plan.
Morgan and I had created a free blogspot site where we put our 7 primary AM101 points into static pages to reside forever available in cyber space. But we weren’t doing anything with that blog, it was just an electronic handout for our workshop.
But as I was initiating my Author Persona back in 2009, my connection with the MacGregors was because they were blogging to build their platform and write their book. Hence, in May of this year, Morgan and I started blogging 3x a week and that’s when synchronicities seemed to happen every week as we would be inspired for a new post, or recruit a Guest Post. Our workbook will now have better examples and be a greater benefit to authors. We’ll be working on it again after the new year.
Because Morgan and I pay attention to synchronicities beyond the potential for a good parking space, we appreciate being able to see layers of synchronicities that build on each other. And that – to me – is a HUGE deal because though synchronicity is flavored with magic and mystery, it’s also the foundation for what is practical and good business.
And now, our Author Marketing 101 message is just what Trish and Rob need now they are Indie publishing their extensive back list of novels. And I’m thrilled they came to me for advice on their marketing.
I really enjoy the dialogue here………..
With the advent of the Internet, I feel like synchronicities happen so often……..I kind of think of the internet as Spider Woman’s Web, or Indra’s Jewel Net, made accessible.
Just the other day I was putting together a presentation for a possible show, and was working wtih a particular image. Being bored, I checked my email, and there was a request from a writer asking permission to use that very image (it’s in my website)!
I think when something like that happens, it’s encouragement from the universe. Or maybe the Web just makes the idea that we’re all connected as minds more immediately obvious?
I think it’s a combo of both – synchos proliferate as a result of the internet and the web definitely gives us a powerful sense of how we really are connected.
I agree, Terri. And especially that one person may see a synchro that is obvious to him or her but the other person is totally oblivious to it! That can be a frequent event and can be frustrating. Here’s how I tend to look at synchronicities: I go back to my childhood and to its life-altering incidents as they happened from that point and on through the decades, and I wonder what would have been different if my journey had taken me down diferent paths than it has. We each have these life-altering incidents that shift our directions, and now, in my ancient age, I reflect on how things may have been different. For instance, if my dad hasn’t died when I was 18 and we moved to GA from CA. It’s a snowball effect….and I think that is what constitutes true synchronicities….the domino or snowball effect. If Dad hadn’t died, I wouldn’t have met my husband, we wouldn’t have had our sons. If we hadn’t had our sons and subsequently moved from GA to FL, our sons wouldn’t have met and married their wives. It goes on and on and on. So I think it’s safe to say that life is indeed a series of snowballing synchronicities, some hidden, some in plain view, yet all are important and connected! I like this post, btw.
I guess we are all evolving over whatever we consider time to be.
Interesting way of putting it, Mike. “Whatever WE consider time to be.”
I’m looking for the synchros. Where are they? Or is it just that they are compatible? If so, I wouldn’t consider being compatible a synchro, because compatibility is a fact in almost everyone’s important relationships on an everyday basis….unless we want to turn life itself into one huge synchro event? For me, that would be a gross over-statement. But, that’s just my own opinion.
The parallel life thing is the synchro, I think.
Re:
” ….unless we want to turn life itself into one huge synchro event?”
From what I see,it already is.
I agree, Daz. It’s as if all the little synchros and all the big ones melt together at some point and life itself is the synchro.
Thanks for the laugh, Math!
Exactly, that’s how the whole story began. Rob didn’t see the synchro!
The synchros are/were all small events that continue to build on each other because we all pay attention. There have been many fun incidents that were surprising enough to give us pause and accept there was reason to consider new potentials.
Life isn’t one huge synchro event, but lots of little ones can take us in directions we had no intention of going and may be exactly where we want to be. There have been numerous choices, and debates, regarding what’s next and why it matters, both on a business and personal level. That’s when a fun synchro pops up with a new suggestion to consider.
We all like surprising synchronicities when they happen. I also like to consider how they are not just an in-the-moment-meaningful-coincidence but also reveal a greater purpose over time.
And synchros may be obvious to one and unseen be others.