When Chance Smiles Upon You
“I have your house!” the realtor exclaims over the phone. I look at my phone and wonder, ‘How is it possible that after such a long search, she suddenly has our house?’ As I remain silent in disbelief, she continues, “I know it, I am so excited!” “Okay,” I say obediently, “just send me the link.” As I see the estate, I feel a wave of ‘excitement’. But at the same time, I’m incredibly disappointed because the price is ‘way out’ of our budget. Ultimately, it has become our dream home. Every day, we realize how fortunate we are to have found our little slice of paradise in the Algarve. After two and a half years of visualizing and searching, by pure chance, our dream house came our way. Close to the ocean, better positioned than we ever dared to dream.
Fortune in the Algarve
How come we experience so many pleasant ‘coincidences’ that bring us joy? For one, our meeting was purely accidental, and it is the greatest luck that has come our way. This makes our happiness in the Algarve even more meaningful. In 2016 and 2018, devastating wildfires raged right by our former home in Monchique. However, our home was spared. Just a coincidence? How is it that some people experience the luck of the world while others do not?
What is Chance?
Is life then just a series of coincidences? Do we experience happiness or misfortune as if in a game of Russian roulette? Still, I believe you can sometimes steer your luck. That you can attract chance, even under harsh circumstances. Every day here at our Quinta, I meet people who have been through quite a lot, and I’m always pleasantly surprised by how positive they are. How they enjoy life and draw happiness in the Algarve to themselves, wherever they are. So how do they create this difference? Here are seven tips on how to invite good fortune into your life:
A Positive Attitude and Visualization
With a positive mindset, you can open up a whole new world. And when you want something, visualize it first. Like finding a parking spot in a busy city. For instance, my father spent a week in the hospital. Each time, I was immediately connected to him, where a kind nurse would explain the situation to me. I would always ask the staff, ‘Is it convenient?’ Meanwhile, I would hear others around me saying, “When I call, I’m always put on hold. They never have time. I can’t get through.”
Don’t Over-schedule Your Day
You are most likely to be pleasantly surprised by fortunate coincidences when you don’t over-schedule your day. So, when you spontaneously wander into town to enjoy your favorite café, we always meet interesting people during our unplanned outings. This contributes to our happiness in the Algarve. I often advise busy people to take a day off to follow their feet, not knowing exactly where they lead.
Follow Your Impulses
Following your impulses also belongs on this list. For example, if we hadn’t acted on the impulse to look at a house near Lagos instead of Vale del Rei, we would never have lived here.
Be Selective with Information
There’s a saying: what you focus on grows. Pay attention; when you’re looking for a new car, let’s say a Jeep, you suddenly start seeing Jeeps everywhere. And if you listen a lot to information about wars, crises, scarcity, and illness, you will likely see the world through a lens of scarcity and crisis, and you might attract that energy. Often, wealthy people view the world through a fear of lack, which makes them clever at attracting money but feel poor inside.
Put Things in Perspective
It always helps to put things in perspective and frame them positively. For instance, the lawyer representing the new owners of our property in Monchique secretly changed the amounts for the two plots two weeks before the transfer. This suddenly meant we had to pay a high amount in ‘capital gains’ taxes. Initially, we were quite upset, especially since our lawyer overlooked it. However, we quickly put it into perspective. After all, we bought our current home for much less than the asking price, making the loss from capital gains tax feel minimal.
Enjoy the Little Things
There is so much to enjoy, and countless things to be grateful for. Recognizing this enhances our happiness in the Algarve. The realization of what you have and being thankful for it increases the likelihood of various positive surprises coming your way. Also, pay attention to small coincidences. Often, I hear a song that resonates perfectly with my situation, where the lyrics often provide a key to solving a problem.
Change or Accept
Last but not least, change what you want to change, and accept what cannot be changed. Otherwise, you’re fighting a losing battle.
In short, instead of ‘chance,’ I prefer to say: “It comes to you!” Life is full of coincidences; it’s up to us to do something with those coincidences.
