Amazing Things Will Happen: A Real-World Guide on Achieving Success and Happiness

Chapter 28

Hallway Magic

Every March I get excited as I board a plane for Austin, Texas, to attend the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference. Over the years, this has grown from a fairly small crowd of tech, music, and film fans into a pilgrimage of tens of thousands of people from every walk of life converging in Austin.

Although it has gotten larger and perhaps more difficult to connect with people, the serendipity of it is the hallway magic.

This doesn’t just happen at SXSW, but I notice it here more than any other conference I attend. You never know when you might suddenly cross paths with or bump into someone who will become a friend, business partner, or just a great person to talk to.

With 25,000-plus people walking around, the chances of crossing paths with an old friend are in your favor and completely against you at the same time.

Of course, this can and does happen at any kind of event or gathering. You have just as much chance of hallway magic happening the next time you sit down on an airplane or wait in line at your local coffee shop.

When you go looking for it, you’ll rarely find it. One cannot plan for serendipity, but by getting out there and talking to strangers, you can be sure it’ll happen to you.

Hallway magic can’t happen if you never leave the house, so make sure you find the time to get out. Call that friend you haven’t seen in a long time, buy tickets to a sporting event, or go to the mall for a few hours. Whatever you do, the more people around you, ...