Accidental Chocolate Bar

Percy Spencer

"Accidents, try to change them - it's impossible. The accidental reveals man." ~J. B. Priestley

There was a man many years ago that worked for Raytheon as an engineer. The year was 1945 and this former WWI Navy veteran by the name of Percy Spencer was already known for his knowledge of electronics.

One day Percy was 'playing' with a microwave-emitting magnetron which was a device used in radars. All of a sudden he started feeling something odd in his pants pockets. It was a sizzling sensation which turned out to be chocolate bar that was starting to melt.

Through his reasoning, Percy supposed that is was microwave radiation of the magnetron to blame. This led Percy down the path of discovery which eventually ended up with the invention of the microwave oven. That very same appliance all of us take for granted and probably couldn't imagine a world without. All because of an accidental encounter with a melted chocolate bar.

So many times each of us have an accidental encounter with opportunity. It might be an accidental encounter with another person that turns out to be the connection to a new job. Or maybe attending a gathering of people and accidentally encountering your future wife or husband. A hundred other accidental encounters in life that present opportunity for something great to happen in your life.

But two things have to happen when it comes to accidental encounters. Two things that are necessary for accidents to turn into opportunity.

The first is that you have to participate in life. In order for accidents to happen, you have to be out amongst others, among other things happening, and risking yourself to the fact that these accidents will happen. Sitting alone in your home, not attending that gathering, not taking a rafting trip; each of these may protect you from accidents. But each of them will keep you from experiencing life's opportunities.

And secondly, when the accident happens you need to acknowledge it and do something with it. There is an old saying that "when opportunity knocks, you have to get up and answer the door." When an accident occurs, there is an opportunity to change your life. You have to recognize it and answer the call. You have to open that door and take hold of it.

In the end, accidental events are really just opportunity for greatness to occur in your life. It may not seem like it at the time. Percy could have fussed and complained about ruining a pair of pants, failing to recognize the true significance. When accidents happen, look upon the event as an opportunity to turn it into something great. Take your life to a higher level accidentally and then realize it was not an accident at all. Rather it was an opportunity answered.