Wilmer McLean was a wholesale grocer living in Manassas, Virginia right before the start of the American Civil War. Because of its location, his house was designated as the headquarters of Confederate troops then led by Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard. Shortly after that, on June 21, 1861, the first major battle began literally right in front of McLean's house - the first Battle of Bull Run. A Union cannonball landed right in McLean's kitchen. McLean decided he'd had enough of the war and moved with his family to his new home at Appomattox Court House.

A few years later, on April 9, 1865, Wilmer McLean is standing on the front porch of his house awaiting the arrival of two distinguished guests - Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Union General Ulysses S. Grant. When they arrive McLean leads the two military officers to his parlor, where they discuss the terms of surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, effectively ending the Civil War. McLean can legitimately claim that the Civil War started in his front yard and ended in his front parlor. Was McLean's astonishingly odd story a simple case of coincidence? Or was there something larger at work here? This is by no means the only tale of strange coincidences happening. History is full of interesting coincidences. But even if you were to take a closer look at your own daily life, and the day-to-day lives of those immediately in your social and family circles, you'll discover that a surprisingly large number of coincidences may be occurring. Have you ever suddenly thought of a particular person, and then only minutes later walk right into that person? Coincidence? Maybe, but not according to many thinkers who claim that coincidences are snapshots of a much larger picture, and that there is some purpose behind seemingly random circumstances.

The problem we have is that we have not discovered the purpose, and so we naturally dismiss the event as random or coincidental. The eminent Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung coined the term "synchronicity" to describe this simultaneous occurrence of meaningful but not causally connected events. Jung himself had many amazing coincidence stories to share. One famous story involved working with a particularly difficult patient whom he described as "psychologically inaccessible." The patient was describing a dream she had about someone giving her a golden scarab. Jung was suddenly distracted by a tapping sound on the closed window behind him. He got up to investigate, and there at his window was a scarab beetle. He caught the insect and presented it to his patient, saying, "Here is your golden scarab."

How you view coincidence depends on the scope of your own view of life and the universe. If you're okay with the limits of your own understanding, then coincidences will be nothing more than delightful little accidents, randomness brought to life. But if you take the transcendent perspective and accept there is a bigger universe that we cannot begin to account for, then you'll see coincidence as a small part of that whole. And you'll get the feeling, just as many others have, that there's more to these happy accidents than meets the eye. One school of thought views coincidences as products of your own subconscious desires and aspirations. When you desire something, you plant a seed in your subconscious, which then works to plug in and synchronize with the universe to deliver what you asked for.

This may sound like it relegates creation to a mere vending machine that coughs up what you ask for. But in reality we all seek to actualize our desires and the universe has been known to make real the dreams of dreamers. And what's wrong with that?

The caveat, of course, is that you're not the only one wishing for something. At some point what you seek will bump up against what others desire. Here, too, creation has its own mechanism for resolving conflicting desires. Whether we accept what the universe decides or not is the stuff that creates the drama of life.

Here's a simple technique that will help you engineer coincidences that will ultimately help lead you realize your own goals. All it takes is for you to be specific about what you want. If it's a new car, be specific about the brand, the color, and all other details. If it's a promotion, specify the details. If it's world peace, define every single thing you mean about world peace.

When you wake up each morning, and just before you fall asleep each night, simply go through the details of what it is you are asking for. Most importantly, imagine yourself within the goal. Imagine yourself driving that new car. How does it feel? What does it sound like?

Each morning and each evening, get into this state, and infuse it with a feeling of gratitude. Just be thankful. Feel it. After a few minutes, put it out of your mind and go about your business. You'll be surprised how many "coincidences" will start happening that open doors for you to experience whatever you are creating and reinforcing in your imagination.