Karma
“You will always get back what you put in.”
“What goes around comes around.”
“You reap what you sow.”
At heart, all these sayings illustrate the same point – our actions and intentions toward others will always eventually find their way back to you. This goes for the good as well as the bad things that we’ve done, the behaviors that we are proud of and those of which we are ashamed. The harvest that you reap in life is reflective of the seeds you plant. In the past, you may have heard others assert that there are no consequences for our actions, and they likely used the financial and social status of of less-than-wholesome people to back their claims. I hope to assist you in seeing that this assertions is untrue. You may have also heard religious people suggest that this concept isn’t in the book that they claim to live by thus apparently making this concept invalid. By the time you’re done reading this essay, you will recognize that, though the word “karma” isn’t in most religious texts, the principles of the concept are the cornerstone of many religions. In the physical world, it has been proven that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Believe it or not, the spiritual world works similarly. All of our actions have consequences.
Job 4:8
According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity
And those who sow trouble harvest it.
1. Karma is actually “a thing”.
It’s alright if you don’t believe in the idea that your actions today directly impact your future. In fact, I believe that skepticism about the laws of the unseen world is perfectly normal for anyone who hasn’t had this spiritual concept properly explained so that they can see it for themselves. So, for starters, I’ll give some of examples of this concept in action:
Take a moment to think about the most hateful, negative, consistently ill-intentioned person you know.
- How does life treat this person?
- Does he or she always have something new to complain about?
- Does this person always somehow have to deal with adversity?
I can assure you the person you have in mind always seems to be in a rut and almost never gives off the vibe that he or she is happy or content. This is not coincidence; This is consequence. I can say with confidence this person’s life is a mess… even if they hide it, deny it, or don’t realize it. The reason I know this?… karma.
2. Karma doesn’t only affect bad people.
To further recognize the validity of my first point, I ask that you think about someone who you know without a shadow of a doubt is a genuinely kind-hearted person (Not just kind when certain people are watching, but someone who sincerely tries and succeeds at being a decent person daily). With certainty, I can assure you that this person always has good luck and doors seem to open for them that don’t open for most others. Even if it looks as though they’re about to fall off, they somehow end up back on track and often with firmer footing than before. The reason that this person consistently has things go their way while chronically unfortunate circumstances frequently befall others is karma. It goes both ways… positive as well as negative. The first person’s bad luck is due to a reprobate mind and a curse – a repetitive cycle of negativity – which they are living under due to their own actions or the actions of someone they are tied to (this sharing of the curses of others is a whole ‘nother discussion.), while the decent person is living a blessed life reflective of the good seeds they sow and the positivity that they put out to the world and the people around them. There is much more to unpack on this topic, such as generational curses and unrighteousness of nations, but I think you’ve gotten the point by now. By our actions and intentions, we create the life that we prove to be deserving of.
When I began to see the errors of my ways, I understood that I had a serious price to pay to get my mind and my life together. Unfortunately, by the time I came to this realization, I was already living in a hell which I created for myself. My lifestyle was selfish. I had no control over my anger. I always had to have things my way, and I now recognize that I consistently made poor decisions. When I woke up and became spiritually aware, I understood that I had a serious price to pay to get my mind and my life together. Worth noting is the fact that this budding wisdom and introspection began to don on me at the time I started praying and sincerely thinking about getting it together. The stark contrast in the trajectory of my life and my mentality can be traced directly to the time I began seeking spiritual answers.
3. There may be a price to pay to get one’s life back on track.
Looking back, many of the spiritually counterproductive actions that I took in the past and the poor ways that I had previously mistreated people came back to me as I was attempting to right my ship. I recall being in situations in which I trusted or depended on people who were betraying or abusing my confidence in them… and I recognized every step of their manipulation. But instead of reacting with anger or hostility as I would have in the past, I accepted my setbacks and recognized that I had brought this bad karma into my own life. Though it was tough seeing people try to take advantage of or mistreat me during this time, I was thankful to have the wisdom and mental clarity to recognize what was happening and patiently wait for the storm to pass.
Many of the unfortunate times and incorrigible people I endured as I came into my own spiritually taught valuable lessons that still stick with me today. I can now recognize devious intentions and negativity from a distance, yet I have the experience and wisdom to remain calm in the face of adversity. After all, becoming irate and making a scene may feel good temporarily, but giving in to counterproductive emotions almost never ends well. Instead of combatting disrespect with rage or hostility as I would have in the past, I realized and accepted that I had brought these bad situations into my own life. It was easier to wait out the storm in anticipation of brighter days when I understood that I was there because of my own actions. Because I was now aware of the consequences of their actions as well as mine, I knew it was but a matter of time before those who wronged me would end up in the hole that I was in or worse.
4. Follow the straight and narrow path.
When I hit rock bottom and faced everything from poverty to homelessness and death threats, I could have done as many people do and pursued wicked ambitions or took actions that went against my conscience as I struggled to get my life back on track. But had I done that, I would have gotten off the path I was destined to walk down. I also would have put negative energy out to the world that would have inevitably found its way back to my life later. When people consistently cut corners, set out to harm or cheat others, or alter the path of their own life for a quick buck or for other things that have no spiritual value is when they “lose their soul”. I say this because if God/ The Supreme Being/ The Most High has a plan for you to learn lessons and become a stronger and more faithful person, to abandon that path is to abandon the greatness that was on the other side of your trials and lessons.
Many people sell their souls and abandon their identities for money, the illusion of power, and even fear. They just don’t know that if they stayed on the righteous path they would have eventually gotten everything they wanted without having to compromise themselves of plead for anyone’s help. And on top of that, they’d have faith, courage, and strength that the easy route cannot bring. No one can steal a blessing from God or another soul, and the things gained by evil or wicked means eventually perish. When building anything, foundation is important. And when setting out to build a life wealth of an kind, the actions that you take at the onset of your journey determine if what’s set atop of your foundation will eventually crumble.
5. Your moral compass will help you to distinguish right from wrong. You were put here as an individual, and you can survive as one.
Always listen to your conscience. It takes time and discernment to consistently do what is right, but with persistence and good habits you’ll get there. Your moral compass will help you to distinguish right from wrong and, once fined tuned, it assist you in determining who is right for your life and who isn’t. That still, small voice that tells you that you should or shouldn’t do something is there to assist you in yourself up by the spiritual bootstraps. Though you may sometimes be unsure of what to do next, your intent to do right by everyone will keep you on the right path in the times when the road ahead gets a little dark and foggy.
You were put here as an individual, and you can survive as one. The world offers many opportunities for you to become just another face in the crowd or for you to hand your voice and mind over for another to commandeer. If you are intended to follow someone else or to align with scores of others, then God will make that clear to you. Just don’t ever willfully hand over your power or your voice to others unless you are certain that they will do right by you and that they won’t lead you down a road filled with negative spiritual consequences because you willfully hitched your wagon to the actions of someone over which you have no control.
6. There IS a such thing as a bad person.
Never be deceived into thinking that there are not people in this world who are rotten to the core. If you’re ever uncertain about a person or their intentions toward you, maybe that’s your conscience telling you to leave them alone. At the least, you should step back and honestly evaluate that particular person’s intentions toward you. Because if you can’t be at peace in a situation, then that situation is not for you. Ultimately, you should evaluate a person’s intentions toward other – especially those from which they don’t have anything to gain; a person’s true colors often show when they feel there are no consequences for bad behaviors.
If we lived in a perfect world, I would tell you that once you find peace, your life will be without trouble. But if I told you such a thing, I’d be lying. The truth is there’s a chance that as you move about the world, you will still encounter problems and problematic people. However, the difference between the old you and the refined person who you’ll become will be the strength, wisdom, and confidence that will make it easy to identify and avoid issues that might prompt you to make bad decisions. Remain an individual, and be a leader. Put in the time and effort for what you want out of life. Your hard work will inevitably pay off. Do good, live righteously, be respectful, show love to everyone, and karma will be your best friend. Behaving any other way is just not worth the consequences.
7. Money cannot buy happiness and is not synonymous with success.
Remember that money and being the center of attention does not equate to happiness. Material possessions come and go, and some people would abandon all good things about themselves for money and power. I once heard comedian Jim Carrey say, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” The truth in this quote commanded my attention and often works its way into my thoughts to serve as a reminder that my life is great just the way it is. Peace of mind and true happiness cannot be bought. There is no price tag on your spiritual well-being, and your morality should never be for sale. The price that you pay for abandoning your conscience far outweighs the temporary rewards.
You should not focus on being better than anyone except the person who you were in the past. There are many people who have worldly riches who still obsess daily over their next conquest or some of the many things over which they have no control. This is due to an absence if inner peace and a lack of satisfaction with their material possessions and influence among people. They constantly search externally for something to fill an internal void, which is a fruitless endeavor. Until these types of people understand that their relentless pursuit of wealth and status at the expense of righteous living is what brings about their misery, they will be stuck in the spiritual quicksand in which they currently stand.
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
– Jim Carrey
Keep your eyes peeled for manipulative and negative people who you’ll inevitable encounter. You do not want to share in their curses, and you don’t need that destructive energy in your personal space bringing you down to a level that you’re working toward rising and staying above. Also, remember that not everyone who is going through a storm is there because they are a bad person – Some have simply made poor decisions or are dealing with an obstacle they were destined to encounter on their path to peace.
Pay close attention to the those in and around your life so that you might see that the words of this writing consistently hold true. Using these simple and logical spiritual concepts, you can visualize how things are going behind closed doors with anyone who you know. Once you learn to recognize if good/positive or evil/negative spirits have a hold on a person’s mind and actions, you will have a wealth of insight about them without asking a thing or doing any prying.
If you are an honest and sincere person, the hard truth is that you are grossly outnumbered by those who are not guided by morality and kindness. For this reason and others, you must remain spiritually and mentally sharp. Understanding the concept of karma is just one tool to get you closer to being your best self without fear. Maybe I’ve helped you to better understand your life and how to make it in this crazy world. Best Wishes.
