You’ve probably all heard the good old saying, "What goes around comes around."
If you haven’t heard it, well, you’ve probably heard of a young musician named Justin Timberlake, who sings the line perfectly to illustrate my point.
Whenever I’m having a bad day or going through a hard time, I can’t help but wonder what could have caused such a poor turn of events.
Have you ever had one of those days when you just look above and ask, "What have I done to deserve this? WHY ME?"
The word "karma" comes from the Sanskrit, "karman," which can be translated as "doing" or "action."
In the Buddhist tradition, karma is the expression of the law of cause and effect; our actions, past and present, have effects on our existences.
You’re basically the creator of your happiness, and you deserve whatever good or bad things happen to you on a daily basis.
I like to believe if you send good vibes out there and keep a positive attitude no matter what obstacles life throws at you, the universe will react likewise and turn any bad situation into a brighter one.
Just like Shane Charles said:
"Life is like a boomerang; what you throw in life is what will return to you."
No one wants to hear that, but as human beings, we have multiple flaws, which implies we have, consciously or not, played boomerang with life in at least one of the following situations:
1. When interacting with the world
"How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours." — Wayne W. Dyer
Sometimes, we feel like karma has cautiously avoided a bunch of people who have deliberately hurt us in so many ways we stopped keeping track.
And, although we often forget that we might have done exactly the same thing, we just can’t help but think that since karma is taking forever, we might as well take care of it ourselves.
So, whenever you feel like seeking revenge and anger is taking over, just meditate with these words from Buddha in mind:
“You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.”
2. When interacting with your inner self
We all have our very own ways of seeing the world, and how we decide to live our lives is often based on this vision.
We decide by which values and beliefs we want to live, and ultimately, our day-to-day existences become reflections of our choices, good or bad.
Just like writer Edith Wharton said:
"People pay for what they do, and still more, for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it simply: by the lives they lead."
3. When speaking your version of truth
Sometimes in life, talking negatively about others can help us feel a bit better about ourselves.
It always helps to think we are bigger failures than someone else, simply because we did not start off in life with the same privileges.
Sometimes, I think if I, too, were born rich, my life would have been much easier.
But then, it starts sounding like the game’s over for me based on a biased appreciation of life. After all, being loaded doesn’t mean you’re happy or you have your sh*t figured out.
It’s all about seeking your truth in the learning process of life, not in comparing yourself to others.
"Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people." — Socrates
4. When interacting with life itself
Life can be a bitch, but keep in mind it will never be your bitch.
Say thanks from time to time because no matter how badly you feel and how badly you want all these things that seem so far out of reach right now, you’re still better off than you think.
Start counting your blessings instead of curses and love life the way you love your favorite person in the world.
No one wants to be on karma’s hit list, so if you can’t find a decent explanation to a sh*tty day, look no further.
Sorry, but it looks like you’ve just been karmanated.
