Karma Part 1

Karma
Instant Karma

Welcome to the next few weeks as we talk about Karma. I will try to avoid jokes and puns involving Karma. In this instance we will also talk about Karma in this life and the past lives, in reference to our interactions with those around us. Grab your open mind, let go of your dogma and let us go on a journey into a world we do not always understand or openly want to accept.

John Lennon sung, “Instant karma’s gonna get youGonna knock you right on the headYou better get yourself togetherPretty soon you’re gonna be deadWhat in the world you thinking ofLaughing in the face of loveWhat on earth you tryin’ to doIt’s up to you, yeah youInstant karma’s gonna get you”
I’ll even share the youtube link… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2opHHNFd0Mg

I do not claim to be the all knowing or have an upper hand, but I do try to look at the whole picture. Over the next couple of weeks, I hope to spark your intrigue and quest for more knowledge on the subject of Karma. This week will look at Karma or instant Karma in this life.

It is so easy to go about our lives and pay no attention to those around us and our interactions. We are online, on our phones, in books, conversations and otherwise distracted and caught up in our own little world. I know there are days I end at a destination having chatted all the way there and could not tell you a thing I passed. That says to me an accident waiting to happen, because was I going the speed limit, how many street signs did I pass? I was on autopilot. Not cool!

Or how often do you say, there is always tomorrow, I will start tomorrow or I will finish tomorrow or reach out to someone tomorrow. Why? Because we do not look at how our interactions affect other people. What we may think is showing concern, can seem like confrontation to another person. It is hard to know exactly how someone is going to take something we say or do, that is why when we act impulsively sometimes people get hurt.

So often we are left with decisions of reaction and action. On this Earth Day 2010, are our actions toward the earth taking into consideration the affects of people with us? There is an Iroquois saying, "We cannot simply think of our survival; each new generation is responsible to ensure the survival of the seventh generation. The prophecy given to us, tells us that what we do today will affect the seventh generation and because of this we must bear in mind our responsibility to them today and always." Are we making choices so that those after us know the beauty and the wonder that surrounds us now?

In our day to day actions we encounter quite a number of people. Your action to the lady you passed on the way into that store can affect how she reacts later. Nope, everyone will not be happy or full of joy that does not matter. What matters is your heart and spreading love and happiness when you are out and about or general interacting with others. I once said good morning to a person at a front desk in a building where I worked, 5 days a week, twice a day for three months. Then one day, finally I heard a whispered “morning”. That good morning became less strained and I eventually saw a smile, but many people thought this person was mean. Actually, nobody took time to know that they were having a hard time and had a low self-esteem. I was glad I had a moment to show that I cared, because when I had tears in my eyes one day, I was greeted first with a good morning. That just warmed my heart beyond all words.

Next time you go to do something, ask yourself. How will this affect someone? Will my actions hurt someone? Will my actions help someone? Look back at things you have done and see how they affected people around you and around people they will encounter. When you went through the drive-thru did you say thank you smile and ask about their day? Your reactions can transfer to the car behind you and may snowball.

Go out and try to spread joy!
-Rhonda