Do I believe in karma?
Yes – simply put. I do believe that what you put out comes back to you, in very powerful ways. You don’t have to label it as karma if that’s not your thing, but any way you spin it, it shows up in our lives everywhere. People give back what you give to them. Maybe not directly, and maybe not immediately, but eventually, I do believe that it all balances out. I’m (halfway to being) an engineer, so I don’t particularly like just accepting a conclusion without any grounds or logic, but sometimes this kind of feedback loop is hard to explain. I’ll do my best to shed some light on how I have reasoned through it.
A little anecdote to start this off:
I recently went to a grocery store and saw a man struggling to pick the perfect watermelon (anyone who knows me knows this is my favourite food of all time). He looked at me selecting my watermelon and muttered, “I never know how to pick em.” Luckily for me, I have a fantastic father who is a religious fruit shopper and has told me all of the tricks. I reached into the bin, lugged the watermelon onto my shoulder and pointed to a large, irregularly shaped yellow circle on the bottom of the watermelon. “Big yellow spot. Always look for this. It means the watermelon sat in the sun on this spot for awhile – it had time to ripen.” I rolled the watermelon into my arms and hit the side of it, with the other side to my ear. “Hear that? Hollow. You want it to sound hollow.” I picked up another watermelon, slapping it again to release more of a dull thud, exemplifying the difference between a hollow and non-hollow watermelon. We went through the watermelons together, I helped him pick a good one, he thanked me, we both smiled and I left. This took maybe 120 seconds of my time, and I could tell this man was happy to have received this advice and excited about the choice he made.
I then walked to the cash register and realized my bags were not going to fit all of the produce I was buying. I asked the lady – reluctantly – for a plastic bag. Before she could hand it to me, the man behind me in line handed me one of his – “Take it!” He said, reaching his hand out to wave over the bright yellow no-frills bag which swayed in my direction. I asked him if he was sure, and he nodded. I accepted the bag, and packed up my groceries. Before walking away, I noticed that he had accidentally given me two bags instead of one. Before I could give the second bag back to him he said, “Keep it. Use it for next time.”
Pure, raw, unfiltered, unprovoked, genuine kindness.
Sure – nothing drastic. The man wasn’t sending safety packages to countries in need of help, but something so small – something as simple as giving another human a few words of advice, an extra bag when they are short one or even a warm smile – can go miles farther than you think it can. I walked away thinking if I needed a sign that karma was real, that was it. DOING GOOD FEELS GOOD It is an incredible thing to be able to give to others – it is invigorating and exciting. Watching someone’s face light up when they receive something from you as a surprise. Seeing someone’s expression soften when you share genuine words with them. Having someone’s appreciation for something you did radiate off of them in waves. There is simply no better feeling than the sensation of bringing some sense of happiness or enrichment to someone else’s life.
This quote by Dalai Lama always resonated with me in a more powerful way than most. I feel that his message is astoundingly true – the best remedy for our own dismay is to resolve the troubles another person is experiencing.
Why is this?
Why do we have to get outside of ourselves to resolve the unrest we might be experiencing internally? In my opinion, it is because we are meant to help each other and oftentimes the best medicine for our own suffering can be to empathize and provide compassion for another. It takes strength to stop feeling sorry for oneself, step out of our own bubble, and do something positive for someone else, but the impacts of this seemingly small choice can ripple through both your life and theirs in powerful ways.
How does karma work?
I believe karma works by two principles; one in that you experience the immediately fulfilling feeling of improving someone else’s life – the immediate kickback – and the second principle is the spontaneous giving and kindness that comes your way serendipitously in the long-term. The former is rooted in sound logic, which is that by seeing the sensation you’ve provided to another, you are automatically influenced by the action yourself. While the latter I cannot fully explain, I will attempt to employ some logic by highlighting that people remember how you made them feel and often make an effort to return that feeling to you. Ultimately, while I have tried to analyze karma and explore ways I can logic through it so that giving can seem more appealing to everyone, the simple truth is this: sharing good in the world is a wonderful thing, and whether it’s coming back or not, it’s worth doing. We shouldn’t be giving for the sake of karma, but I do think it’s worth pointing out that there’s an undeniable positive feedback loop associated with giving, and there is no doubt that choosing to be kind and helpful to others will enhance the world and make this planet a much more pleasant place to live in.
Perspective influences action
When you choose to see good, it’s easier to do good. And when you do good, you feel good and good somehow comes back to you. And the cycle continues! Being kind and entering the world with a lense of positivity can literally change every single day of your life. We all have a choice. We get to choose how we want to step into the world and live. Do we want to trust that people are good, trustworthy, kind and warm or do we want to antagonize those around us, live in fear and constantly perceive everyone else as against us, doubting that there is good in everyone? Why do that? You see what you look for, and when you look for good – you notice it in wild abundance. When you look for bad – it’s easy to see that too. We surely can’t control our circumstances – things externally are the way they are (to an extent). What we can change is the lens through which we view them. Two people can see the exact same situation in two completely different ways.
It all starts with perception and perspective. If we can train ourselves to rein in our perception and bring ourselves back when we can feel our minds wandering to negative places, we will be able to master the art of perspective. When you can control your perspective, you can control your life – as much as you ever will be able to.
Once you begin to look at things in a brighter way, it’s much easier to explore how we can share that with others, connecting the perspective shift to spreading good. A few helpful words to return to if you’re ever doubting the benefits of adopting a more positive view of the world: • Look for the good and you will see the good. • Do good unto others and they will do good unto you. • Be gentle with the earth and mindful of your actions. • Be kind to yourself and grateful for the vehicle you get to navigate through life with; your body and your mind. Many would give anything to simply have a healthy mind and body. If you’re lucky enough to be blessed with good health, you are already so wealthy.
One last note on karma
Never try to do karma’s work for it. If you choose to do good, always do good. Do not try to balance out someone else’s score by not treating them well because that is how they may treat others. Treat them wth compassion and empathy. There is pain behind those choices, and by being kind and showing them the power of a new perspective, they might just shift their own… and maybe – just maybe – that shift in perspective could change their world.
But hey, I’m an optimist, so what do I really know :)