Posted on May 17th, 2023

Does karma really exist?

     At some point, you’ve likely heard the adage that what you put out into the universe comes back to you ten-fold. But is this really true? Plenty of people give over and over and never seem to get anything in return. I know this to be true only because it’s an incessant complaint rampant on social media. Certainly, if karma worked, those who gave consistently and selflessly would be rewarded in kind.

     So what gives?

     Unfortunately for the givers of the world, it’s entirely possible to give away everything you have and not get anything except heartache in return. The governing laws of the universe are slightly more complex than what karma gurus would like you to believe, although grains of truth exist in their sentiments. It’s crucial to understand that we live in an energy based universe, one that isn’t governed by words, morals, actions, or even behaviors, but rather by emotion, specifically as it relates to attitude and mood.

     Skeptical?

     I don’t blame you. It almost seems illogical that attitude reigns as the over-arching factor that creates our reality and affects how life unfolds for us. We’ve been taught all along that it’s our actions that set things in motion. After all, it appears that we derive most of our power from what we do rather than how we feel.

     Or do we?

     Take a moment to consider the power of your mood. What type of day unfolds for you when you wake up on the so-called wrong side of the bed? If you start off on bad footing, it seems that no matter what you do, nothing cooperates. You drop your toast jam-side down. You stub your toe. You spill orange juice on your freshly laundered shirt, and you can’t find your car keys until you look in the very last place you’d ever expect to find them: in your coat pocket! As you’re driving to work, not one, but three people cut you off, and you can’t get a green light no matter how fast your drive. Coincidence, you say? Really? If it were merely coincidental, it wouldn’t happen nearly as often as it does.

     It’s your mood. And it sets everything in motion.

     If you’re grumpy, you’ll rendezvous with other grumpy people and situations that cause you more grief. Thankfully, the opposite is equally true. If you’re friendly and kindhearted, you’ll meet friendly and kindhearted people. If you think the world is out to get you, you’ll meet people who are out to get you. If you think the world is full of helpful people, you’ll meet people who are eager to assist. If you appreciate something, you’ll encounter more of it. If you complain about something, you’ll encounter more of it.

     We do NOT live in a universe where all good people are rewarded and all bad people are punished. Instead, we live in a mood-based universe. If you’re practiced at maintaining a good mood, good things will show up in your experience. If you’re practiced at being in a sour mood, more things will show up to sour your experience. This is what trips up so many people. They think we live in a karmic world. And then they feel blindsided when their good deeds are punished instead of rewarded. Truth be told, the universe doesn’t give a rip how good you are. If you complain more than you appreciate, you’ll have more things to complain about showing up in your experience.

     Need more proof? Look at all of your well-meaning friends on Facebook. I bet that there are some really noble people in your circles. However, their nobility only goes so far. Some of them are constant complainers. And their complaints do them WAY more self-harm than good. And yet, they’re really good people. They just suffer from chronic complaining and have chronic miserable life experiences as a result. No, there is no such thing as karma. It’s not your nobility that determines your life experience. It’s how much you appreciate versus how much you complain.

     That’s a really bitter pill for a lot of people to swallow.

     They’ll fight you on it too if you have the audacity to suggest it. So fair warning: don’t. Nobody wants to hear that their constant complaining is what’s causing their distress. And no amount of lecturing will get them to see the truth. The only way they’ll learn is through their own life experience. One day, the light bulb will turn on. They’ll eventually realize how detrimental their litany of complaints is to the outcome of their life experience.

     Don’t argue with them. Just let them figure it out on their own. Meanwhile, those who know better, like yourself, can carry on their merry way of appreciating, and loving, and being sweet, and being compassionate, and being kind, and being gentle, and being easygoing, and being fancy-free, and being happy-go-lucky…all while basking in the wonders that continue to show up in their life as a result of their chronic, practiced, elevated mood and attitude of appreciation.