Forget the Webster's definition of "Karma" and think about your life and the lives of people around you.
Have you ever noticed that people that seem to do the right thing and live a fulfilling life are the object of envy? They are the ones that appear to be lucky and have good things thrust upon them.
Does this happen by accident? I think not.
But let's begin at the beginning.
Do you believe in free will, destiny, or a God? It makes a difference.
If you think that the world simply exists without a God and all events are totally random, then explain how life came to be.
All of a sudden there was bacteria and that led to you and me through a series of evolutionary stages over millions of years.
Really? Some became insects, animals, and humans and that too, was unplanned.
I don't believe that all life is a wonderful accident and nothing has any meaning or purpose.
But this is not a religious article and I'm not trying to convert anyone.
So please allow me to continue and hope you agree that perhaps there is a supreme something that affects us all to some degree.
We do have free will and also must live with the consequences of our choices and actions.
Which brings us to this article regarding Karma.
My definition of Karma is a type of energy that a person carries with him or her from the moment of conception.
And as we grow older, the karma level increases based on our age, experiences, and decisions.
It is an invisible emission that attracts or causes events to occur when we need or want something to happen.
We may not even be aware of the want or need as it might be buried in our sub-conscience.
But Karma can act positively or negatively based on the person it surrounds.
It tends to work when we have certain wishes.
Here are a few examples.
We might want a friend to call and think this thought rather than expressing it aloud.
We could root for our team to win by screaming at the television.
Perhaps we need money to pay a debt and must ask for a bank loan.
We might dream of a tropical vacation or winning the lottery.
Our Karma can actually help in some instances.
The problem is that we never will know when it will aid us and how it will function.
But the thing to remember is that it will eventually take place, both for good or bad.
I'll give you some personal examples.
I had a good friend and relative that lived a decent life and had many good things happen to him.
He married and had two terrific kids, got a great job by pure luck, and had wonderful friends and family.
When his eldest child was eight, he cheated on his wife, divorced, and moved out.
That same year, he also was dishonest at his job and was fired.
As the years progressed, he lost all his friends and the family disowned him.
Finally, he suffered a stroke and became disabled and sickly.
He used to be an outdoorsman who hunted, fished and loved being outside.
Now he was a shell of his former self and quite full of self-pity and despair.
I say that his Karma changed as he went from being a good to bad person.
And that did him in.
My father left my mother when I was eleven and lost his job by being greedy.
He was married four times and, although he lived a long life, I believe he was never really happy.
The ultimate blow was that at age 65 he was broke and married a wealthy woman to support him.
But he was an atheist and she was a reborn Christian, which must have caused him tremendous grief.
They were married for 24 years of misery.
But I've known other people that have lived a good life, made the right choices and are rewarded by large and small things.
It might be as simple as finding a long-lost wedding ring under a rug or getting a raise at work.
The size of the benefit is not the issue; it's that Karma is working behind the scenes to reward those that deserve it and punish those that don't.
It follows the deeds and is commensurate with the size and scope of the action.
On a personal level, I've experienced Karma quite often.
When I make a poor choice that might harm another, it never fails to enact a negative outcome.
As a result, I might break something that is costly to repair or become sick.
It seems to be appropriate to the amount of damage inflicted.
Small bad choices result in small negative Karma outbreaks.
Bigger bad decisions equal larger and more severe results.
But when I do something that helps people in any way, the Karma that follows is always positive.
It may take a while, but it will happen.
Over the past holiday, a week before Christmas, I was leaving a store and just outside, there was a bell-ringer for the Salvation Army.
I passed by and told him I carried no cash on me, sorry.
I walked down to my car and got in.
For some reason, I paused before putting the key in the ignition.
I looked down and remembered I keep spare change in the cup-holder.
I gathered the whole load, about four dollars worth, and went back to the red kettle and dumped it in.
I apologized to him and he just smiled and said, "God bless you.
" I think my positive Karma level jumped up a bit because I had a great holiday and many good things happened over the next few weeks.
I look back over the past decade and finally understand that there is a real connection to Karma.
The years I was not so good or nice cost me financially and emotionally.
And when I came to my senses and began trying to be better, everything turned around.
Life got easier, more money came in and I felt happier.
I work out at the gym, eat properly, and treat people as they should be treated.
I have a small, home-based business and try to bend over backwards to make my customers happy.
I know it will eventually pay off and we will thrive.
For years I was a Yellow Page salesman and saw businessmen who screwed over their staff or customers and are now out of business.
Years of bad Karma finally produced a just end for the vast majority of them.
I can think of many other friends and family members that were the beneficiaries or victims of both good and bad Karma.
They ended up satisfied or miserable and probably deserved their fate in most cases.
After considering their plight and analyzing the causes and effects, I am able to draw a few general conclusions about Karma.
Just like exercise, it is never too late to start working out or attracting good Karma.
Even the meanest or nastiest person can begin a regimen of positive actions and behaviors no matter how late in life.
They could start lifting weights to get stronger and being nice to get better Karma.
I'm not saying it's easy to change your evil ways, but certainly worth a chance.
You don't believe me? Then take this challenge.
Do something nice for someone today, be it a friend, relative, or total stranger.
It need not be expensive or cost anything at all.
Perhaps you can call someone who you don't particularly like or haven't talked to in a long while.
Or volunteer or give to charity.
I guarantee something good will happen to you.
It might take a day, week or month, but you will see a positive benefit.
And then, don't stop.
Keep being generous and kind and benevolent.
How can it hurt? Good positive Karma will begin to build and surround you.
Life will get better and you will experience what it's like to be smiling again.
I guarantee that Karma will not disappoint.
And finally you can do something for me.
Try the "positive Karma" challenge and reply to this article when it works for you.
I will post your results, without your name of course, in a future follow-up article.
Together, let's attempt to become the "Karma-gedon" capital of the world.
I thank you and wish you well on your life's journey.