Karma Clean-up .... Letting Go of Unnecessary Baggage ....

As defined Karma – in both Hinduism and Buddhism – is the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences ….

And according to the Urban Dictionary …. The basic nature of God’s Justice: GALATIANS 6:7-9 (KJV): Be not deceived; God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, the he will also reap.

Whether or not you subscribe to the kind of wisdom sought in Eastern cultures – which dates back 4000 years – or you advocate the more familiar Judeo-Christian beliefs like those found in ancient Kabbalah’s Zohar – which like Hinduism dates back 4000 years – or are a participant in one of the many Christian sects from Catholicism to Protestantism, it would at least seem karma matters.

More often than not, life seems to be this invisible force capable of pushing each of us ever forward at such a quickening pace that makes it difficult to catch a decent breath, much less take the necessary time to actually think about the impact of your regular words and actions, but even so they do carry weight. What we think, do and say has a direct impact on each person we interact with on a daily basis …. both superficially and in our more concentrated relationships.

For instance, have you ever complimented a perfect stranger on something as simple as what they’re wearing, a beautiful smile or their positive approach to a problematic issue only to have that same once reserved stranger ‘lighten up’ right in front of your eyes? Almost instantly invisible barriers begin to lift as he or she suddenly feels comfortable enough to engage you in conversation. For the past year or so, I’ve made it a habit to extend compliments whenever I can with the only prerequisite being they must be sincere, and just recently I’ve heard things back like, “Thank you, I got this hat on my last trip to Vegas or “My parents got me these boots for my birthday from the King Ranch in Texas.”

There is so much artificiality commanding our everyday lives, it is my firm belief that regardless of how much everyone seems to be in a hurry, people are actually hungry for the kind of one-on-one interaction that enables them to feel grounded and connected with the world around them. Another case in point …. have you ever had exceptional service while dining out because the server went out of his or her way to make a personal impression? As a result, the entire dining experience is elevated exponentially, and in turn you graciously leave a generous monetary reward as a show of appreciation.

Nobody seems to appreciate the image of turning into some futuristic version of expendable drones whose sudden demise hardly ripples the texture of our Universe, much less the lives of those around us that are often played out on movies screens past and present. However, if we don’t at least begin to start reaching out for one another on some personal level that proves meaningful, that’s exactly where we are headed as a human race …. a place where there will be no further need for individuality or conscious, creative expression of any kind. I would like to state at this point, for all the sad and pathetic stereotypes the South has had to endure in direct relation to repetitive questionable behavior, being ‘friendly’ as a rule is one we got right. It’s actually hard to go anywhere around her without someone speaking to you from out of the blue, and though to outsiders this may sound a bit odd, I’ve often heard visitor’s gratitude in response. In short, when we say, “Have a nice day,” we actually mean it.

Once I passed the age of fifty and began to start giving some thought to my own mortality – however, not in any kind of morbid sense – but rather in a more intellectual and abstract manner that can come with maturity, I started thinking a lot about how my past behavior had affected certain individuals over the years …. both good and bad. And at some point I became determined to ‘clean up my act’ as a way of approaching life in general in a much happier, healthier manner.

Although I’ve said it many times, I think it’s worth repeating, “Life is made up of a series of choices woven together in a sequence.” While some of those choices reveal flashes of brilliance, others can expose a ‘darker side’ that tends to emerge when we result to manipulation and control. It’s then our words and actions tend to deliver catastrophic hits designed to immobilize our opponent – both personally and professionally. Sometimes this is done as a line of self-defense and the need to preserve your own integrity; however, at other times it’s done to disable your opposition’s defense mechanisms to the point he or she no longer has a choice but to concede defeat. However, before you start celebrating victory, it’s perhaps more prudent and wise to come to the understanding your soul may have taken a hit in the process, but before you start obsessing about regrets and all the things you wish you’d done differently, maybe it just might be more beneficial to spend some meditative time deciphering how best to make amends …. whenever possible.

There’s no doubt while some of those you’ve managed to hurt or wound along the way might be receptive to your advances, others most assuredly will not, but that’s okay as long as you’ve made a concerted effort to unburden your soul. All anyone can do is try while remembering the only one’s actions you can control are your own.

Life is sometimes about being happy, and other times it’s about being sad and depressed, but at all times it’s supposed to be about learning and then taking those same lessons to heart so that you may lead a more productive life going forward. When most people are asked what it is they want most out of life – aside from the obvious good health and financial stability – most of us tend to reach for something more meaningful and less tangible that has the capability of lifting us up throughout life and beyond. Both simple and profound, with a beauty all its own, the thing I want most at this point in my life is to be in harmony. How about you?

…. Inner Peace ….