Do you believe in karma?
I tend to be a believer in a lot of strange and abnormal things in this world: aliens, magic, the ability to wake up at the precise moment needed in order to get ready and be on time for work without any outside assistance. (I actually know a guy who can do the last one!)
But one phenomenon I will believe in more than anything else? Karma.
I truly believe Karma exists in this world. How else can you explain finding a $5 bill in your pocket a half hour after you help a little old lady put her groceries into her trunk? Or how you end up with an extra chicken nugget in your 5-piece box after a tiring afternoon of cram-studying for finals?
Okay, maybe some of you are thinking those two instances are just happy accidents, and there’s no such thing as magic or an all-powerful, all-seeing entity watching us all like their own personal ant farm.
For those of you who do think like this… are you okay? Do you need a hug?
Let’s look at this from a psychological perspective: According to the American Psychological Association, those who conduct acts of kindness have shown they end up happier, report less depressive symptoms, and end up becoming more social than before. A trial conducted by the Ohio State University found practicing kindness outperformed traditional cognitive therapy techniques when it came to building social connections. There have even been studies where performing acts of kindness has even lowered blood pressure and cortisol.
To put it in an example: you perform an act of kindness, such as helping the previously mentioned old lady put her heavy groceries into her trunk. You walk away after she thanks you, feeling lighter-footed and happier. Then, sticking your hands into your pockets, you find a $10 that must have been forgotten there some long time ago. You see a homeless person asking for some money so he can buy a hot meal. You decide, while in your helping high, to give him the money. He thanks you profusely and says you’re a blessed soul. You tell him to take care, and walk on for a little while. Getting hungry yourself, you stop into a sandwich shop and are told by the barista that one too many sandwiches were made during the lunch rush, and asked if you’d like to have it? Turns out, its one of your favorite sandwiches! What good luck you came upon!
That’s Karma. You performing good deeds in the world, without expecting anything in return, came back and blessed you in return!
Now, I’m not saying it’s going to happen every single time. And I’m not striving for some sort of perfectionist-like kind of living. Sometimes bad things happen for no reason at all. There’s also no such thing as perfection.
Now, I also believe this can work in the opposite direction – the more evil and meanness you spread in the world, the more meanness and evil will happen to you.
But I don’t want to think about that right now. There’s already enough bad going on in the world. The last thing it needs is to be ‘fed’ again.
So I choose to believe that there is some invisible entity, or entities – who knows? – watching over us and sending us something good and happy-inducing whenever they believe we need a boost in morale. Or they see us trying to spread some kindness amongst ourselves, and say, “hey, this little human is trying her best to show love and kindness to her fellow humans. Let’s send her a chocolate strawberry-covered cheesecake.”
Why, thank you cheesecake-giving goddess. Yes, I would like a slice of that velvety-goodness.
Be kind to your fellow people. Be kind to animals. Be kind to nature. Just be kind, I guess. You never know when you’re going to have that cheesecake be handed to you.
Maybe carry a fork with you everywhere too.
