Karma Comes Back to You Hard

As you probably know, yesterday was April Fool’s Day. Of course, I made sure to pull a few over on my friends. I’ll admit I wasn’t that nice: I told my one friend that I couldn’t come to her wedding (that I’m in by the way) and the other that I got into a fight and was at the hospital. I was also the mastermind behind another prank on the same friend that got our other friends involved. Yes, I am evil and you should judge me.

Let me first explain: I often take life way too seriously so April Fool’s Day is an opportunity to mess with my friends and have a little fun. I’ll admit I took it a little too far last night. I’m sorry Niki and Lauren! 😉 I’d never actually lie to either of you and the plague couldn’t keep me from your wedding, Niki!

After apologizing and feeling like an idiot about my pranks, I started to think about karma and April Fool’s Day. While it is only one day a year, you have to be careful on what pranks you pull and on who you pull them. Taking it too far could lead to bad karma. But what exactly is karma?

Definition of Karma:

1. often capitalized : the force generated by a person’s actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person’s next existence.

So that’s one way of thinking about it. Your actions or what you put out into the universe affect you and the situations you encounter. You give what you get. If you help others, others will help you. Pay it forward and the world will repay you. That’s simple enough, right?

I’m a firm believer in karma. Sometimes it takes a while for the universe to make the planets align but every single action has a consequence. You may think you’re getting away with it, but the universe always knows. Then there’s the old adage, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I don’t have a specific answer for you. But occasionally, it’s not your actions but your attitude that throws the universe off. I’m not saying be a happy fool every day but having a positive attitude and faith in the future often leads to good things. I certainly am not a shining example of this but I do believe a positive attitude and a firm belief that things will turn out right goes a long way. When I was job searching, I was so miserable until one day I saw how different and worse my life could be. From that moment on, I stayed as positive as I could while job searching and interacting with people. I think that shift in attitude and perspective helped me land a really great job.

I don’t think you should do something just because it’s good karma. I’m going to volunteer because it’s good karma. Nope, that’s not right. You have to willingly put good thoughts and actions out there in order to have good karma come your way. You have to believe in what you’re thinking or doing wholeheartedly. Don’t live your life just to have good karma but absolutely consider what could happen when making decision or playing pranks.

I hope my karma isn’t thrown off because of yesterday’s pranks. Lauryn Hill’s song, “Lost Ones” gives good insight onto how karma works. Listen below and share your thoughts!

Hero Material

I’m not giving up on this Truth Challenge! There’s just been so many other things I’ve wanted to discuss! That being said, let’s keep it moving on to Day 14.

Day 14 → A hero that has let you down. (letter)

I won’t give you a detailed list of all the people I consider heroes. Lucky for me, the list of people who inspire me is long and constantly changes. My parents, family members, friends, professors and colleagues can, at times, be considered my heroes. I admire my parents’ ability to raise their kids together despite getting divorced. My friends inspire me every day with their ability to overcome adversity and walk to the beat of their own drum. My current colleagues are truly heroes for how they’re mentoring me while working on multiple projects and raising their own kids.

I am a believer in everyday heroes, ordinary people who do the extraordinary. Sure, there are some celebrities that could be considered heroes. For me, it’s people like Ellen DeGeneres and Cory Booker, who stay true to themselves and are always looking for ways to help others. That’s how I define my heroes: people who stay true to themselves, who believe in paying it forward and who are passionate about what they do. I know it doesn’t sound too remarkable, but to me it is.

The one thing about heroes is that sometimes they have no idea how much other people value them and their opinions. When you consider someone your hero, you value their opinion and almost hang on every word they say. They have been placed on a pedestal without even knowing it. If you put someone that high up, they only way they can go is down. It sets everyone up for failure. With heroes, be transparent and talk to them about why you place them in such a category. Managing expectations is very important and will create a mutually beneficial relationship.

Who are your heroes? Why do you consider them heroes? Please share with me!