Karma's a Bitch - Or Is it?

<p>Karma... it's not necessarily a concept that many of us think of every day. More than likely, that word pops into our heads when we've caught ourselves acting like a bitch to someone who definitely didn't observe it. "Just wait till karma catches up with you...!"</p><p>Others, myself included, have had some serious introspective moments when faced with our own mortality... or the death of someone close to us. I remember taking a long hard look at the afterlife and karma when I was first diagnosed with cancer, then again when my mother died. </p><p><strong>Media and popular culture may only point to karma when something bad happens, but at it's original core, what IS it?</strong></p><p>At its base, <strong>karma can be simply defined as cause and effect</strong>. But that doesn't mean that it is a simple concept. </p><p>When my mom died, I remember feeling super guilty about all of the negative interactions and unkind attitudes I threw at her, especially when I was an adult. I harbored a lot of resentment because I had been abused growing up, and I certainly wasn't proud of the way I treated her. </p><p>After the way I acted toward my mom... would anything bad happen to me? What happened to all that negative energy that existed between us for so long? </p><p>Needless to say, karma definitely came up as a recurring thought. </p><p><strong>So then... What is karma? It isn't every single action and reaction that exists or happens in the Universe. It is the result of how we act. and it all starts with our MIND. </strong></p><p>If we investigate our minds and look at the patterns in our own consciousness, we begin to see that those patterns determine how the world responds to us. </p><p><strong>Think of karma as planting seeds. If you plant the seed of a maple tree, you are going to grow a maple. You won't end up with a pine or oak. </strong></p><p>So what seeds are WE planting? And even further down the link... which ones are we watering? </p><p><strong>Another key part of understanding karma is intention.</strong>