
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – How You Create Your Own Karma
Your Karma is sometimes understood to mean that your fate in this life is predetermined by your previous actions. There’s no use struggling against Karma – what will be, will be. The true meaning of Karma is very different. Karma is more like the physical law of Cause and Effect – your current actions cause your past, your present and your future. Understanding the latter, more optimistic point of view is essential to your spiritual development.
Karma is inextricably linked with our freedom of action as human beings. We are free in every moment to choose what we think, how we act, what we believe and what’s important to us. The snag is that we only make a limited number of our choices consciously through rational, logical thought. Many of our choices are made unconsciously.
A simple example is the choice to jerk your hand away when you touch a hot kettle- this is a good choice to make because it protects us physically, and we make it instantaneously through the reflexes of our nervous system.
However as sophisticated beings, we have a subconscious mind that is capable of acquiring much more wide ranging and subtle conditioning and making decisions based on past conditioning. If we are exposed to some sort of stress for a period of time – maybe your parents went through a bitter divorce as a young child, you will acquire conditioning that leads to your reacting in predictable, habitual ways as an adult.
Similarly, you can make choices as to how you act in various situations. At first you will need to consciously choose how you act. You are likely to make the same choice time and time again until it becomes a reflex. For example you may choose to distrust someone, even though you find out later on that this was a mistake. If you’ve acquired the habit of distrusting them, it is very likely that you won’t discover your mistake.
Both of these events are examples of your past conditioning your mind and affecting your future. One is largely out of your control, one is entirely within your control.
How can I create my Own Karma
Even though Karma is one of the seven spiritual laws of success it can be changed, contrary to popular belief. Put it another way, even though your childhood conditioning is largely out of your control, you can choose to change it in later life. Similarly you can change any conditioning you have acquired later in your life.
More importantly, by being careful about your choices and realising that every choice you make will produce a future result, you can learn to make choices in the present that will lead to more desirable outcomes in the future.
The first step in making better choices is to become aware of the choices you are making at present – both the conscious choices that you apply your rational mind to and the subconscious choices that come from conditioning.
Develop the habit of watching yourself as you make these choices. This may take a little time if you are not aware of your choices today. Subconscious choices can be made very quickly, out of your conscious awareness, but they will leave tell tale signs like emotions and thoughts.
The second step is to learn to make better choices. One key to doing this is to learn to listen to your body as you make choices. Ask yourself, “will this choice be beneficial for me” and then listen for a response. You will know in your heart whether this is a good choice or not.
The law of Karma is one of the seven spiritual laws of success. One of the most common misconceptions about Karma is that it is your pre-ordained fate. Karma is more closely related to the physical law of Cause and Effect.
You create your Karma in the present through the choices that you make. You can influence your Karma by becoming aware of all the choices you make and the outcomes that you create. You then need to learn to make different choices, listening to your heart can help you to make choices that will lead to greater success.