Today we’re going to touch on Intentions and how they affect our personal Karma (aka The Law of Attraction, The Golden Rule, or Cause and Effect).
Sometimes the word Karma is thrown around with the undertone that it’s solely a negative energy boomerang. Most often, references to Karma are made while mumbling under our breath after someone has just wronged us somehow.
We think “...ok...ok... well just wait. That bitch will get what’s coming to her. It’s called karma.”
Let’s take a look at it on a deeper level and break it on down.
Let’s start with the word “Soul”.
We probably all have different ideas on what our soul really is, but for the purpose of this post we’re going to this definition Gary Zukav offers in his Bestselling book The Seat of The Soul.
Gary also happens to be Oprah's O.G. on spirituality, so it's safe to say he's a credible source.
Gary says, “The Soul is that part of us that existed long before we were born and will exist after we die. It’s immortal. It’s your Mother-ship." I think we can all agree that's a pretty good definition of a soul, right?
Like many other spiritual teachers, Gary tells us that there are 2 parts to us- a personality and a Soul.
The personality may not be what you’re thinking. He defines it not so much as the part of you that is a certain way- it’s more the way you act and from what place your actions originate.
He says there are 2 personality "baskets".
The first one, and typically most popular, is FEAR; which are the feelings that hurt when you experience them. They create painful and destructive consequences. So, let’s pile in this basket: addictions, compulsions, obsessions, hatred, jealousy, anger, gossip, etc. Sometimes they make you feel better for a hot-minute, but they are just an attempt to distract from pain.
Fear comes from the part of your personality that reaches outward to try and change the physical world in hopes to mask the pain of powerlessness.
Hum…I wonder who’s ever felt like that. Nope- not me (cue avoidance of eye contact).
Who are we kidding? We've all felt feelings of fear before, but I'd never attributed them as coming from a place of perceived powerlessness.
Gary explains that the feeling of Powerlessness is our ego telling us we’re unworthy, un-lovable, intrinsically flawed, and fundamentally defective. Yikes!
He says often we buy things to feel temporary happiness (guilty), align ourselves with certain people of power or beauty (guilty), or alter ourselves physically (guilty) to try and change the outside world.
But as anyone who’s gone on an online shopping binge only to end up feeling worse after we wear or use the stuff once- you know that only temporary happiness can come from material things.
So, what should we do? He says we should focus on the second basket of personality feelings that truly feel good- caring, gratitude, contentment, and patience. Duh.
Gary says that we need to align our personality with what our Souls want us to do. “When the personality comes fully to serve the energy of the Soul- that is authentic power. That’s when you’re in your flow or sweet spot; which we were all born to do.”
M'Kay, but how?
Find parts of your personality that don’t want to do those things your Soul wants and recognize them but, here’s they key- ignore them.
For example: You kid is being a real asshole and you really want to show them who's boss by yelling; which you're hoping will scare them straight.
This is when you need to hit the brakes and ask yourself where those feeling are coming from.
There are 2 steps:
Go inside and develop emotional awareness- identify your emotions and intentions.
Choose consciously what you say or do next. Ask yourself what your intention is or desired outcome, because the intention is the cause and will determine the effect.
Is your intention to spread Love? Meh.
Is your intention to spread Fear? Busted.
Here’s another example I’m sure we’ve all encountered- the guilt trip.
I’m not innocent; as I’ve laid on a few guilt trips in my day, but I’ve also been on the receiving end of more than enough to know that they NEVER come from a place of Love. They are always spawned out of Fear.
Think about it.
What’s someone’s genuine goal when they are trying to make you feel guilty about a choice you’ve made? I’m guessing they are trying to control you and make you feel bad about yourself. They’re not trying to make you feel loved- even if they try to preface it with the old “I’m only coming from a place of love/concern”.
That’s 100% B.S. so let’s keep that I mind when we receive a steaming pile of guilt from someone. Note to self- Ignore.
G-man tells us the more we cultivate the loving part of our personalities, the more it begins to fill our experience and awareness until that’s all there is. The less you act on the Fear emotions, the less they will pop up. Um- sign me up!
When we act from a place of love, we open the doors to create authentic power.
He warns that authentic power is a step by step process and it may not come easy.
We need to learn to not act on those parts of our personality whose goal is to control us.
Instead, we need to learn to act on the ones that are aligned with our Souls (e.g. gratitude).
He promises that when we keep following that path we will become truly open- then transformative change is possible. Everything that was based in fear will fall away.
Which brings us back to good-ole-karma. Every choice we make creates a consequence, and we must be willing to accept those consequences.
So here’s to giving ourselves a second to stop and think about what our intention is before we say or do something our gut is telling us is questionable at best.
Odds are it may be coming from a place of fear- and I don’t think any of us needs that kind of negative Karma coming back as us.
I echo Gary’s thoughts that we should “Consider the possibility that you are a powerful, creative, compassionate and loving spirit”. I’m going to try and act accordingly.
Who’s with me?!