“Our actions are like ships which we may watch set out to sea, and not know when or with what cargo they will return to port.”
– Iris Murdoch
Newton’s third law of motion states: “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” This is not only true in the world of science, but also in the game of life. Author Iris Murdoch believes our actions always have rewards or repercussions; however, we cannot determine which until after the fact. This means we must act naturally and instinctively. And this is where our karma is truly tested; is yours good or bad?
Having good or bad karma is not determined by how many mistakes we make, but rather by all of the wrongdoings or good deeds we do for others. As human beings, we are far from perfect. Everybody makes mistakes and must learn to cope with them; however, it is the intentionally malicious acts that we commit that give us the ever-dreaded “bad karma.”
In this world, not a single person who likes everyone or who everyone likes exists. It is easy to feel tempted to act on negative emotions towards someone else. It is much harder, though, to resist that temptation and take the high road. If someone does you wrong, it can be very hard to forgive that person. People say that we should “forgive and forget,” but the problem is that even when people forgive, they never truly forget. It’s the lingering memory of a moment of betrayal or hurt that drives us to do things we aren’t proud of.
Though it is a sad reality to face, people surprise us in ways we never thought they could. A best friend of 15 years tells everyone your darkest secrets behind your back, a guy plays you without you realizing it, a person exposes your private life in order to promote his or her social life…it happens to the best of us. I know it sounds cliché, but think about it: you wouldn’t be given the hardest of obstacles to overcome if you weren’t one of the strongest out there.
If people betray you, react in the way that will surprise them the most: give them nothing but a smile and wave goodbye. If you have harmed others, act in the way that they will appreciate the most: own up to your mistakes. In life, all you can do is take the high road and try your hardest to mend what you’ve broken. As for those that have wronged you without any regrets, don’t worry. Karma will catch up to them one day.