These 12 Laws of Karma came to me on one of my internet journeys.  I sensed that they are important to share.  Try reading each one and then pausing for a moment and asking yourself “On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is nailing it, and 1 is failing it, how am I doing with this Law right now?”

The 12 Laws of Karma

1. The Great Law

As you sow, so shall you reap.  This is also known as the Law of Cause and Effect. Whatever we put out in the universe is what comes back to us.  If what we want is happiness, peace, love and friendship, then we should BE happy, peaceful, loving and a friend.

2. The Law of Creation

Life doesn’t just happen. It requires our participation. We are one with the Universe both inside and out.  Whatever surrounds us gives us clues to our inner state.  BE and DO yourself.  Do what you want to have in your life.

3. The  Law of Humility

What you refuse to accept will continue for you.  If what we see is an enemy, or someone with a character trait that we find to be negative, then we ourselves are not focused on a higher level of existence.

4. The Law of Growth

Wherever you go, there you are.  For us to grow in Spirit it is we who must change and not the people, places, or things around us.  The only given we have in our lives is OURSELVES, and that is the only factor we have control over.  When we change who and what we are within our heart, our life changes, too.

5. The Law of Responsibility

Whenever there is something wrong, there is something wrong in us.  We mirror what surrounds us and what surrounds us mirrors us.  We must take responsibility for what is in our life.

6. The Law of Connection

Even if something we do seems inconsequential, it is very important that it gets done, as everything in the Universe is connected.  Each step leads to the next step and so forth and so on.  Someone must do the initial work to get a job done.  Neither the first step nor the last are of greater significance.  They are both needed to accomplish the task.  Past, Present, and Future – they are all connected.

7. The Law of Focus

You can’t think of two things at the same time.  When our focus is on spiritual values, it is impossible for us to have lower thoughts such as greed or anger.

8. The Law of Giving and Hospitality

If you believe something to be true, then sometime in your life you will be called upon to demonstrate that truth.  Here is where we put what we SAY that we have learned into practice.

9. The Law of Here and Now

Looking back to examine what was, prevents us from being totally in the HERE AND NOW.  Old thoughts, old patterns of behavior, old dreams prevent us from having new ones.

10. The Law of Change

History repeats itself until we learn the lessons that we need to change our path.

11. The Law of Patience and Reward

All rewards require initial toil.  Rewards of lasting value require patient and persistent toil.  True joy follows doing what we’re suppose to be doing and waiting for the reward to come in its own time.

12. The Law of Significance and Inspiration

You get back from something whatever you’ve put into it.  The value of something is a direct result of the energy and intent that is put into it.  Every personal contribution is also a contribution to the whole.  Lack luster contributions have no impact on the whole or work to diminish it.  Loving contributions lift up and inspire the whole.

So, how did you score yourself?  Was there one Law that had a particularly high score?  Which one did you score the lowest?  What did you learn about yourself from this exercise?  What Law stands out as a place to begin some focused practice?

To your ongoing growth as a magnificent human being!

Coach Cecily

cause and effect · change · connection · creation · focus · giving · growth · here and now · humility · inspiration · laws of karma · patience · responsibility · reward

“Change says, ‘I am not, and I must become.’ Transformation says, “I am and I am yielding to a process.”

Jim Richards

The weather here on the coast of Massachusetts has been unseasonably Spring-like for several days now. I have made a point of spending some time outside each day and enjoying it while I can, because I know Winter is not quite finished with us hearty New Englanders, yet. I was walking down a path in a wonderful park by the ocean, when an older couple was walking towards me. I always enjoy connecting with people on my walks, so I looked up at them both and greeted them with “Beautiful day!” The woman replied “Isn’t it?” And the man replied “It is.” I was struck by the different sound and feeling of the two responses. With her voice going up at the end, “Isn’t it?” sounded questioning and felt tentative. With his voice going down at the end, “It is.” sounded declarative and felt like solid truth. “Isn’t it?” missed the moment of truly experiencing a heartfelt connection to “Beautiful day!” with its suggestion of doubt. “It is.” was in the moment, connected, knowing, with no doubt at all.

So if we believe that “thoughts are things” and in the importance of choosing our words carefully, we know that these seemingly small distinctions can be important. It is especially important when thinking and speaking about ourselves. Notice the difference between “I am not.” and “I am.” Notice how different it feels in your body when you say these words out loud. How much of the time are you focused on what you are not? Do you have a list of all the things you have to fix about yourself? What would happen if you turned that around? What would happen if you had faith in who you are in this moment?

Napoleon Hill, in his book “Think and Grow Rich,” says this about faith. “When faith is blended with the “vibration of thought,” the subconscious mind instantly picks up the vibration, translates it into its spiritual equivalent, and transmits it to Infinite Intelligence, as in the case of prayer.” He goes on to say we can develop faith through repeating affirmations to our subconscious mind. So let’s try an exercise.  Get out a piece of paper and write “I AM” at the top. Now spend some time writing all of the positive things that you are right now; all of your strengths, all of your talents, all of your gifts, all that you like about yourself. If you find this difficult to do, try asking someone you love and trust to tell you what they see as your strengths.

Once you have your list, go back and circle all the things that you wrote that have an emotional question mark at the end; the ones you are tentative of, the ones where there is some lingering doubt about this being true. An example for me is “I am lovable.” I know in my mind that I have many people who love me, but there is this small area in my heart that still holds on to “I am not that.” These are the ones you want to practice as affirmations until you can feel and know them as solid truths about who you are. Try practicing 3 affirmations twice a day for a week, and then, if you feel ready, pick three new ones. Keep this up until you can read your whole list with belief in everything you wrote, with the transformation of faith that connects you to the divine being you truly are. I am. So it is.

To Your Magnificence,

Coach Cecily

P.S. For the creative types out there, check out “Write an I Am Poem” http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/iampoem.htm.

behavior change · empowerment · I AM · self love · strengths

In my travels on the internet, I came across a copy of the famous Cherokee story about the two wolves.  It’s always been a favorite of mine, and this version was particularly well told.  You may have seen this before, but, please take a moment and read it again.

Two Wolves: A Cherokee Teaching

An elderly Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life… He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me, it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil — he is fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, competition, superiority, and ego. The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.”

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied: “The one you feed”.

Now, think back on the last 24 hours and all your thoughts, feelings, activities, and interactions.  How did your “evil wolf” show up?  How much was fear running the show?  What could you have done differently?  Where did your “good wolf” come in?  What was joyful about your day?

Once you are aware of your own two wolves, you can pay attention to which one you are feeding as you go about your day.  You can notice when your energy feels expanded and when it feels constricted.  You can distinguish between feeling powerful and feeling powerless.  You can tell when your heart is open and when it is closed.  You can make more conscious choices on who you want to be.

Continue to notice the fight between your wolves as you go through the next week.  Be aware of the choices you make and the impact on your life.  This seemingly simple life lesson may inspire profound change.

To your best self,

Coach Cecily

Cherokee teaching · life lesson · self improvement exercise