Those are two of my favorite words. I believe strongly in both, and maybe by the end of this post you will too. For me, karma is simply defined as “what goes around, comes around,” or even simpler, “do the right thing.” You can also view it as a system of checks and balances. That is, for every good deed you do, a good deed will be returned to you. It may not be immediate, but in my experience, it will happen. Unfortunately, the same is true for bad deeds.

As you think about the concept of karma, consider the following.

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
Unknown source

I’ve tried to live me life based on the premises above, to the best of my abilities. When I really pay attention, I can tell that karma is working for me. I do quite a bit of work for friends, family and non-profits in my community for free or for a very reduced rate. As time goes by it seems that in giving, I am also receiving – specifically in more and bigger clients, usually as a result of a mention from a friend or client that I’ve helped along the way. That system of doing good things and getting goods, is helping my business grow. Through my belief in karma, I’ve been able to sustain my own business for over ten years now. With that, I’m able to live in wonderful home, on 29 acres on the side of a mountain. I’m not saying that to brag, just to illustrate my point – which is, if you work hard and do the right things, your life will be better for it.

That brings me to the second part of this post. Being sure that I’m grateful for what I have is a daily ritual that I share with my wife. As we go to bed each night, at a minimum, we recite these words, “I’m grateful,” followed by several things (family, kids, home) we are grateful for. If we’re apart, for whatever reason, I feel that the day is not complete because we haven’t recited our gratitude statement together.

Making gratitude a part of each day is also something we try to instill in our children as well. We believe that teaching them to be grateful for what they have, and not always wanting something more, will provide them a better foundation for the tougher times in life.

I believe that being grateful for what we have and following the simple guidelines of karma keeps bringing good things our way. Hopefully you will think the same.