spinning the wheel of karma

Have you ever noticed that when we meet friends for tea or lunch the dialogue has gone drastically sour. We are no longer sharing like two cars on the same road but rather we are dumping our problems on each other like a garbage truck at the landfill. We are complaining about everything from work to lovers alike. And yes, it may feel good for the New York minute but what is happening on the long run?

Our loved ones are now weighted down with our burdens and when we get up to leave from the cafe table we may feel lighter (that is to say we didn't eat the entire pizza all by ourselves) but we must remember that we are leaving behind a heavy footprint. Now our friends must carry what was once our burden and the trail of negativity gets created. So then, what happens? Well, in turn, our friends go and dump a load of complaints on someone else and the cycle continues. And there you have it folks, the seed of karma gets sewn and the world becomes a web of mental garbage and negativity. No wonder why we feel so heavy at the end of the day! Mentally we may be carrying the burdens of many. And that's why is is so refreshing to run into someone who is light, positive, and simply carefree.

You may be thinking, wait a minute! I need this time to talk and complain. I need to get this 'garbage' off my chest. Who, then, can I count on to listen? Well, first and foremost we have to become good listener's ourselves. We need to listen to how we are talking to our near and dear ones. We can talk about anything if are aware of our very own intentions. We must go inside first and come from a spirit of sharing and innocence like children who play show and tell. Words sound different with different intentions behind them. We will be different, and we will resonate at much higher frequency. It's not about 'what' we talk about but it's about 'how' we do it.

See, at the very root of 'blowing off steam' or gossiping unconsciously lives anger, violence or negativity and that becomes the seed that we are sewing in the universe. It may feel good for a spilt second to let it all out in the heat of the moment but that aggression becomes our very muscle memory. We then don't know of any other way to respond and a habit of violence and negativigty is formed. That is why hitting a pillow when we are angry never works. Again, it may feel good momentarily but we are just reinforcing violence in our systems, in our very tissues, and we will respond with anger the next chance we get. The pattern will live on.

Awareness is key. Being aware when we are angry or negative is different than becoming the anger itself. Anger is energy (all our emotions are energy) and it's our ability to be aware that can transform any moment. Next time watch how you do the dishes. Do you caress each mug with with soapy gratitude and kindness? Or are you a bit angry to have to be doing the dishes in the first place? Make life your practice before you dump garbage on your friends. Look in, find out who you really are, and see just what kind of web you are spinning and who is trapped inside.

It all starts with ourselves. Allow your true loving presence to radiate. Help yourself and help others.