A man is greedy. He is materialistic. He is a successful and very savvy businessman, and secretly gloats over his ability to charm or manipulate others so he can continue to accumulate money and material things. Then one day he finds himself a pauper, having been outdone by another with greater charm or manipulation skills. Is this karma? It certainly is.

Where one's trouble can be traced directly to one's own actions in this lifetime, is an example of karma.

Not karma: A car accident, where one is driving down the highway, rounding the curve and finds himself in a head-on collision. Did the victim cause this accident somehow? It was simply a matter of time and place, a matter of chance. These situations do not involve karma, not even as retribution from a former lifetime, which never occurs. Each time we pass through this life is truly a fresh start.

Karma comes from our own thoughts. We create our own karma, and WE are the only ones that can change it by changing our thinking. Until we do, Life keeps reminding us to when we keep creating or attracting situations which reflect the beliefs we are still holding in our minds and about ourselves.

The concept of karma originated from the hindu belief that there is a perfect universal order in the world. Nothing happens at random, but things happen under a universal order. "Whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." [gal 6:7] this is the basis of karmic law which means, that every action has a result. In Buddhist teachings, the law of karma says: for every event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant according as its cause was skillful or unskillful.

Karma is another lesson in human relationships and in how we function and experience life. In theory each school of thought, be it buddist or hindu, proclaims more or less that the moral law of Karma is "A good cause, a good effect; a bad cause a bad effect". Does this mean we have control of that which occurs in our lives? Karmically speaking yes, but we shouldnt confuse Karma with fate. Fate is the notion that a persons life is preplanned by some external power but there is no control over destiny. Karma on the other hand, can be changed. Because we are conscious beings, we can be aware of our karma and thus strive to change a course of events because we are a result of what we think.

Author, Human Behavior Expert and Celebrity Life Coach, Patrick Wanis believes that Karma is not simply about a mechanical cause and effect principle or what goes around comes around. From a spiritual perspective, Karma is about helping us to understand the meaning of our actions and as such to teach us to have greater compassion, to love unconditionally and more deeply, and to forgive.

Wanis also believes Karma isnt about punishment. Another example would be, a man cheats on his wife: they eventually separate and divorce. Sometime later, the man is in a relationship and his partner now cheats on him. Some people might say he got what he deserved - to be punished. But what does punishment teach: If we hurt someone else then we will be hurt in turn? A better lesson would be to help one to see and feel how one's wrong actions hurt other people. This approach encourages compassion, empathy, love and respect -for self and others.

Thus, in the case of the woman who first cheated and then was cheated upon, he now has the opportunity to feel the same pain and hurt that his wife felt when she was cheated on. Now he (the husband) has the opportunity to feel compassion and to gain a greater and deeper understanding for the consequences and impact of his actions on others and himself. Further, maybe his wife chose not to forgive him and so his Karmic lesson might be to now forgive the woman that cheated on him, thus helping him to express more love than before. The greater lesson here is to learn to love, forgive and accept ourselves and so, in turn, we can love, forgive and accept others.

Our strongest karma lessons are ingrained in us from our family members. The lessons we take with us from our upbringing are those lessons that help create our karma because it is within immediate family that we learn our best and least desirable behaviors. The family is where we learn how to get along (or not get along) with others, how to love or hate and how to praise or condemn others. When we take these as well as other learned behaviors, good and bad, out into the world and use them we are creating our karma.

Karma or no Karma it is incumbent on every parent to teach their children what their purpose is in this life: to be the best we can be. Nick Mojzesz, creator of the website, Lessons in Theosophy writes that Karma is the idea that a record of our deeds (good and bad) stays with us. Good deeds will mean better opportunities for us in the future. Conversely, we will need to make amends for the bad things we do. Specifically, a good deed or a bad deed may mean good or bad things happening to us in a future life. Sharing simplified karma lessons with children can help them to develop an understanding of the notion that doing good for others, may very well bring us good in return. Hopefully these lessons will grow and develop along with them.

While the nobility of a persons character is dependent on their "good" thoughts, actions, and words conversely, if we embrace degrading thoughts, those thoughts can invariably influence us into negative actions and so it is important to remember that we ourselves are responsible for our own happiness and misery and that if we simply do good for others it may very well come back to us - which begs the question: Do we reap what we sow? The answer is a definitive yes. Because we are a direct result of what we think, when we are forced in our own lives to reflect on why what happens to us, happens to us, the most constructive thing to do is to calmly assess our situations and determine how we will conduct our lives from today forward.

Again, it never hurts to try to live one's life from the standpoint of compassion and wisdom, making sure that one works to be part of the solution, wherever one can. As sung so boldly in her song Karma, Alicia Keys puts it best when she sings Its Karma baby, and it goes Around.

Nancy Mure

Nancy S. Mure? was born in Brooklyn, New York. She was raised in an Italian-American household, and grew up one of three children. Brooklyn is the basis for her inspiration and where she still calls home.

To date, Nancy has published five children?s books. The Caterpillar that Wouldn?t Change was her first published story and an instant bestseller at SynergEbooks. She has since published four new titles.

Before writing motivating children?s fiction, Nancy earned a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Psychology from Hunter College in NYC.

Ms. Mure? is a member of the Society of Children?s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). When she isn?t writing, Nancy enjoys music, reading biographies, recreational running, skiing, weight training, classic art, and time with her children. An avid cook, Nancy frequently attends creative cooking workshops and has been featured on the Food Network.