No actually...Karma is not a "bitch"...Paying your debt to Karma is...

I've been hearing people use the word "Karma" a lot lately. Especially, the sentence "Karma is a bitch"...There are a few misconceptions about how Karma works in relation to that statement. First, and most importantly, Karma is neither bad nor good. It does not seek revenge for you. It does not take notes on who has "wronged" you. Karma is simply an "echo" of what you have put out into the world. This "echo" can be from an action you did last week to an action you took over 20 years ago. This is something that people have really hard time accepting, because this makes you accountable for every misdeed, criticism, and judgment you have "done" to others over your entire life.

Karma, in its purest form, does not take into consideration what religion you are or what culture you are from. So, when people claim to have found "religion", this does not mean that they are no longer accountable for their previous actions. A wonderful example of this is when a person commits a crime that goes unpunished in our legal system for years. Though they may have become an outstanding citizen, Karma still requires accountability for the previous action. This is where the line blurs for most people. This person has asked for "forgiveness" and become religious, so some believe they should no longer have to pay for their crime. Karma is Karma though. It has no reasoning or "forgiving" abilities. It seeks only to balance out what they have previously done. 

True Karma, is not something that just happens in our current lifetime. True Karma, as I understand it, also comes from our choices and actions from previous lifetimes and incarnations. Now, this is where it gets tricky...some people believe in past lives, and some people believe in only one lifetime.

If you believe in multiple lifetimes/reincarnation, then the negative experience that you are currently going through could be a reflection of something you've done in not just this lifetime but a previous lifetime. If you believe that this is the only life you have, then Karma can be explained as the "law of attraction". You've attracted these negative experiences by creating negative experiences in your past.

 One way to help your negative Karma is by doing good deeds. Though you will still be accountable for your actions, by doing good deeds you are helping to make your negative Karma less "harsh". Remember that, Karma is all about your choices and the actions that you take. Whether good or bad.

So, smile at people who cross your path whether they smile back or not. Hold open a door for the person behind you-no matter their age, gender, race or appearance. Leave double the tip when you are out to eat for a waiter/waitress who is having a bad day. Leave a quarter in a grocery cart for the next person. These are all small acts we can do everyday to help our Karma and the people around us.