Karma is the concept that actions have consequences, influencing our future based on our past. I’m sure many of us have heard the phrase, “What goes around comes around,” but a lot of us also don’t know the true meaning behind it or how the phrase came to be. This phrase is saying whatever you do, whether it’s good or bad, will eventually come back to you. There’s good karma that comes from good actions and the rewards you get for it or there’s bad karma that brings consequences. Karma also makes us think more of cause and effect, what we do and what happens because of what we do.

This phrase is very related to the beliefs of Buddhism and Hinduism. “Hinduism identifies karma as the relationship between a person’s mental or physical action and the consequences following that action.” Similarly, “In Buddhism, karma refers to the principle of cause and effect. The result of an action — which can be verbal, mental, or physical — is determined not only by the act but also by the intention.” Knowing the impacts of our actions and how they can affect us motivates us to choose what we do wisely, leading us to take more responsibility and to think more about what we do. Good actions bring a good life while bad actions bring a bad life and who wants that?

This saying really makes you think about how much karma plays a role in shaping our influences and the decisions we make. Understanding that our actions have consequences encourages us to act with mindfulness because we know that positive actions can lead to positive outcomes while negative actions will lead to negative outcomes. Ultimately, karma serves as a reminder that our choices shape not only our lives but the lives of others around us.