Karma, Integrity + What We Practice
I wrote about karma several years ago, and my understanding of it has continued to evolve.
At the time, I wrote: “Karma is the manifestation in your external world of who you are internally.”
I still find something powerful in that idea—but today, I would add a little more nuance. We don't control everything that happens to us. Life happens. Loss happens. Other people's choices affect us. Bodies change. Plans fall apart. Sometimes really shitty things happen to really good people. And I do believe that what is happening inside of us changes the way we experience, respond to, and participate in the world around us.
And what we repeatedly practice matters. Have you ever noticed how some people seem able to find little pockets of goodness almost everywhere? They're wearing a cute outfit. They land the big business deal. Someone surprises them with a free coffee. It isn't necessarily because the universe decided they're a "good" person and therefore deserves good things. They're noticing and they're available for it.
And sometimes the opposite happens. You wake up and it's raining. You trip over the dog and whack your hand on the doorframe. You hit every red light. You get to work and everyone seems to be in a bad mood. By 9:15 AM, you're convinced the entire day is garbage. And suddenly your awareness is looking for more evidence that you're right.
This is where I think our internal state matters. Not because you manifested the rain. Not because your thoughts made the traffic light turn red. But because the state you're living in affects what you notice, how you respond, what you choose next, and what you continue carrying. And sometimes you really can shake it off.
Literally. Jump around. Go for a walk. Take a shower. Shake your arms. Put your feet on the earth. Clean your kitchen. Cry. Breathe. Turn on music ridiculously loud. Hug your cat against its will. Do something that interrupts the state you're in long enough to give yourself access to another possibility.
You don't have to pretend everything is wonderful. You just don't have to keep feeding the same state.
And This Is Where Integrity Comes In
Integrity, to me, is living in alignment with what you say matters to you. There can be an enormous amount of friction when what we say we want and how we're actually living aren't in agreement. We say we want peace while continually choosing chaos. We say we want a different relationship while repeating the same patterns. We say we want more space while filling every open hour. We say we want abundance while believing we aren't allowed to receive. We say we want change while desperately trying to keep everything exactly the same.
That's not a moral failure. It's information. Where am I saying one thing and practicing another?
That question can reveal a lot. Because transformation isn't just about what you want. It's about what you're willing to practice. The stories you repeat. The habits you reinforce. The boundaries you keep—or don't. The environments you create. The way you speak to yourself when nobody else can hear you. The things you continue saying yes to. And the things you're finally willing to say no to. I don't think karma is a cosmic scoreboard keeping track of whether you've been good or bad. I'm much more interested in thinking about it as an invitation to notice: What am I practicing today that I am also carrying into tomorrow?
You don't have to control the universe. You don't have to think positively every second. And you certainly don't have to blame yourself for everything that has happened to you. But you do get to participate in what happens next. Choose wisely. Shake it off when you need to. Come back into integrity. And believe in what you want enough that you are willing to begin living in alignment with it.
Not perfectly.
Intentionally.
Karma is neither good or bad, it is the sum of your experience to create the future experiences. That's practical magic.
