This post is part of a series of journaling prompts exploring Chopra's The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success - a book of guidance for mindful living in the modern world. Whatever your level of spiritual practice, I believe there are useful insights to be gained from reflecting on these seven concepts and considering what difference adopting them could make to your life.
Each of the seven posts in this series will explore one of the spiritual laws further, and then offer writing prompts for you to reflect on your responses. This is the third, the Law of 'Karma' or Cause and Effect:
'Energy that returns to us in like kind... what we sow is what we reap.'
This chapter takes the well-known concept of Karma and focuses on the fact that in almost every moment we are making a choice. Sometimes this is conscious, sometimes it's unconscious. A lot of the choices we make are conditioned reflexing, a default response which we have learned and might be repeating for years or decades. It can feel empowering to notice patterns like this and realise that we have the choice to change them, and therefore change some of the outcomes and things that are coming back to us.
Chopra says that 'by becoming a conscious choice-maker, you generate actions that are evolutionary for you and those around you.' The advice for making conscious 'good choices' is to listen to your body. Your heart and gut will be able to tell you if something feels right or not, avoiding the complication of the ego.
Karmic debt is introduced as a kind of positive reframe on negative experiences and suffering. There is an idea that when we are enduring challenges, we are both learning something beneficial, and balancing our karma. Perhaps the necessity of this for everyone makes it more tolerable when we're in the midst of difficulty. Everyone will experience challenges, and maybe they can teach us something for growth.
Journaling Prompts for The Law of Karma:
Are there any regular decisions which you know you repeat on autopilot but would actually like to change? Try and identify them, and write out some alternative options. (For example, 'I automatically eat chocolate after dinner every day, and sometimes maybe I don't need it. I'd like to only have it when I really want and appreciate it.')
How much do you use your head or your heart when you make decisions? How would it be to listen to your body when making choices?
What do you feel when you read about 'karmic debt'?
Can you think of any difficult experiences which actually taught you something valuable?
Write down one positive action you could make every day that would help others.
Write down one positive action you could make every day to help your future self.
Enjoy writing your reflections, and if you have any questions, you can message me on Instagram or email hello@strengthinfeathers.com . The next post and set of journal prompts are around The Law of Least Effort and you can find them here.