I spent a lot of my life wondering what the deal was with religion. Having grown up in Ireland, I was constantly bombarded with Catholicism from birth. I’ve been baptised, had my Communion at age 7, my Confirmation at age 12 and have seen the inside of many a church with all the christenings, weddings and funerals I’ve been to. I was also forced to go to Mass every Sunday for about 5 years (by myself, I often wondered why my parents made me go when they rarely went). But I never saw the point in it all, even though I honestly tried. I just can’t take a leap of faith, I need proof.

I’ve researched a lot of religions, partially out of curiousity as to what they’re like and partially to see if there was anything I could put my belief in. Paganism was close but not quite it. Belief has power and while I’m not going into any details, belief in paganism works.

Back in 2007, I started having all sorts of ephiphanies about all sorts of things. I was going through a major change in my life so it’s not surprising that I figured out a lot of stuff in my head. One of the biggest discoveries within my own head was a new way of thinking, a new belief.

Karma.

Okay, so it’s not a new concept but I took it and adapted it for myself. I wrote up some guidelines to always remember and every time I practise it, karma presents me with proof. Brilliant!

  1. Do random nice things for people, even strangers. Walk up to someone on the street and compliment them, then walk away leaving them slightly confused and flattered. Make a kickass CD/DVD/mix/folder/whatever for someone who’ll appreciate it. Make a cup of tea for your mam. You get the idea, and being inventive with your random acts of kindness can be a lot of fun.
  2. Don’t live the karma way of life if you expect the 3 Fold Law to work in every circumstance. It doesn’t work like that. Sometimes, a person can do many a great deed and still have a string of bad luck for a while but the karma will build up and be released eventually. You can’t really appreciate the highs until you’ve suffered the lows. Besides, karma isn’t about what you get back from it. You should expect nothing back except maybe for a smile and/or a hug.
  3. You must learn the difference between Right and Wrong. Completely essential stuff.
  4. Try to have manners. They don’t hurt or cost anything and can really brighten up someone’s day. (Talking from experience here!)
  5. Help those who cannot help themselves.
  6. All religions can be celebrated. Karma is not an exclusive club.
  7. Be kind and interested in our environment/nature/planet. We’ve taken a lot from all around us and it’s mostly taken for granted.
  8. Be kind to yourself every now and then. Do something you want to do. Do something exciting and different that you’ve never done before. If nobody wants to join you, well go ahead and do it by yourself anyway!
  9. Give the world as much love and karma and as little destruction and chaos as possible.
  10. Enjoy life but do no harm to anyone. This includes making people worry about you.

I know it might sound a bit sappy and all, but it’s something I’ve created and something I can truly believe in. Besides, it’s an easy religion to celebrate. All I have to do is share my karma with everyone 🙂

“To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest of places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.” ~ Arundhati Roy