Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day?  It’s a movie from the early 90s with Bill Murray, where he finds himself repeating the same day over and over again until he learns his Karmic lesson of empathy and compassion for others.

Being Groundhog Day today, it got me thinking about how profound this movie is and how often the idea of Karma is misused, usually in a scary and uncomfortable way.

The common misconception of: ‘If I do something bad then something bad will happen to me’ is not exactly the intent behind Karma.  This idea is much more of a moralistic viewpoint to encourage us to be good people and do good things.  It’s the good boy / bad boy view: If you’re a good boy then Santa Claus will bring you presents this year, but if you’re a bad boy, watch out!

I think Karma and Karmic lessons are far beyond this moralistic view.

Karmic lessons are soul lessons.

Soul lessons of empathy, understanding, resiliency, humility, and compassion.

It’s a cycle of karma that says, ‘if I don’t learn this soul lesson in this life, I will repeat it until I fully understand and learn.’

Reflection:

– What does the idea of Karma and Karmic Lessons mean to you?

– Take a moment and reflect on what Karmic Lessons you are learning in this lifetime.

– If you are in recovery: How does the idea of Karmic Lessons play a role in your recovery?

– How can we begin to connect to our Inner selves and connect more deeply to these soul lessons?