Karma, Gravity, Thermodynamics – all scientific laws of nature discovered through careful observation, applicable to everyone except in the rarest of situations.
Understanding these laws gives us control, not control over nature but rather more control, or capacity, to create within nature. Just as a deep understanding and application of the physical laws of nature have allowed us unimaginable advances in the physical realm. The same level of understanding and application of the science of karma brings unimaginable advances in the supra-physical (more than physical) realm.
At its simplest level karma is the understanding of cause and effect. If you live an unhealthy lifestyle you are likely to have poor health. If you do not get enough sleep you are likely to be tired. If you keep close company with knuckleheads you are likely to become a knucklehead. If you make poor decisions you are likely to have poor outcomes.
Chances are at an early age you gave up your attempts to levitate by jumping off the living room foot stool and simply wishing it were possible. A reasonable adaptation to the apparent reality. Yet its not hard to find a 55 year old who still thinks sarcasm and cynicism are a path to happiness for them selves and those around them. A complete denial of the apparent reality.
The invitation here is to look at the choices we make, the actions that we take, the thoughts that we think and notice their impact. Become accountable for that impact. Does it seem to be leading you in the direction of your deepest, most heartfelt intuition about life. If so keep going, if not, imagine what might and try that.
Sample practice:
Choose one aspect of your daily activity, the food you eat, the media you consume, the company you keep, how you speak to your family. At first choose just one, observe your self, observe the impact of how you feel as you do it, if there is an other involved notice how they respond to you. No judgment of self or other in this, just observe until the data starts to show you a pattern. Access the pattern, could it be refined? Modify your activity to optimize the outcome. Repeat the experiment.