"As You Sow, So Shall You Reap," Includes Taking Care of Yourself

Just about everyone has heard of The Great Law, whether from The Bible, or The Laws of Karma. 

But the full meaning of the phrase, "as you sow, so shall you reap," has four distinct parts:

1. What we do for others, we do for ourselves, too.
Be kind to other people.
2. What we do for ourselves, we do for others, too.
Take care of yourself.
3. What we do against ourselves, we do against others, too.
Don’t allow anyone to treat you poorly.
4. What we do against others, we do against ourselves, too.
Don’t treat people poorly.

People often know 1 and 4; our actions outward, but haven't considered 2 and 3; our actions inward and those consequences. 

If you don't also practice 2 and 3, you subject yourself to bad karma; being hurt, used, and suffering. 

2. If you do not take care of yourself, you will either not be taken care of and suffer, or will need others to take care of you and become dependent on them and possibly even a burden. ***This is not speaking about people who are physically unable to take care of themselves.*** 

If you are physically able to take care of yourself but always put everyone else's needs ahead of yours, you are not taking care of yourself. 

This cannot be sustained long-term without feeling burnt out, becoming ill, or feeling resentful because nobody ever seem to consider or care for you. You have got to consider and care for yourself in order for others to even be able to do so as well. Your needs are just as important as anyone else's, and you would not want someone to sacrifice themselves doing for you what you could do for yourself. So you cannot sacrifice yourself and do for others what they could do for themselves.

3. If you allow others to treat you poorly, you are encouraging them to keep doing so. This is not only bad for you, but bad for them as well. If you allow it, there is no incentive for them to change. If you complain but still allow it, that is not enough inventive, either. 

If they lose a good person because of their behavior, that may be enough incentive for them to see the consequences of their choices and change. 

By putting up with it, you're not proving your love, you're just lowering your standards. By stopping it, you are acting out of love for yourself and for them. 

This is why it is so important to know! 

Being a good person means being good to yourself, too.

-Doe Zantamata 

Learn all the Laws of Karma and how to apply them to and change your life for the better with Doe's Book, "Happiness in Your Life - Book One: Karma,": https://amzn.to/3YGAS2x