The Universal Favor Bank - Life’s Other Rewards

Favor Bank Reflection by

“As ye sow, so shall ye reap” “Karma” “The Law of Cause and Effect” Every major religion shares the basic tenet that when an act of kindness is performed unselfishly, without fanfare and without any expectations, that at some point we’ll be rewarded. However, that reward is only commensurate with our acts and according to our needs.

“The Universe” has a “plan” for each of us, though for some it has something special in mind, in which case it takes a more active role in directing someone’s life. Regardless of what category we fall under, few of us are aware of just how important a role “The Universe” plays in our lives. Everyone can look back on their lives and find a series of events, however major or insignificant they may have seemed at the time, that led them to where they’re at presently.

While the most obvious rewards are material or financial in nature, there are others that are not so obvious. The simplest and the most satisfying is the gratitude of the person we’ve helped. Then there are the lessons we’ve hopefully learned in life, whether through situations we’ve put ourselves in, or those the “The Universe” has chosen to confront us with.

We’ve all been in relationships or had jobs we were unhappy with. All too often though, we decide that doing nothing is preferable to what we might face if we ended the relationship or left our job. This is where “The Universe” steps in and makes that decision for us. It may be something as simple as our partner deciding to move to another city to pursue their “plan” or our boss laying us off. Despite the heartache or hardship we may endure for a period of time, in the end we ultimately realize that we’re better off… which is a reward.

The flipside to the foregoing is that sometimes we find ourselves in relationships or jobs that we feel are perfect, yet for some reason we can’t fathom, they come to an abrupt end. Actually, the reason is quite simple. We all need relationships in our lives, whether it be a lover or spouse, and we all need to earn money in order to survive. Mindful of that, and the fact that we can only be pressed so far emotionally and mentally in fulfilling “our plans”, “The Universe” allows for rest stops. The reward here is that the relationship fulfilled an emotional need that both individuals had and the job got them back on their feet so that they could continue with “their plan”. Like it or not though, if we don’t take the cues from “The Universe” telling us it’s time to move on, it will make that decision for us!

While performing favors may come naturally to most of us, there are times when “The Universe” will ask us for favors. How often have we heard on the news about someone saving a person from a burning building or from drowning, and how often have we heard someone comment how lucky that person was that the individual who saved them was around? Luck had nothing to do with that person who saved the individual being at that exact place, at that exact moment in time.

There are favors “The Universe” will ask of us that aren’t quite so dramatic, such as caring for an ailing parent or child, or the elderly woman who lives next door, who just lost her husband. That care may be for a week or perhaps a year or more. Regardless of how caring we may be, at some point we’ll think about "our plans”, and that if we aren’t able to take that next step immediately, we’ll never be able to. What we don’t realize is that no matter how hard we push, the time isn’t right for us to take that next step anyway, otherwise “The Universe” would not have asked us for the favor. Often during the course of our lives we’ll question why “The Universe” allowed a loving, caring person to be in a fatal accident or suffer at the hands of a murderer. What we first have to understand is that we don’t live our lives independently of others. In short, the positive seeds we sow, or our positive Karma is affected by the negative of others. Secondly, we have to realize that those individuals we’ve lost may have fulfilled “their plan” and that whatever has befallen them will be an inspiration to others. How many times have we heard stories about family or friends who were so affected such situations, that they’ve lobbied for gun laws or started up charitable foundations to fund research for a terminal illness.

The bottom line is that if “The Universe” points you in a certain direction or asks something of you, don’t ignore it and don’t question it!

More Favor Bank Stories

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For the Smallest of Favors by Mary Deal.

Capitalism With A Buddhist Twist by Jane Genova.

'Miracles' due to the Favor Bank Principle by Phil Evans.

May we all have plenty of deposits to make by Elle Smith Fagan.

Recycling Favors, a Favorbank Story by Shirl T.


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