According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, karma is "the force created by a person's actions that some people believe causes good or bad things to happen to that person."

When asked what I believe in, my go-to answer is karma: the idea whatever you put into this world will come back to you. However, after getting my hands dirty from digging through research on the subject, I came upon the 12 essential rules of karma. Little did I know how important each aspect to the force is. Once I incorporated these aspects into my life, I got a clearer understanding of what karma truly stands for and how valuable it is in our day-to-day lives. Oftentimes, we find ourselves at a crossroads where we must choose between taking matters into our own hands or allowing karma to come into play.

Here are the 12 laws of karma that are essential to keep in mind when we begin to doubt it.

1. The Great Law

“Whatever we put into the universe will come back to us.” Whether it be good or bad, taking the time to reflect on our future choices helps us be mindful of the fact that every action has a reaction.

2. The Law of Creation

“Life doesn’t happen by itself, we need to make it happen.” More likely than not, you may not be able to find shortcuts. Author Zig Ziglar once said, "there is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs." That being said, get off your couch and go tone those legs muscles on the path to success.

3. The Law of Humility

“One must accept something in order to change it.” Rather than being stuck in denial, try believing that everything happens for a reason. To be able to move on from whatever it is that is holding you back, accept that it happened, and look forward to how you can work around it for better is key to maintaining harmony.

4. The Law Of Growth

“When we change ourselves, our lives follow suit and change too.” Our lives are a physical manifestation of our thoughts. Therefore, focus on what you do want rather than what you don’t want. Once we start putting our words into actions, we learn the value of cause and effect. Socrates once said, "the secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but building the new."

5. The Law of Responsibility

“We must take responsibility for what is in our lives.” Whether you like it or not, everything that goes on in your life is being attracted to you by your actions. Learn to take responsibility of your life; once you manage to accomplish this, you’ll start seeing things fall into place.

6. The Law of Connection

“The past, the present, and the future are all connected.” One thing we can be certain of is that focusing solely on the past prevents us from living in the now and building our future. Everything you have endured until now has molded you into who you are today, your thoughts and actions today are what pave the path to your tomorrow.

7. The Law of Focus

“We cannot think of two things at the same time.” Set your mind at ease and focus on your current aspirations. Though multitasking seems to get things done quicker, your quality of work is significantly better when you focus your energy into one task at a time.

8. The Law of Giving & Hospitality

“Our behavior should match our thoughts and actions.” Incorporate that what you have learned into practice.

9. The Law of Here And Now

“One cannot be present if they are looking backward.” Learn from your past, live in the present, and trust in your future. Cartoonist Bil Keane once said, "yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, but today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present." Never had I imagined that originally hearing those words from Kung Fu Panda would leave such an impact. Time is not for sale. Take this into account and live in the now, for we never know if we will have another tomorrow.

10. The Law of Change

“History repeats itself until we learn from it and change our path.” Philosopher Karl Marx once stated that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. The only comedic matter to it is how many times we often find ourselves making the same mistakes over and over again. Don’t let yourself hit rock bottom before you realize it’s too late to climb your way back up.

11. The law of Patience And Reward

“The most valuable rewards require persistence.” We’ve all heard the term practice makes perfect. Though there is no perfect, there are ways we can get pretty close. My secret is to start off with a “no” and work your way to a “yes." You will always have the "no" if you don’t try.

12. The Law of Significance And Importance

“Rewards are a direct result of the energy and effort we put into it.” Even if you come up empty handed ten times and get back up for the eleventh time and try again, your ultimate reward will become immeasurable once you look back at how far you’ve come.