Revenge vs Karma: A Lesson from the Driveway

Today, at my paycheck job, something reminded me on how important perspective can be.

A co-worker stepped out to take a personal call and drove down a quiet street across from our office. He turned around in a driveway, not noticing a small sign that said "No U Turn." Ten minutes after he returned, a woman stormed into our office, demanding to know who owned the parked car on the street. She was angry - really angry. She said she had his car on camera and that if he ever did it again, she'd call the sheriff.

He tried to explain that it was a one-time thing, that he didn't even notice the sign, and that he had no reason to go down that road again. But she wasn't having it. She repeated her threat and left just as abruptly as she came.

The whole interaction left him shaken and angry for the rest of the day. He kept replaying it, wondering why someone would react so harshly to something so minor and unintentional. And honestly I was wondering the same thing.

He wanted revenge. He wanted to do something to get back at her, to make her feel the same frustration and embarrassment she had caused him. And I get it - those feelings are real. But I told him something I've come to believe deeply: There's no need for revenge when Karma is already doing its job.

People who carry that kind of bitterness and hostility are already living in the storm of their own making. You don't need to add to it. You don't need to match their energy. You don't need to prove anything. Because the truth is, karma doesn't need your help.

I've never understood why people choose to be so angry. Why they feel the need to spew hostility for no apparent good reason - well, not any good reason that I can see. Life is hard enough. Why make it harder for someone else over something so small?

Revenge is tempting - if feels like taking back control. But it's also exhausting. It keeps you tied to the very thing you want to move past. Karma, on the other hand, is quiet. It's patient. It works in ways we don't see, but it always shows up.

And then there's perspective. That's the real power. Perspective asks: Do I want to be like her? Or do I want to live my life with peace and grace?

We all get to choose how we respond. We can carry someone else's anger, or we can let it go and move forward. We can mirror the bitterness, or we can rise above it. In the end, peace isn't something others give us - it's something we choose.

So the next time someone tries to pull you into their storm, remember: You don't have to go. Karma's already on the job. You just continue living your life.