the effects of reverse pyschology on karma

Karma is a funny thing. Some people believe that doing good for others results in good things happening for you. Others think it is all coincidence. I'm not really sure what to think, but I have noticed something strange recently. Have you ever noticed that certain things in your life don't happen the way that you want them to until you quit pushing so hard?

Take my marriage, for example. I dated lots of girls before meeting my wife, and with every one of them I was so hung up on finding the "right girl" for me and having a "serious" relationship. As a result, every one failed miserably. I met my wife on the rebound, wasn't really looking for "the one". I even tried to ignore the fact that she seemed so perfect and that there was a special feeling there that I had never felt before. I didn't want to get "serious" this time. After our third or fourth date, she told me that she felt it, too. We've been married very happily for twelve years now. So much for the "rebound".

Fast forward to today. As a self-employed web designer, I have been struggling the last two years. I was putting forth a lot of effort, and was really determined to impress new clients. Business trickled in, and I kept having to find other generic jobs in business to pay the bills. While I like the idea of having several streams of income, I'm tired of wearing so many hats. I was getting ready to give up on the web design thing altogether when I suddenly picked up a promising client. His project turned out to only be a 4 hour job, and I almost dismissed him altogether. When I did the work, I wasn't very enthusiastic about it because I didn't think it would result to much later on. I know that I should treat every client the same regardless of how much they are spending, and I usually do, but I sometimes get tired of dealing with people who want the cheapest solution that money can buy. How did I get to be that discount guy?

Strangely enough, this client has started to refer tons of work to me. While his own project was meager at best, the work he has been sending my way is four to five times as profitable. So I guess the theory of "reverse psychology" can sometimes work on more than just three-year-old.