To best describe karma, you can refer to the old adage, "what goes around comes around." Any act that you do will come back to either reward you or haunt you, with greater magnitude. So, in the case of bad karma, a bad deed, especially a series, may come as a devastating set of events, which can make your life miserable. Overturn bad karma before it occurs. You should be regretful of your misdeeds, repay the bad deeds with good ones, keep yourself from repeating those actions, and bear a positive approach in life.

I. Be Regretful of Your Misdeeds

Regret involves not only feeling bad about what you did, it also pertains to the realization of mistakes as well as the drive to correct them. The emotion helps you formulate an elaborate plan for atonement, provided you're sincere about it. The problem is, pride often gets in the way, hindering a person from accepting his or her mistakes, in an act of self preservation. It even creates excuses for you to justify undeniable misdeeds, which does nothing but worsen your karma even further. So, how can you lower your pride?

• Reality Check - Defending your faults are pointless, unless you can wholeheartedly justify that you didn't make a mistake. If your conscience is hounding you with guilt, ask yourself why. Lower your personal defenses then extract your reasons for doing your hurtful actions. You will then see if you truly did the right thing or if you are merely covering for your mistakes, to save face.

• Reverse the Situation in Your Mind - Man, by nature, is self serving, which we need for our survival. Sometimes that characteristic limits us to seeing only the things from our side of the fence. If you step in the shoes of the other party, who was the subject of the hurtful act, you will understand the situation entirely. Apologizing suddenly becomes an easier task.
• Be Rational - Excessive pride is a product of emotion. If you let your head rule over your heart, at least for a moment, you can focus on the problem without bias. You will, then, see your every error as well as the other party's. Overturning bad karma is easy once you realize your mistakes and stand by them.

With your pride out of the way, you can apologize for what you did and perform the necessary reactions to counter the stigma of your misdeeds. Your bad karma, as a result, is neutralized, or even influenced in a positive direction.

II. Repay the Bad Deeds with Good Ones

Perhaps the most instrumental step to overturn bad karma is to replace your bad deeds with good ones. The good acts will serve as your bargaining chips to the universe. If you perform them with sincerity, chances are, you will receive good karma for your deeds.

• Apology - The very first good deed you must perform is to offer an apology. By doing so, you will open the door for communication, which is instrumental in fixing your relationship with the other party. If the problem is too personal or has a strong stigma, you can apologize through a letter, otherwise you can do it personally. Ideally, you should push through if you're sincere about the whole thing. (Learn how to apologize)
• Perform the Good Deed - The good deed need not be pricey or extravagant. You only need to ensure that the other party feels good or satisfied after doing it. It may come in the form of a favor, a present, or a random act of kindness, depending on the other party's personality. Communicate with him or her so your act feels sincere. Who knows, you may even develop a good relationship from the act and through open communication.

III. Keep Yourself From Repeating Your Misdeeds

You can avoid your misdeeds by focusing on the consequences of your actions. A bad deed branches out to strings of unfavorable situations. For instance, a simple disagreement can lead to the formation of grudges, which causes destructive acts in the future. Bad karma can be the product of those destructive acts or an entirely different situation that will hit you hard. Whichever the case, make a pledge to yourself not to commit the same mistakes to avoid bad karma.

IV. A Positive Vibe

Having a positive outlook plays a big role in avoiding and overturning bad karma. If you have a positive vibe, you will see the good in all situations, even if they are seemingly unfavorable. The effects of a positive vibe are quite infectious, so in effect, you are inducing good karma just by staying happy and positive. Many people are convinced with the effects of positivity, some even wrote books about it (The Secret, The Law of Attraction, etc.). Incorporate much positivity in your personal outlook and you will soon realize that life is pleasant, too pleasant for bad karma to interfere.