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Lightheart
by Alan Cohen
While perusing the hieroglyphics
in an ancient Egyptian tomb, I discovered a painting showing a set of scales,
like the scales of justice. On one side of the scales was a feather, and on the
other, a human heart. Near the scales a godly entity looked on, along with an
ugly monster-like animal.
Our Egyptologist explained that
this image depicted the Egyptian concept of the day of judgment. When someone
died, according to the ancient legend, the person would be accused by 42 gods of
having committed various sins. If the person could deny these sins --
while keeping his heart as light as a feather -- he would be admitted to
heaven and enjoy eternal life. If he could not deny these sins with a light
heart, the nasty-looking dog-entity Anubis stood waiting to devour him and send
him to. . . well, you know.
If I were a fire and brimstone
minister, I could have a field day with this scenario. But I am a teacher of
forgiveness, and I will have my own field day with it.
Can you recognize your innocence
when others are trying to convince you that you are guilty?
The Four Agreements advises us, "Don’t take anything personally."
A Course in Miracles tells us, time and again, that we are all innocent.
None of us have truly sinned. Yes, we have made plenty of mistakes, but none of
us has done anything that would cause us for even a moment to lose the love of
God or deserve damnation. To the contrary, the Course tells us, we are born of
light and unto light we return. If we practice forgiveness and self-honoring, we
can enjoy the light even as we walk the earth.
When faced with demanding
situations, can you keep your heart as light as a feather? Can you laugh your
way through challenges and maintain an attitude freer than fear? When confronted
with upsets and the poisonous projections of others, can you remember that all
is well? Do you know that you are a spiritual being, not subject to the whims
and caprices of earthly tides? Are you bigger than your circumstances?
One of my favorite movie
characters is played by Gene Wilder in
Stir Crazy. Harry is a perpetually happy-go-lucky fellow with a knack
for turning every experience into a gift. When Harry is thrown into prison for a
crime he did not commit, the prison officials try to break his positive
attitude. But they can’t. The guards hang Harry by his wrists for several days,
only to find him with a big smile on his face. "Thank you, oh, thank you!" he
exclaims as they untie him. "You've finally solved my back problem!"
Next, the officials lock Harry
in a little hot box under the sweltering sun. When they extract him a few days
later, he begs, "Oh, please, give me just one more day — I was just starting to
get into myself." Finally they throw Harry into a cell with Grossberger, a
300-pound crazed murderer that the toughest criminals avoid like the plague.
When the guards return, they find Harry and Grossberger on the floor laughing
over a game of cards. Harry kept choosing joy, and everything around him lined
up with his best interests.
February is the month for
lovers. Let’s revisit relationships through the eyes of lightheartedness. The
nature of love is freedom and empowerment. It is about play, delight, and
celebration. It is about supporting each other to be ever more passionately
creative. Relationship was never intended to be heavy, constricting, and
soul-consuming. It is not about projecting need and blame and judgment upon our
partners or ourselves. Yes, there is life beyond processing. If there is one
purpose to relationship, it is to empower each other to be more comfortable,
confident, and alive in who we already are.
Throughout your day, as often as
possible, take a heart reading. Ask yourself, "In this moment, is my heart light
or heavy? Am I pandering to the fears of others, or proceeding from my inner
strength? Have I given my power to appearances, or do I remember the truth?
The lesson is the same for the
lighthearted Egyptian, Harry the prisoner, and you and me: Enjoy your life.
Everything else is details. Forget about the ugly monster waiting to devour you;
he is a figment of somebody else’s imagination. Your own imagination can take
you to far brighter places.
We have been taught that spirit
and matter are different, but they are not. Matter is an expression of spirit,
and in the end, the only thing that matters is spirit.
Previous
columns & articles by Alan Cohen.
 Recommended
book by this author:
"Happily Even After: Can You Be Friends
After Lovers"
by Alan Cohen.
Info/Order this book.
About The
Author
 Alan
Cohen is the author of many popular inspirational books, including the
best-selling
Why Your Life Sucks and What You Can do About It, the award-winning
A Deep Breath of Life, and his latest book
Mr. Everit’s Secret--What I learned from the
World’s Richest Man.
(The above books can be ordered by clicking on the book titles.)
Alan offers four on-line courses throughout
the year and the
life-transforming Mastery Training in Maui. For
information on these programs and a free catalog of Alan's books,
tapes, and seminars, phone 800.568.3079, visit
www.alancohen.com, email info@alancohen.com,
or write P.O. Box 835, Haiku, HI 96708.
More
articles by this author.
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