From the Heart

Upon arriving home after a long trip, I discovered that a rat had been marauding my pantry. I set a Have-a-Heart trap, and within a few days caught the fuzzy intruder. The anxious rodent didn't like being trapped in the cage, and scurried about in a frenzy to try to find his way out. When, several hours later, I took the rodent out to a field to release him, he taught me a powerful lesson.

As I tilted the cage and opened the door for him to slide out, to my surprise, he did not jump out. Instead, he clung to the cage for dear life. The more I shook the cage to dislodge him, the more firmly he grasped the wire mesh that was entrapping him. Finally I gave the cage a good shake, and out he slid and scampered to freedom.

It occurred to me that we humans act not very differently than the rat when our cage is being rattled. We create traps of addiction, abusive relationships and meaningless jobs, and then we cling to those unhealthy situations as if they are our salvation. We do not like the cage, but after being in it a while, it seems to offer us a sense of safety and security. Then, when the universe shakes up our world, we rail and complain as if something terrible is happening to us. But we do not realize that we are being given a chance to break free from the bonds that once held us captive.

The Jewish commentary on the Bible tells that when the Hebrew slaves were released from bondage in Egypt, they found themselves in an uncharted wilderness. At trying times, a large segment of the new nation railed, "Let's go back to Egypt -- at least we were assured of food and shelter there!" What they forgot, in a moment of fear, was why they had left in the first place. They forgot that they had been slaves, and were seeking a greater life. Similarly, when the African-Americans were released from slavery after the Emancipation Proclamation, a certain number chose to return to indentured service voluntarily. The freedom -- and responsibility -- to create a life of their own choosing seemed too much for them to bear.

We may not be slaves to political tyrants, but we may tend to cling to our old known world as a source of security. The disguised voice of fear advises, "maintain the known at all costs -- even if the known stinks." For some reason, the familiar seems more attractive than the unknown, even if the new world at our doorstep offers us infinitely more than the old. At such a time we do well to take a deep breath, remember why we are moving ahead, and just keep walking.

Eventually the Hebrews did arrive at the promised land, and so does every individual or group that holds the vision and perseveres.

While strolling through a small town in Bali, I observed a funeral procession to a cremation grounds. The body of the deceased, that of a grandmotherly woman, was placed on a high ornately decorated wooden tower called a "horse." At the foot of the horse lay many offerings to the gods, including food, flowers, incense, photos and written materials. A marching band followed the horse, striking a trance-like rhythm on their rudimentary metal instruments.

A group of about sixteen men carried the edifice on their shoulders, stepping in unison along the main road of the village to the cemetery.

Every few minutes during the procession, the pallbearers would break into shouts of glee and laughter and twirl the horse, with the body fastened to its apex, in circles. When I asked a local fellow what this ritual was all about, he explained that the pallbearers spin the bier to confuse the deceased's spirit so it cannot find its way back to the body -- and thus hasten the soul on its journey to the next life.

This struck me as a perfect metaphor for how we can deal successfully with striking change in our lives. When life twirls or destroys the foundation we have built, the experience can be quite disorienting -- and it is supposed to be. The purpose of change beyond our control is to shake us up so we must hasten in a new direction.

Charles Weston noted, "We complain to God when our foundation is shaking, only to discover that it is God who is shaking it." Thus we can bless change as a gift, and flow with it to a new level of aliveness and empowerment.

When Jesus performed one if his healings, he declared, "This is not an illness unto death, but unto life." We must reframe our problems to discover how the universe is trying to pry us loose from an old situation that does not work for us. Thank the universe for the people and situations that challenge you -- for, seen correctly, they are not forcing you into bondage but assisting you to be released from it.

Alan Cohen is the author of the bestselling The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore. To order Alan's new book I Had It All the Time or request a free catalog of Alan's books, tapes, and workshop schedule, write to Hay House, Post Office Box 5100, Carlsbad CA 92018, or call 1-800-462-3013. For information about Alan's Mastery Training held in Hawaii and focusing deeply with twenty-four participants, write to 430 Kukuna Road, Haiku, Hawaii 96708 or phone 1-808-572-0001.

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