The concept of Living Light as a Feather comes from an ancient Egyptian myth that elucidates the belief that only a worthy person can enter eternity. In order to measure a person's worthiness, upon death the heart is placed on a scale and the soul can only live forever if the heart is as light as a feather.

A few years after writing Time for Joy (over 231,000 sold), Ruth lost her son to suicide and the joy left her life. After suffering immeasurable grief and questioning how she could possibly have written such a book, she created a process through which readers can find joy under any circumstance.

This is an inspiring yet practical book that shows readers the secret to finding joy and living lightly, and how to recognize true purpose. Fishel shares her methods and exercises, a comprehensive guide to turning pain to purpose, and provides real-life stories of others who have found joy amidst tragedy.

from Chapter 3

Opening our Hearths

Lifting Our Thoughts

One beautiful way of lifting our thoughts to a higher level and thus raising our energy is to tap into a stored memory of joy, love or self-confidence. It takes only a few moments to make this happen.

Choose a time when you felt full of joy, love or self-confidence. You can choose another high-energy feeling if you wish. Close your eyes for a few minutes and picture how you felt at that time. Remember it with all your senses. As you breathe in and out, feel that experience all through your body.

The HeartMath Institute suggests that you place your hand over your heart during this exercise. After a few minutes, you can open your eyes. Practice this a few times to establish this memory within you.

When you feel yourself filling with emotions like fear or anger, place your hand over your heart and watch how the negative feelings are replaced by feelings of joy and love. Remember that everything begins with a thought. A thought of fear leads to a feeling of fear. A thought of resentment leads to feelings of anger. When you become willing to get out of your head and come from your heart, your feelings change to loving feelings.

John Grassi, a teacher I had in graduate school, told me a wonderful story to illustrate this. At recess one day, two young students were getting ready to have a fight. A girl caught the attention of one of the boys and put her hand over her heart to remind him to come from his heart. In turn, that boy put his hand over his heart and stopped acting out his anger. The second boy saw this gesture, put his hand over his heart and the fight was over.

It is such a simple exercise but it works every time we have the willingness to change.

Neale Donald Walsh writes, "The Highest Thought is the thought which contains joy. The Clearest Words are those that contain truth. The Grandest Feeling is that which you call love. Joy, truth and love. These three are interchangeable, and one always leads to the other. It matters not in which order they are placed."

Here are some questions you can ask yourself that will help you begin the Heart-Lightening Process. Take plenty of time and remember, there are no right or wrong answers:

• Can you see where you fit on the energy scale?
• What are you holding on to that keeps you from moving up to the next level?
• What are your obstacles to finding your higher purpose at this time of your life?
• What interferes with you knowing God?
• What blocks you from experiencing a light heart?
• What blocks you from reaching a higher state of consciousness?
• What are you holding on to that keeps you from feeling joy

© 2004 Health Communications, Inc.

Tags: Happiness, Personal Growth

About the Author

Ruth Fishel, M.Ed., C.A.C. is the cofounder and former director of Serenity, Inc. She now teaches, writes and presents workshops and retreats throughout the country, helping people become whole and healthy using the tools of meditation, affirmations, and visualizations.