Good Heart-Thoughts

In Proverbs 23:7, it is said "As a person thinks in his heart, so he becomes."
We witness this every day in ourselves, and in other people. When the heart is open and soft, we are open, receptive, excited, approachable. When the heart is hard, we can be sullen, angry, even murderous. In times of illness and suffering, if our heart is open, we can even reduce our pain and symptoms. Our heart thinks! Our heart and mind are connected! It's mind over matter, in a way; that is how placebos work to make us feel better. It's also how we can make ourselves sick. When I was young and didn't want to go to school, I could make myself have a bad stomach ache so I could have a day off. How often does our body tell us to stay home when we need a "mental health" day, or, even more importantly, it actually causes us to fall and hurt something so that we'll slow down!
How powerful our heart and mind are when it comes to feeling good or bad. Use this knowledge to further your own healing. Pray to HaShem for the strength you need to keep on going, even when it seems you have no strength left inside you. You are not alone. Not only do we, as a group, pray for you, but The Creator accompanies you every step of your journey. Open your heart, soften it, and your "heart-thoughts" will be good.