“There is nothing wrong with your [my] heart.”

After some vague but scary symptoms set off two months of increasingly invasive tests that culminated in a cardiac catheterization procedure on the morning of New Year’s Eve, hearing that sentence was welcome news. I took in its Truth deep within me.

This heart of mine, that has so often been criticized for being variously too soft, too sensitive, too open, too idealistic, and far too trusting is actually perfectly healthy, strong, and resilient.

What a powerful truth on so many levels. Physically, there are no blockages in my arteries that caused the pains I’d experienced. The new hypothesis is they likely were from GERD. And that sets off another layer of physical-metaphorical wordplay.

The past few months have been incredibly difficult and disappointing for all of us who are sensitive and empathetic. For those who know how fragile are the safety nets that are already failing our most vulnerable.

But rather than allow myself to become heartsick or disheartened by these times, it is far better that I cannot stomach them. I have resisted processing the election results, even as I still must live in the real world.

In times of seeming darkness, I behold the beauty of the stars in the night sky. Where there is polarization, I choose to look for commonalities and community. Where communities and businesses are inhospitable to those deemed “other,” I see neighbors who need a hand up. I look for the Good in every one and every situation. And because I look for goodness everywhere, I find goodness everywhere. And by seeing it, I thereby increase it, even if only the tiniest fraction.

The practices of HeartMath, like those of the Sufi mystics before them, involve focusing conscious attention on one’s physical heart. By attuning to the sensations and sounds of our own heart beating, we become more aware and better able to listen to its wisdom, with profound benefits not only for ourselves but also for others we encounter.