InnerSelf

by Joyce Vissell. Several years ago my beloved husband of 40 years came very close to death. Yes, we are very grateful that he survived. Also I am very grateful for the inner changes that have occurred in me as a result. This experience has changed my life...

by Nicki Scully. Somehow, in that moment, I finally stopped struggling and allowed myself to relax. And then it came — the shift from my will to my heart. When I finally slipped into my heart center it was as though I had been there all along — my mind had been blinding me. Everything was different, though nothing had changed but my perspective...

by Robert V. Taylor. When you live with the belief that something about you makes you weak or not good enough, it is difficult to enter into mutual relationships seeking the best for each person. When you do not see your own belovedness and magnificence, it's difficult to think about being a healthy person, much less imagining a mutual relationship...

by Joyce Vissell. A disappointment can really be a blessing in disguise. We had an experience of this recently while returning home from our three week work trip in Europe. I admit, I have a big thing about seats on the airplane. Sitting next to Barry is the most important thing for me. I also like to have an aisle seat. Sometimes...

by Barry Vissell. Most of us know the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It works fine in many circumstances. The problem is, however, that the Golden Rule often does not work with close relationships. For example...

Making a loaf of Sabbath bread on Friday morning was my grandmother's favorite teaching tool. As she kneaded the dough, she said, "This is what the world does to you sometimes. It stretches you, and pushes you around, and..."

I was sexually abused - for 8 years. By my brother. There it is, out in in the open for everyone to know. No lies, no stories, just the truth and me. I am tired of secrets and hush hushes behind the door. It happens, and no one wants to talk to about it.

I remember feeling unloved, under-appreciated, ignored, and lonely. Lonelier than I ever thought imaginable. I think the feelings were heightened because I wasn't supposed to be feeling them. I was married. These types of feelings aren't typically...

Once upon a time, there was a young woman who gave and gave to other people until it hurt. She cooked for people, always threw parties or gave presents to friends on their birthdays, bought expensive clothes for her boyfriend, and generally bent over backwards to help anyone she cared about (or didn't care about). It pleased her no end to buy something special for a friend, even when she really needed some...

by Marie T. Russell. Recently someone asked me, "In your years of publishing, what would you say was your most memorable encounter?" I instantly heard my inner voice whisper the answer, but my mind didn't feel comfortable with expressing what it had heard...