InnerSelf Daily Inspiration

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October 10, 2026

The Power of Powerlessness: Riding the Rapids of Life

By Barry Vissell

What really works is for me to accept my powerlessness, my helplessness, that I really have very little control in this situation. I pray for Spirit to guide me safely through this rapid.

— Barry Vissell

There is a rapid on the Rogue River called Rainie Falls. There are three choices of routes. The main falls is a class five drop through very turbulent water. I have successfully run this rapid as a paddler in our daughter, Rami's, boat, with her at the oars in the back. However, the last two times I tried this, the powerful turbulence knocked me out of the raft. I have now made a wise choice to no longer push myself in this way.

What really works is for me to accept my powerlessness, my helplessness, that I really have very little control in this situation. I pray for Spirit to guide me safely through this rapid. I ask the angels for their loving protection. And then I trust, or try to trust. (I haven't perfected this yet.)

My true challenge in this life (and perhaps yours as well) is to embrace my human powerlessness, to not just pay lip service to this concept, but to accept it with all my heart. And like the title of this column, I want to find the power in my powerlessness. Because, when I really let go of being in control, I feel the most powerful. It's such a beautiful paradox. Even in the Rainie Falls Fish Ladder, there's an exhilaration when I finally let go and let the raft be guided by higher forces than my human hands.

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Book by this Author(s)

Heartfullness: 52 Ways to Open to More Love
by Joyce and Barry Vissell.

book cover: Heartfullness: 52 Ways to Open to More Love by Joyce and Barry Vissell. Heartfulness means so much more than sentimentality or schmaltz. The heart chakra in yoga is the spiritual center of the body, with three chakras above and three below. It is the balance point between lower body and higher body, or between body and spirit. To dwell in your heart is therefore to be in balance, to integrate the lower three chakras with the higher three.

This book contains 52 writings and stories that all illustrate the many facets of heartfulness. That’s one per week. Our goal is to lead you into your heart. Our goal is to give you a feeling experience of the heart in its many dimensions. We could say each piece will make you feel good. And this may be true. But each will also challenge you to grow in spiritual awareness, for there is often a certain risk that must be taken before the heart can open. Sometimes we need to leave our comfort zone to really live from the heart.

Click here for more info and/or to order this book. Also available as a Kindle edition

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Recap

This week’s issue focuses on navigating uncertainty through awareness, emotional insight, and conscious decision-making. With the addition of expanded astrology tools, readers gain both practical and reflective guidance for personal growth and life transitions.

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