Welcome... Our InnerSelf welcomes your inner self.
You have probably heard the quote "we have met the enemy, and he is us". What you may not know, as I didn't until Google "told" me, is that these words were "spoken" by Pogo the ‘possum’ in a poster Walt Kelly designed to help promote environmental awareness and publicize the first annual observance of Earth Day, held on April 22, 1970. There is of course a profound truth in these words.
However, the other side of that truth is "we have met the solution, and he is us". This week, InnerSelf looks into the power of the heart to heal not only ourselves but the world around us. We start with acceptance which is a basic form of love, and so is being true to yourself. We move on to being kind, opening your heart, honoring your soul, and priming the wellspring of your heart.
We are indeed the solution to all that ails us and our world... both individually and collectively... Opening our heart to everyone one around us to truly see who they are... whether a wounded child, a confused teenager, or an over-exuberant adult, we discover that everyone is seeking love and acceptance. When we can give ourselves love and acceptance, we find it easier to give it to others as well (and vice versa). If we are busy judging and criticizing ourselves for our failures, then it is "normal" for us to do the same "onto others" (and vice versa). Pam Younghans in this week's astrological journal writes "All we really need to do is ask in every situation, "What would Love do?" I don't think it matters where or how we start, as long as we end up with a life experience full of love.
Scroll down for the link to our featured articles, as well as the numerous articles on a variety of topics such as sleep deprivation, natural nanotechnology in plants, sustainable eating, obesity, world hunger, opioids, color and your mood, mindfulness, Vikings, macho men, the effect of wildfire smoke on our heath, and more...
Wishing you insightful and inspirational reading, and of course a wonder-full, joy-full, and loving week.
Marie T. Russell
editor/publisher,
InnerSelf.com
"New Attitudes...New Possibilities"
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NEW ARTICLES THIS WEEK
Make Me An Instrument Of Your Peace. Love. Beauty.
Written by Nancy Windheart
I’m an “equal-opportunity mystic.” I ask for and receive help from masters from many traditions (and I need all the help that I can get!). I often call upon St. Francis when I work with animals who are sick, hurt, lost, or have been traumatized. I feel the quiet, gentle strength of St. Francis’ energy frequently when I am outdoors hiking or meditating.
Article continued here: Make Me An Instrument Of Your Peace. Love. Beauty.
Dealing With The Fear Of Disapproval And Other Challenges
Written by Barbara Berger
Many people mistakenly think or fear that their choices and behavior will displease others and be the cause of another person's displeasure or unhappiness. It could be their partner, their parents, their children, their friends. The fear is that if you or I do what feels best to us – it might make someone else unhappy.
Article continued here: Dealing With The Fear Of Disapproval And Other Challenges
Accepting Life’s Changes In All Its Forms
Written by Barbara Jaffe, Ed.D.
I enjoy varying my choice of clothing, jewelry, purses, shoes, hair style, always craving a new look. Yet, generally, life provides changes on a much larger scale, which can be challenging. With every major milestone in my life, I have experienced a period of adjustment.
Article continued here: Accepting Life’s Changes In All Its Forms
On Being Kind and Opening Our Heart In Challenging Situations
Written by Scott Stabile
I woke up in a pissy mood recently, committed to gloom before I had even rolled out of bed. Still grumpy that afternoon, I went to the supermarket, only to be greeted by the sweetest checkout clerk ever. I couldn’t resist her happy eyes and huge smile.
Article continued here: On Being Kind and Opening Our Heart In Challenging Situations
Honoring Your Sacred Space: Soul and the Heart Center
Written by Jack Angelo
We do not need history to tell us that having created every kind of sacred space around the world has not ensured that human beings are guided by unconditional love and the wisdom of the soul. The missing link is the heart. This is why the wisdom teachings of heart-centeredness are always revolutionary at whatever time and wherever they appear.
Article continued here: Honoring Your Sacred Space: Soul and the Heart...
Priming the Deep Wellspring of the Heart
Written by Suzanne Scurlock-Durana
Although the energy field of the heart has been proven to be quite powerful, in our culture today the voice of the heart is often muted or ignored altogether. When our heart’s intelligence isn’t activated, we can easily feel confused, or we may listen only to the voice of the head telling us what we should do.
Article continued here: Priming the Deep Wellspring of the Heart
How Can Job Loss Be Bad For Health, And Recession Be Good For It?
by Ann Huff Stevens, University of California, Davis
Work plays a critical role – both our own jobs and the labor of others – in all of our lives. But this role is…
Article continued here: How Can Job Loss Be Bad For Health, And Recession...
Why Pope Francis Is Reviving A Long Tradition Of Local Variations In Catholic Services
by Joanne M. Pierce, College of the Holy Cross Pope Francis has changed Catholic Canon law – and met with some intense reactions.
At stake here is the language used for the Mass and the question of who has the responsibility for translating the…
Article continued here: Why Pope Francis Is Reviving A Long Tradition Of...
Teens Are Sleeping Less But There's A Surprisingly Easy Fix
by Jean Twenge, San Diego State University
Sleep experts agree that teens need at least nine hours of sleep a night. But by 2015, 43 percent of teens reported…
Article continued here: Teens Are Sleeping Less But There's A Surprising...
Are Dogs Trying To Tell Us Something With Their Expressions?
by Jan Hoole, Keele University
Dogs have been part of human social groups for at least 30,000 years. So it’s not unreasonable to suppose that we might…
Article continued here: Are Dogs Trying To Tell Us Something...
Some Children Who Struggle To Read Or Write May Actually Have Hearing Problems
by Helen L Breadmore, Coventry University
Ear infections can be painful, cause difficulty with balance and can also lead to temporary hearing loss. Ear…
Article continued here: Some Children Who Struggle To Read Or Write...
Why Car Ownership May No Longer Be A Good Deal
Todd Davidson and Michael E. Webber, University of Texas at Austin
More people are using ride-hailing and ride-sharing apps, and the percentage of teens getting their driver’s license continues to decline.
Article continued here: Why Car Ownership May No Longer Be...
How Wildfire Smoke Can Affect Your Health
by Richard E. Peltier, University of Massachusetts Amherst
What substances in wildfire smoke are most dangerous to human health? What kinds of impacts can they have? Is a brief…
Article continued here: How Wildfire Smoke Can Affect...
Why Our Brain Needs Sleep, And What Happens If We Don’t Get Enough Of It
by Leonie Kirszenblat, The University of Queensland
Many of us have experienced the effects of sleep deprivation: feeling tired and cranky, or finding it hard to…
Article continued here: Why Our Brain Needs Sleep, And What Happens If...
Flowers' Secret Signal To Bees And Other Amazing Nanotechnologies Hidden In Plants
by Stuart Thompson, University of Westminster
Flowers have a secret signal that’s specially tailored for bees so they know where to collect nectar. And new research…
Article continued here: Flowers' Secret Signal To Bees And Other Amazing...
How To Cook A More Sustainable Sunday Roast
by Christian Reynolds, University of Sheffield
The Sunday roast is an institution for many families across the globe. From Australia to the UK, families come together…
Article continued here: How To Cook A More Sustainable...
Why The US Health Care System Is A Patchwork That No One Likes
Simon Haeder, West Virginia University
Almost all parties agree that the health care system in the U.S., which is responsible for about 17 percent of our GDP…
Article continued here: Why The US Health Care System Is A Patchwork That...
Are Funny People More Intelligent?
by Lowri Dowthwaite, University of Central Lancashire
Albert Einstein attributed his brilliant mind to having a child-like sense of humor. Indeed, a number of studies have…
Article continued here: Are Funny People More...
In Defense Of Happiness: Why Emotional Intelligence Is Key In The Digital Age
by Mushtak Al-Atabi, Heriot-Watt University
Much has been written about the relationship between a happy, positive workplace and an effective, productive…
Article continued here: In Defense Of Happiness: Why Emotional Intelligence...
This Is Why Child Obesity Rates Have Soared
Sara FL Kirk, Dalhousie University
New data on almost 13 million people, from 200 countries around the world, points to a tenfold increase in rates of…
Article continued here: This Is Why Child Obesity Rates...
World Hunger Is Increasing Due To Wars And Climate Change
by Leah Samberg, University of Minnesota
Around the globe, about 815 million people – 11 percent of the world’s population – went hungry in 2016, according to…
Article continued here: World Hunger Is Increasing Due To...
How To Talk To Your Kids About Opioids
by Margie Skeer
By now, most people are aware of the enormity of the opioid epidemic. In 2015, over 33,000 Americans died from an…
Article continued here: How To Talk To Your Kids About Opioids
Does Color Really Affect Our Mind And Body?
by Stephen Westland, University of Leeds
Blue light has been claimed to reduce suicides on train stations. Red makes the heart beat faster. You will frequently…
Article continued here: Does Color Really Affect Our Mind And Body?
Why It Matters That Most Milk Substitutes Are Low In Iodine
Sarah Bath, and Margaret Rayman, University of Surrey
Milk and dairy products are the main source of iodine in many diets, and an important iodine source in many countries.
Article continued here: Why It Matters That Most Milk Substitutes Are...
How Antarctic Ice Melt Can Be A Tipping Point For The Whole Planet's Climate
by Chris Turney, UNSW; et al.
Melting of Antarctica’s ice can trigger rapid warming on the other side of the planet, according to our new research…
Article continued here: How Antarctic Ice Melt Can Be A Tipping Point...
Just What Is Mindfulness?
by Nicholas T. Van Dam and Nick Haslam, University of Melbourne
You’ve probably heard of mindfulness. These days, it’s everywhere, like many ideas and practices drawn from Buddhist…
Article continued here: Just What Is Mindfulness?
How Inherited Fitness May Affect Breast Cancer Risk
by Henry J. Thompson, Colorado State University
Repeated studies have shown that physical inactivity, and the occurrence of obesity to which it is linked, increases…
Article continued here: How Inherited Fitness May Affect Breast...
Vikings Were Never The Pure-bred Master Race White Supremacists Like To Portray
by Clare Downham, University of Liverpool
The word “Viking” entered the Modern English language in 1807, at a time of growing nationalism and empire building.
Article continued here: Vikings Were Never The Pure-bred Master Race...
Are All Working Class Men Too Macho and Tough To Seek Help?
by Paul Simpson and Michael Richards, Edge Hill University
Men are bad at looking after their health, or so the received wisdom goes. Indeed, evidence has shown that men have…
Article continued here: Are All Working Class Men Too...
Astrological Journal for the Week
Written by Pam Younghans
This weekly column (updated every Sunday afternoon) is based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies... Read more
It is also highly beneficial to reread the past week's astrological journal as it gives a hindsight view of the events that took place and may provide many "ah-ha" insights.
NEW VIDEOS THIS WEEK
To see videos added this week, go to the Video Home Page or
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Additional Videos in "Social & Political"
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