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This week we reflect on seeing things differently. While fear is pervasive in our world, and there may be "good reasons" to be fearful, there are also excellent reasons to look at things differently and transform our fear into solutions. I am reminded of the story of the "good and bad" experiences of a farmer... I'm sure you've heard one of its incarnations. The farmer's son breaks his leg... bad. However this leads to his being unable to be conscripted for the army... good. And the story continues with "bad" things really being "good" and vice versa...
Such is our situation with fear. While fear itself can be good (think of it leading you to run out of a burning building) it can also be bad when it accumulates and becomes a barrier to creating a happy life. Some of our fears, and possibly many of them, are simply in our heads. Yes, I know.. the old "it's all in your head" response. But, just think about it. The things we fear are "not real" as they are in a potential future... they have not happened... and if they have happened, it may be to someone else, not to us. But we fear them anyway. However, if like attracts like, then we become a magnet for the things we fear. Definitely not something we would consciously choose.
So this week, we take a look at seeing things differently, and at various ways to deal with fear and transform it. Carla Marie Manly starts us off with a revolutionary perspective in "Fear Makes a Much Better Friend Than Enemy". Then James Creighton introduces the concept of "Reframing: Seeking Out New Ways Of Perceiving Reality". Alan Watts speaks of "The Problem of Opposites and The Fear of Fear" and Robert T. London, MD, presents tools we can use in "Fear and Phobias: How to Face Them and Diffuse Them".
Sometimes our fear is not of a concrete thing happening, but more about a goal we have or a step we wish to take. We have dreams for our future, and sometimes fear prevents us from taking the necessary steps to attain those goals. Read about this in "The Three Apes and Three Core Human Needs: Safety, Satisfaction, and Connection". And we may also have a fear for the future of the planet which is, unfortunately, well-founded. However, we can empower ourselves and make a difference by stepping past the fear, as shared by Eileen Campbell in "Mending The World: Coming Together To Overcome The Darkness". This last article (Mending the World) also features a TED Talk video of Pope Francis speaking (it has English subtitles) about "The Future of You" -- a very inspiring video for anyone, regardless of religion.
Please scroll down for the featured articles in this new issue of InnerSelf, and also the recap of all the articles that were added to the website during the week.
Wishing you enjoyable insightful 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
Fear Makes a Much Better Friend Than Enemy
Written by Carla Marie Manly
I want you to throw away your preconceived notions of fear, along with any particular opinions of anxiety and its causes. In doing so, in opening your mind and your spirit to what might be an entirely new way of thinking and of being, you will embark upon the most challenging, illuminating, and richly satisfying journey of your life.
Reframing: Seeking Out New Ways Of Perceiving Reality
Written by James Creighton
We make meaning in the world around us by taking a limited number of external facts and interpreting them. Our interpretations are based on the frames of personal experience, the roles we play, and family dynamics.
The Problem of Opposites and The Fear of Fear
Written by Alan Watts
Love and fear or like and dislike, a pair of opposites, are mutually essential components of the faculty of feeling, for who does not fear neither loves nor feels. But note the term original fear. Man’s difficulty is that his fear is seldom original; it is once or many times removed from originality, being not just simple fear but the fear of being afraid.
Fear and Phobias: How to Face Them and Diffuse Them
Written by Robert T. London, M.D.
Don’t drive into the tunnel ... The dog’s going to bite ... Patients have described their phobias to me as walking around with the devil on their shoulder or a voice inside their head that just won’t stop. Whether temporarily self-defeating or utterly crippling, phobias can get hold of us and seem to take over.
The Three Apes and Three Core Human Needs: Safety, Satisfaction, and Connection
Written by Marc Lesser
I have always found it interesting and surprising that in Joseph Campbell’s model of the hero’s journey, the second stage after “the calling” is “refusing the call.” In stories, the hero will get a clear calling but then immediately be filled with doubt, hesitation, or outright fear.
Mending The World: Coming Together To Overcome The Darkness
Written by Eileen Campbell
The future, with all its upheavals, may seem chaotic and threatening, but it is also in our hands. We create the future—each one of us—in how we live our lives and with the choices we make. With hope and inspiration as a catalyst, we can act to help mend, restore, and transform our world.
Why Iron Is Such An Important Part Of Your Diet
by Natalie Parletta
According to the World Health Organisation, iron deficiency – a condition where your body doesn’t have enough of the…
How To Handle Raccoons, Snakes And Other Critters In Your Yard
by Leslie Burger
I heard a local story of a man who, in his excitement to kill a rattlesnake, used the only thing he had available ? his…
A Vegan Meat Revolution Is Coming To Global Fast Food Chains – And It Could Help Save The Planet
by Malte Rödl
A few years ago, convincing meat-free “meat” was nothing more than a distant dream for most consumers.
Deep Sea Carbon Reservoirs Once Superheated The Earth – Could It Happen Again?
by Lowell D. Stott
As concern grows over human-induced climate change, many scientists are looking back through Earth’s history to events…
Spending Two Hours A Week In Nature Is Linked To Better Health And Well-being
by Mathew White
The idea that spending recreational time in natural settings is good for our health and wellbeing is hardly new.
How Climbing Trees And Making Dens Can Help Children Develop Resilience
by Janine Coates and Helena Pimlott-Wilson
Despite all the research that tells parents how good it is for their children to spend time playing outside, they are…
How To Feed A Growing Population Healthy Food Without Ruining The Planet
by Alessandro R Demaio, et al
If we’re serious about feeding the world’s growing population healthy food, and not ruining the planet, we need to get…
How To Get Kids To Eat Healthy Food
by Natalie Parletta
Hippocrates said circa 400BC that “food should be our medicine and medicine should be our food”.
Are Brain Games Helpful?
by Walter Boot
You’ve probably seen ads for apps promising to make you smarter in just a few minutes a day. Hundreds of so-called…
The Struggle To Find Silence In The Ancient Monastic World And Now
by Haines-Eitzen
In our contemporary world, noise pollution has reached dangerous levels. The World Health Organization has argued that…
What Orwell's '1984' Tells Us About Today's World, 70 Years After It Was Published
by Stephen Groening
Seventy years ago, Eric Blair, writing under a pseudonym George Orwell, published “1984,” now generally considered a…
What Food Label Nutrition Facts Don't Tell You About Your Gut Microbes
by Abigail Johnson
It seems like every day a new study is published that links the bacteria in the gut to a specific disease or health…
Does Hitting The Snooze Button Really Help You Feel Better?
by Steven Bender
To sleep or to snooze? You probably know the answer, but you don’t prefer it. Most of us probably use the snooze…
How Driverless Cars Could Disrupt The Airline Industry
by Stephen Rice and Scott Winter
As driverless cars become more capable and more common, they will change people’s travel habits not only around their…
What We Found When We Tested Baby Food In South Africa
by Karen Hofman, and Nicola Christofides
South Africa has the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world, with an alarming figure of 13%.
How The Good Guy With A Gun Became A Deadly American Fantasy
by Susanna Lee
At the end of May 2019, it happened again. A mass shooter killed 12 people, this time at a municipal center in Virginia…
The Question You Should Never Ask Women
by Melissa K. Ochoa
Are you ever around women who seem frustrated, upset or irritated? Have you ever asked one of them if she was on her…
Warrigal Greens Are Tasty, Salty, And Covered In Tiny Balloon-like Hairs
by Bronwyn Barkla
As a plant biologist I have spent a long time interested in what makes plants salt tolerant. Some plants can grow and…
Who Are The 1 In 4 American Women Who Choose Abortion?
by Luu D. Ireland
The abortion debate is at the center of U.S. political dialogue. Voices from both sides flood social media feeds…
The Kakadu Plum Is An International Superfood Thousands Of Years In The Making
by Gregory John Leach
The Kakadu Plum fruiting season in the Top End in Australia is just finishing. Over one weekend, I was able to find a…
How Do You Prepare For A Job Interview When You Have A Criminal Record?
by Nicolas Lévesque
The stilted routines and formalities of the job interview can provoke a particular kind of anxiety in most people…
Sharing Profits And Ownership With Workers Not Only Make Them Happier, It Benefits The Bottom Line Too
by Joseph Blasi, et al
Near-record low unemploymenthas companies fumbling to find the best ways to recruit and retain workers. Our research…
The Tasty Weed-Like Desert Raisin Plant
by Dr Angela Pattison
The species Solanum centrale, also known as kutjera in several Aboriginal languages, or the desert raisin in English,…
There Are Thousands Of Excess Deaths From Popular Heartburn Drugs
by Kristina Sauerwein
A new study links long-term use of proton pump inhibitors to fatal cases of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney…
When Teaching Kids About Money, Teach Them About Giving
by Alexis Blue
One of the most valuable lessons parents can teach their children about money might be how to give it away.
Synthetic CBD Can Treat Seizures According To New Research
by Andy Fell
A synthetic, non-intoxicating analogue of cannabidiol can effectively treat seizures, according to new research with…
Nature’s First Aid Kit: A Fungus Growing On The Side Of Birch Trees
by Rowena Hill
If you’ve ever stopped to admire a birch tree, you may unknowingly have something in common with a 5,300-year-old mummy…
Does Traditional Chinese Medicine Have A Place In The Health System?
by Marcello Costa
Most of traditional healing practices are based on intuitive principles of diseases involving the imbalance of…
Dogs Help Spread This Dangerous Tick-Borne Disease
by Amy Quinton
New research examines risk factors for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, one of the deadliest tick-borne diseases in the…
Do I Need To Shave My Pubic Hair Before Having Sex?
by Helen Barcham
Do you need to shave your pubic area before having sex?
The Challenges And Treatment Advances Of Pancreatic Cancer
by Nathan Bahary
With Alex Trebek’s recent announcement that his pancreatic cancer is in remission, many people have wondered if this…
MacKenzie Bezos' US$17 Billion Pledge Tops A Growing List Of Women Giving Big
by Elizabeth J. Dale
Shortly after her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos became final, MacKenzie Bezos promised to give at least half…
Traditional Medicines Should Be Integrated Into Health Care For Culturally Diverse Groups
by Josephine Agu
Many people seek complementary treatments for various ailments. Perhaps herbal remedies to cure a cold, or acupuncture…
Psychology and the Allure of Conspiracy Theories
by Elizabeth Preston
They can shape public sentiment on everything from climate change to public health. Understanding why people believe…
If Your Sexual Orientation Is Accepted By Society You Will Be Happier And More Satisfied With Your Life
by Samuel Mann
In recent years LGBT+ rights have improved dramatically. Same-sex marriage is now legally performed and recognised in…
Does Air Pollution Causes Birth Defects and Fetal Death
by Keith Randall
Harmful particulate matter in the atmosphere can produce birth defects and even fatalities during pregnancy, according…
Childhood Trauma And Its Lasting Effects
by Arash Javanbakht
With the awakening in society of the importance of mental health, combined with advances in neuroscience and…
Why Are Cacti So Juicy? The Secret Strategy Of Succulents
by Daniel Wood
Sunlight, harnessed by plants in the process of photosynthesis, powers almost all life on earth.
Fighting Malaria With Fungi: Biologists Engineer A Fungus To Be Deadlier To Mosquitoes
by Antonis Rokas
Bed nets. Insecticides. Sterile and genetically modified insects. Now scientists are adding a genetically engineered…
Gestational Diabetes In The Mother Increases Diabetes Risks For The Whole Family
by Kaberi Dasgupta
You probably know someone with diabetes, as it is an increasingly common disease.
Robert Reich: Why Unions Matter to You
by Robert Reich
Robert Reich explains why labor unions impact the middle class and raise wages.
To Tackle Climate Change, Immigration And Threats To Democracy, Europe's Fractious New Parliament Will Have To Work Together
by Garret Martin
The European Union has survived its latest contest between pro-EU and anti-EU forces. Helped by high turnout, pro-EU…
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 this week's journal here
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.
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