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Welcome... Our InnerSelf welcomes your inner self.
This week feels like a new beginning... perhaps because Monday (the 14th) brings us a new moon and a total solar eclipse... or perhaps because we are approaching the December solstice and the New Year, or perhaps because many people are feeling relief with the arrival of a Covid vaccine, or perhaps, just because we really need a new beginning.
Pam Younghans just submitted the Astrological Journal for this week, and the theme of new beginnings is supported astrologically as well. I quote from her first paragraph: "The sense of anticipation in the air is palpable. Some may be crediting the feeling to various external developments, but in truth we are feeling the build-up to a very powerful time astrologically.."
And as with any new beginning, changes take place in attitudes, expectations, and actions -- and it happens one step and one day at a time. We at InnerSelf support you in this transition with our featured articles of the week:
Diana Rowan tells us about the process of "Finally Believing in Yourself: Love Yourself, Love Life, Love Others", We continue the new beginning, or actually the next stage of our journey, with "Living Your Truth and Your Evolutionary Calling" written by Kim Chestney. Sarah Varcas, in her article about Monday's solar eclipse, enjoins us: "Don’t Go Back To Sleep! The Future Is Calling!".
And, as with many "new beginnings" or journeys, there are sometimes setbacks, or challenges. Hunter Clarke-Fields shares her personal journey and lessons in "My Greatest Wins As A Mom Stem From Moments of Failure". And to assist in the current pandemic-altered reality in the holiday season, Vicky Oliver brings you "Your Gift-Giving Guide for a Pandemic-Altered Holiday".
I think we are all ready for a change. The pandemic has pushed us, perhaps, to a point where we are "sick and tired of being sick and tired". You are probably aware of the changes needed in your personal life as well as in the world around you. Covid has shaken us from the "same-old-same-old" existence that we were living. We now have the opportunity to make a change... not only in our own personal lives, but also in the way we interact with the world around us, and the way the world interacts with us.
As I look over the featured articles, I see that we are being reminded that it is time to believe in ourselves, love ourselves and others, love life and the planet... to live our truth and follow our calling, and to wake up from the coma we've been living in.
Reality shows became popular several years ago, however, what we need to realize is that we are the greatest reality show there is. We are it! And it is up to us to decide what we do, and what we set as our goals in our ongoing personal and planetary reality show.
We are not here to exist as couch potatoes watching others live. If we were supposed to be potatoes, we'd have been born as potatoes. We were born with a loving heart and with a connection to cosmic intelligence, and we have the opportunity to create the best life we can on our planet, this lovely blue jewel floating in the sky.
This is indeed a new beginning. The Age of Aquarius is arriving and needs us to take part. We are not spectators in this world. We are the actors. We are the creators. We are the ones who make a difference. So I encourage you to revision your highest dreams for life on this earth, and let's all participate together in making it a wonderful place to live for all.
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, health-full, and loving week.
Marie T. Russell
editor/publisher,
InnerSelf.com
"New Attitudes...New Possibilities"
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NEW ARTICLES THIS WEEK
***** articles and videos added daily *****
Finally Believing in Yourself: Love Yourself, Love Life, Love Others
Written by Diana Rowan
Many people suffer from Impostor Syndrome. Even those who have the highest academic, artistic, and business-related achievements suffer from feelings of unworthiness.
Living Your Truth and Your Evolutionary Calling
Written by Kim Chestney
When you live your truth, you know who you are, and you own it. The person you are inside and the person you are to the world are one and the same. You are no longer reluctant or afraid to stand for what you really are.
Don’t Go Back To Sleep! The Future Is Calling! Total Solar Eclipse December 14, 2020
Written by Sarah Varcas
Reality calls and we cannot simply ignore events in this relative world of ego run amok. This solar eclipse, the second of two eclipses this season, delivers the harshest truths entwined with the most refined states of consciousness. Our challenge is to be open to both, not favouring one over the other.
My Greatest Wins As A Mom Stem From Moments of Failure
Written by Hunter Clarke-Fields MSAE
I curled up in a ball on the wood floor. I buried my face in my hands. Who said parenting would feel like this? No one. It’s supposed to be filled with soft-focus moments, me gazing lovingly at my child, right? So what is wrong with me?
Your Gift-Giving Guide for a Pandemic-Altered Holiday
Written by Vicky Oliver
As the pandemic restricts plans, long distance trips to visit relatives or meals with family and friends may be replaced with a video call. Still, you would like loved ones to know that they are remembered over the holidays. Make their gifts personal and meaningful without exceeding your budget.
How To Keep Safe This Christmas
by Grace C Roberts and David Courtney
It’s Christmas 2020 and COVID-19 is unfortunately still here. Many people will be visiting loved ones, including…
How A Daily DIY Sniff Checks Could Catch Many Cases of COVID-19
by John E. Hayes and Cara Exten
Smell loss – called anosmia – is a common symptom of COVID-19. For the past nine months, the two of us – a sensory…
by Prasenjit Mitra
In 2013, my student and I at Penn State built a bot to write a Wikipedia article on Bengali Nobel laureate Rabindranath…
Should You Get A Heat Pump? Here's How They Compare
by Aurore Julien
Home energy use accounts for 14% of all the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, and much of that comes from gas boilers.
Why We're So Bad At Counting The Calories We Eat, Drink or Burn
by Kaitlin Woolley and Peggy Liu
People often eat more than usual around the holidays – and this year more than most as the pandemic prompts many to…
Why Living In The Future, Rather Than The Past, Is Key To Coping With Lockdowns
by Jane Ogden and Amelia Dennis
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a tough year for people across the globe, with billions facing at least one lockdown.…
How To Spot and Cope With Holiday Depression
by Kim Ward
Advice from the psychiatry department at the College of Human Medicine and College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan…
Why Celebrating Christmas Is Good For Your Mental Health
by Nilufar Ahmed
There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that entering wholeheartedly into the spirit of the season – while keeping to…
Global Emissions Are Down By An Unprecedented 7% — But Don’t Start Celebrating Just Yet
by Pep Canadell et al
Global emissions are expected to decline by about 7% in 2020 (or 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide) compared to 2019…
Oregon Just Decriminalized All Drugs – Here's Why Voters Passed This Groundbreaking Reform
by Scott Akins and Clayton Mosher
Oregon became the first state in the United States to decriminalize the possession of all drugs on Nov. 3, 2020.…
How Covid’s Impact On Health and Finances Lasts Even After Recovery
by Kara Gavin
Surviving a case of COVID-19 that is bad enough to land you in the hospital is hard enough. But the problems don’t…
Why The Virgin of Guadalupe Is More Than A Religious Icon To Catholics In Mexico
by Rebecca Janzen
Each year, as many as 10 million people travel to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, in what is…
Hypocrisy Is No Match For Partisanship: From The White House To Ancient Athens
by Raman Sachdev
Numerous studies show that people respond with outrage against public figures once their hypocrisy has been discovered.
Christmas Will Be Different This Year But It's Important To Celebrate Together, Even Online
by Mhairi Bowe
There is no doubt that Christmas will be different this year. Lockdowns and distancing guidelines have already…
How To Start A Business: A Beginner's Guide By An Expert In Strategy
by Lianne Taylor
2020 was the Chinese Year of the Rat – associated with the “rat-like qualities” of quick thinking and adaptability…
What Psychology Can Tell Us About Why Some People Don’t Wear Masks
by Helen Wall et al
While the world is eagerly waiting for COVID-19 vaccines to bring an end to the pandemic, wearing a mask to help…
Conspiracy Theories May Seem Irrational But They Fulfill A Basic Human Need
by Lisa Bortolotti and Anna Ichino
There has been a proliferation of conspiracy theories about COVID-19 that either reject the existence of the virus…
Cyberattacks On The Rise Amid Work From Home – How To Protect Your Business
by Michael Parent
As the ongoing pandemic has a larger segment of the population working from home — with all of its attendant…
Are Local Shutdowns Effective Against COVID-19?
by Vadim Karatayev et al
During the COVID-19 pandemic, decision-makers around the world have grappled with the question of whether to reopen…
The Surprising Ways That Games Challenge How People Think About Themselves and The World
by Matthew Whitby
The Beginner’s Guide is a narrative video game with no goals or objectives. Instead, it tells the story of a person…
If Your Child Has Reading, School or Social Struggles, It May Be D.L.D.
by Elin Thordardottir et al
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is one of the most common disorders affecting children but is relatively unknown.
History Shows Why The Road To A Vaccine Roll-out Is Always Bumpy
by Samantha Vanderslott
If you have been following the media coverage of the new vaccines in development for COVID-19, it will be clear that…
Is Lab-grown Meat Good News For Animals?
by Josh Milburn
The Singapore Food Agency has approved “chicken bites” containing meat made from real chicken cells that were grown…
Will Coronavirus Turn Cities Into Doughnuts: Empty Centres But Vibrant Suburbs
by Paul J. Maginn and Philip Hubbard
The most COVID-19 lockdowns were accompanied by sobering news from the UK’s high streets. Many of the closures are…
How Brains Change by Middle Age After Lead Exposure As A Kid
by Karl Bates
A group of middle-aged adults had some small but significant changes in brain structure more than three decades after…
"Metabolic Confusion Diet" Won't Boost Metabolism – But It Could Have Other Benefits
by Adam Collins
The “metabolic confusion” diet is one of the latest fad diets to be blowing up on social media. Like many fad diets, it…
In The Queen's Gambit and Beyond, Chess Holds Up A Mirror To Life
by Jenny Adams
In the closing sequence of “The Queen’s Gambit,” the chess-playing heroine, Beth Harmon, defeats her archrival Vasily…
How Remote Learning Is Making Educational Inequities Worse
by Hernán Galperin and Stephen Aguilar
The widespread reliance on remote learning is harming students of color from low-income households more than kids who…
Why During Covid, Older Adults Should Avoid The Grocery Store
by Patti Verbanas
Older adults should avoid making trips to the grocery store during the pandemic and instead use curbside pick-up or…
Why Talking To Babies May Change Their Brains
by Stanford University
Engaging in “conversations” with adults may help infant brains develop, especially those areas involved in language…
This Money Problem May Predict Dementia
by Carly Kempler
People on Medicare who later receive a diagnosis of dementia are more likely have unpaid bills as early as six years…
Vaping May Increase Your Risk of Lung Disease by Over 40%
by Michelle Samuels
Participants in a new study who used e-cigarettes in the past were 21% more likely to develop a respiratory disease…
Protestantism's Troubling History with White Supremacy in the US
by Tiffany Puett
In the long-overdue discussions taking place over the legacy of slavery and racism in the United States, few appear to…
Decades of Unsustainable Water Use Has Dried Up Lakes and Caused Environmental Destruction in Iran
by Zahra Kalantari et al
Salt storms are an emerging threat for millions of people in north-western Iran, thanks to the catastrophe of Lake…
Lassie Come Home (Again): Remake Is A Reminder Of Our Bond With Pets
by . Vanessa Rohlf
This week, Lassie returned to the screens, with a remake of the 1943 film coming 80 years since Eric Mowbray Knight’s…
How To Deal With Zoom Fatigue Over The Holiday Season
by Jaigris Hodson
Well it’s official. Across North America and most of Western Europe, the Christmas holidays are going to look very…
How Online Stores Trick You Into Impulse Buying
by Laurel Thomas
A new study analyzes the tricks of the trade that may contribute to impulse buying.
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.
OLDIES & GOODIES:
Is Doing God's Will Contrary to Our Individual Will?
by Karen Anne Bentley
We may think that doing God's Will is contrary to our individual will. We might think He wants us to do something that…
Conscious Workplace: Expressing Spirituality in Our Everyday Actions
by Kathleen Hawkins
At the office, we can demonstrate our personal relationship with, to quote Ernest Holmes, the "Unity behind all…
Afraid of the Unknown: How Important Is Change In A Person's Life?
by Stuart Wilde
Naturally we are scared to move into the unknown because our personality relies a lot on the symbols, psychological…
"It's Just Pure Energy! Pure Beethoven!" -- Connecting to Energy
by Irini Rockwell, M.A.
The world we perceive, conceptualize, and think we know is only a surface reality. Underneath it lies a magical realm…
Human Harmonies: Spiritual Traditions Prescribe Sounds and Silence
by Larry Dossey, M.D.
So sensitive are we to sound that noise pollution has been called the most common modern health hazard. High levels of…
Afraid of Dying? How to Move Away from "Death-a-phobia" and Make Peace with Life
by Heather Anne Harder
There is much you can do to prepare yourself for the great adventure of death. But it is well to remember that you are…
How To Develop A Partnership and Dialogue with your Dreams
by Judith Orloff, M.D.
There is a healing instinct within you that can manifest in dreams. You'd be surprised at the straightforward health…
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