Image by Gerd Altmann
Our InnerSelf welcomes your inner self.
Perhaps one thing that has become clear in our recent experiences with isolation and the pandemic is the importance of community. And we have also had to expand our definition of community. Community was, in the previous century, a rather close-knit group... whether a neighborhood, town, religious or ethnic group, trade, etc. Community also used to imply a fairly homogenous group.
But then, the internet came along, and the boundaries of our communities grew. We now had Facebook communities, chat rooms, online clubs based on interest - such as gardening, quilting, etc. - and the previous church, sexual, trade or career communities now expanded to have no geographical boundaries.
And then, we came face-to-face with Covid-19, Our community both grew and shrunk at the same time. It grew as we realized that we are all in one big community, Planet Earth, and that our community members live in places we had never heard of before, such as Wuhan, China.
And our community, at least physically, all of a sudden had a six-foot boundary. We had to remain 6 ft away, we had to stay out of the places where we usually went for community -- whether work, church, bars, concerts, malls, etc.. But all of this gave us the opportunity to redefine community... and to see its importance in our lives.
This week, we reflect on various aspects of community. We start with Lawrence Doochin who writes about "Separation and Isolation vs. Community and Compassion". He shares that the word “'Community' comes from the Latin word for 'fellowship,' meaning 'with unity.'" So community is about unity... and we are now being asked to expand our circles of unity to include those who are not in our neighborhood, our religion, our race, our whatever.
We are being asked to recognize, if we are all to thrive on Planet Earth, the need to unite and become One. Actually we are being "forced" or led to acknowledge unity. We now know that what happens to someone in Wuhan obviously affects us on the other side of this globe we inhabit. Wuhan is part of our community, as is every other place and person on this Planet.
Separation and Isolation vs. Community and Compassion
Lawrence Doochin, author of A Book on Fear
When we are in community, we automatically fall into service to those in need because we know them and see their need up close versus judging someone from afar and condemning them. “Community” comes from the Latin for “fellowship,” meaning “with unity.”
continued...
One of the common needs as children grow, and for adults as well, is the need to "belong", to be accepted, to feel wanted and loved, to be part of a community. And because of the competitive nature of our society, this is especially a challenge for those who feel "different" for whatever reason.
Being seen as "different" or "weird" often leads to being "othered" or being treated as an outsider. We are thus rejected, or feel rejected, from the community around us, whether that is classmates, or teammates, or workmates, or whatever. We continue our exploration of community, with Stacee Reicherzer as she explores the journey from otherness to finding or creating community.
Healing Otherness: Your Changes, Reflected in Community
Stacee L. Reicherzer PhD, author of The Healing Otherness Handbook
Seeking out a community of healing, being exploited in it, perhaps assuming the shame and responsibility for what went wrong, and then isolating back into our struggle, can become a cycle. This happens in many ways as we choose bold and radical new lives for ourselves.
continued...
In any group or community, there are certain rules or expectations. But one that is common to all is the need for respect... respect of oneself and of others in the community. If we are to cohabitate peacefully in our Planet Earth Community, we must learn to respect others... no matter their race, their religion, their sexual orientation, their job, their hobbies, their beliefs, etc. etc. Respect is the basis of community.
Carmen Gamper helps guide us in teaching children respect for self and for others in "Modeling Behavior is the Best Teacher: Respect Must Be Mutual". She reminds us that the best method of teaching is to be an example. And this applies not just for children but for all of us. If we wish to be respected, we must respect... no matter how challenging that may be at times.
Respecting someone opinion or preference does not mean agreeing with them. For example, if you like mint ice-cream, I respect your need to make that choice, even though i may think it tastes like toothpaste. And you may think that some of my culinary preferences are weird, but you respect my right to eat what I choose. That is the basis of a peaceful community... Allowing other the right to their own quirks and preferences, even if we don't understand how on earth they could want to eat.... (insert here whatever food you think is gross, but others really love.)
Respect is a basis of community. It is one of its foundations. And the learning of it starts at a very young age.
Modeling Behavior is the Best Teacher: Respect Must Be Mutual
Carmen Viktoria Gamper, author of Flow to Learn: A Parent's Guide...
Socially respected behavior is learned behavior and some of it (for instance, table manners) varies by culture, faith or family. When we help children become aware of the unwritten rules of common courtesy, we give them valuable tools that help them navigate through life.
continued...
When we speak of community, we usually think of other humans... But animals and insects have communities as well. The most well-known are ants as well as bees who have a very strong community ethic. However, the invisible forces of nature also are part of our community. Thomas Mayer speaks to us about the Elementals and the need for us to include them in our community. Well, actually they are already in our community, but we must acknowledge them and work with them in order to attain a higher level of unity and empathy with All.
There is strength in numbers, and there is strength in diversity and community. Including everyone, man, woman, child, animal, mineral, spirit, etc. in our community, expands our resources and our options to contribute to creating a better world for all.
Consciously Communicating and Living with the Elementals
Thomas Mayer, author of Answering the Call of the Elementals
Even if we are not consciously aware of it, we live in the realm of elemental beings. Everywhere, and all the time, they penetrate our souls and slip into our hearts. The whole world around us is ensouled with elemental beings.
continued...
Another whole group that is also included in our community are the beings from the afterlife. Some of us are in conscious communication with these beings, others only contact them in the sleep/dream state, and yet others do not recognize the possibility of any contact or community with non-physical beings.
Matthew McKay shares his own communication with his son Jordan who resides "on the other side of the veil". Jordan encourages us to expand our community by opening our heart and our perception to include loved ones who have passed away, as well as spiritual beings and teachers that we can access for help and guidance.
Losses and Reunions in the Afterlife
Matthew McKay, PhD., author of The Luminous Landscape of the Afterlife
The deepest truth of the universe is that love is eternal; our relationships to each other and the whole go on forever. We are always together (even though on Earth we forget), always united in love, always and irrevocably connected to all of consciousness.
continued...
And our community even extends outside the realm of Planet Earth and encompasses the other planets and stars in our Universe. In this week's Astrological Journal, Pam Younghans writes the following:
"We may be more able to open our hearts in compassion and understanding now, sensing deeply that we are all connected... Nature is the perfect ally in this regard, and is eager to assist us. We might connect physically with her by hugging a tree, lying on the earth, sitting with our backs to a sturdy tree, or walking barefoot outside. These are healing and grounding techniques that will assist both us and Gaia in these times of accelerated growth."
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...
continued...
Our community can be as small or as big as we choose it to be. Yet as with all boundaries, the smaller we set our borders, the more constrained our experience of life. The more we expand the borders of our community, the more diverse our experiences, our contacts, and our vision of what is possible.
If we remain in a small box (whether that is our family, neighborhood, religion, ethnic group, sexual orientation, age, etc. etc.), the smaller the box, the less room there is for joy and wonderful experiences. We need to recognize that our community is everything and everyone... and open our hearts and minds to working with all beings to create a better reality for all.
* * * * *
Please scroll down for the featured articles in this new issue of InnerSelf, and also the additional new 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 *****
Most featured articles are also in audio and video format.
Go to each article for the links.
FEATURED ARTICLES:
(see above)
ADDITIONAL NEW ARTICLES:
Do vegan diets make kids shorter and weaker?
Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of South Australia
Diets that exclude meat and fish (vegetarian) or all animal products including dairy and eggs (vegan) are becoming increasingly popular for health, environmental and ethical reasons.
Sleep troubles now linked to cognitive troubles later
Jared Wadley-Michigan
Trouble sleeping was the only symptom that predicted poor cognitive performance 14 years later when compared with other symptoms of insomnia, the study shows.
Healing Otherness: Your Changes, Reflected in Community (Video)
Stacee L. Reicherzer PhD, author of The Healing Otherness Handbook
Seeking out a community of healing, being exploited in it, perhaps assuming the shame and responsibility for what went wrong, and then isolating back into our struggle, can become a cycle...
Fake news: a simple nudge isn’t enough to tackle it – here's what to do instead
Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology in Society and Director, Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab, University of Cambridge
One high-profile theory of why people share fake news says that they aren’t paying sufficient attention. The proposed solution is therefore to nudge people in the right direction. For example, “accuracy primes” – short reminders intended to shift people’s attention towards the accuracy
Daily Inspiration: June 13, 2021
Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf
There are so many ways we may have given our power away. One of them is by accepting and believing, without question, the concept of hereditary or genetic causes of illness.
Losses and Reunions in the Afterlife (Video)
Matthew McKay, PhD., author of The Luminous Landscape of the Afterlife
The deepest truth of the universe is that love is eternal; our relationships to each other and the whole go on forever. We are always together (even though on Earth we forget), always united in love, always and irrevocably connected to all of consciousness.
Is 150 years really the limit of human lifespan?
Richard Faragher, Professor of Biogerontology, University of Brighton
While most of us can expect to live to around 80, some people defy expectations and live to be over 100. In places such as Okinawa, Japan and Sardinia, Italy, there are many centenarians.
Algorithm takes the grunt work out of quilting
Taylor Kubota-Stanford
A new algorithm automates the notoriously complicated—and often frustrating—process of figuring out the order of steps in advanced quilting patterns.
How different crops or trees help strip carbon dioxide from the air
Sebastian Leuzinger, Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology
Would it be helpful to undertake a nationwide and coordinated mass planting of trees and plants that are known to have a high uptake of carbon dioxide such as paulownia and hemp alongside the attempts to plant natives?
Daily Inspiration: June 12, 2021
Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf
"He makes me want to be a better person." As I reflected on this statement, I realized that this is the best compliment anyone could ever hope to receive.
How Dogs Help Keep Multiracial Neighborhoods Socially Segregated
Sarah Mayorga-Gallo, University of Massachusetts Boston
Cities in the United States are getting less segregated and, according to a recent national survey, most Americans value the country’s racial diversity.
Modeling Behavior is the Best Teacher: Respect Must Be Mutual (Video)
Carmen Viktoria Gamper, author of Flow to Learn: A Parent's Guide...
Socially respected behavior is learned behavior and some of it (for instance, table manners) varies by culture, faith or family. When we help children become aware of the unwritten rules of common courtesy, we give them valuable tools that help them navigate through life.
How to free up millions of acres of forests, farmlands and grasslands
Matthew D. Moran, Professor of Biology, Hendrix College
President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan proposes to spend US$16 billion plugging old oil and gas wells and cleaning up abandoned mines. But...
These changes to your fingernails may show you've had Coronavirus
Vassilios Vassiliou, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Cardiovascular Medicine, University of East Anglia
The main signs of COVID-19 are fever, a cough, fatigue and a loss of your sense of taste and smell. Signs of COVID-19 in the skin have been noted too. But there’s another part of the body where the virus appears to have an impact: the fingernails.
Daily Inspiration: June 11, 2021
Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf
We've got great things to do. Life is a school of opportunities. (Don't call them problems.) Some people just need to become excited. They need to learn that they can change things.
Consciously Communicating and Living with the Elementals (Video)
Thomas Mayer, author of Answering the Call of the Elementals
Even if we are not consciously aware of it, we live in the realm of elemental beings. Everywhere, and all the time, they penetrate our souls and slip into our hearts. The whole world around us is ensouled with elemental beings.
Rights for Nature: How granting a river 'personhood' could help protect it
Justine Townsend, PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Guelph
The Muteshekau Shipu (Magpie River) runs nearly 300 kilometres in Québec’s Côte-Nord region. The river is culturally significant for the Innu and it is popular with whitewater paddlers and rafters.
Separation and Isolation vs. Community and Compassion (Video)
Lawrence Doochin, author of A Book on Fear
When we are in community, we automatically fall into service to those in need because we know them and see their need up close versus judging someone from afar and condemning them. “Community” comes from the Latin for “fellowship,” meaning “with unity.”
Rejection and isolation aren’t the same for preteens
Matt Shipman-NC State
Peer rejection and social network isolation aren’t the same thing in early adolescence, according to new research.
Do gut bacteria shape how babies feel fear?
Michigan State
Why do some babies react to perceived danger more than others? According to new research, part of the answer may be found in a surprising place: an infant’s gut bacteria.
Daily Inspiration: June 10, 2021
Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf
This wisdom -- the importance of living in the present -- is another of the many lessons children could teach us, if we were willing to lay aside our adult "solutions" long enough to hear theirs.
Personalised nutrition is trendy, but can it help us eat less junk food?
Katherine Livingstone, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow and Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University
Australian adults get around one-third of their energy intake from junk foods. Also known as discretionary foods, these include foods such as biscuits, cakes, sausages, sugar-sweetened drinks and alcohol.
How to keep your house cool – cover it with new whiter-than-white paint, says research
Andrew Parnell, Research Fellow in Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield
From icy tundras to billowing clouds, the colour white crops up repeatedly in our planet’s palette. This colour provides a natural way for light from the sun to reflect back from the Earth’s surface and into space. This effect – known as the planet’s albedo – has a huge impact on average global temperature.
Can We Bemoan Inequality as We Push Policies to Increase It?
Dean Baker
We know it would be too much to expect that New York Times reporters might have some knowledge of policies that the United States had in place twenty or even ten years ago. After all, that would require some memory or some knowledge of history.
Daily Inspiration: June 9, 2021
Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf
So many things happen in life -- in our own life personally and in life in general -- that don't seem to be part of the plan. Whether it involves...
4 ways to have a positive experience when engaging with social media
Lisa Tang, PhD Candidate in Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph
Have you ever thought about all the ways social media is woven within your everyday life? This has been especially true over the past year, where social media has proven itself as a valuable communication tool...
The mystery of long COVID: up to 1 in 3 people who catch the virus suffer for months. Here's what we know so far
Vanessa Bryant, Laboratory Head, Immunology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
Most people who get COVID suffer the common symptoms of fever, cough and breathing problems, and recover in a week or two.
Many Asian Americans Are Struggling Invisibly
Amy Yee
Like many low-wage restaurant workers, Su Hua Mei and her husband lost their jobs last spring as the pandemic took hold.
Partners play key role in pregnant women’s drinking
Sandra Knispel-U. Rochester
Partners can directly influence the likelihood that a pregnant woman will drink alcohol and feel depressed, which affects fetal development, new research shows.
Daily Inspiration: June 8, 2021
Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf
"I think the biggest spiritual challenge in the new millennium will be trying to sustain a spiritual stance of love, kindness, and benevolence in what will be a chaotically imbalanced society."
Why teens have a hard time finding truth online
Stanford
A new national study shows a woeful inability by high schoolers to detect fake news on the internet.
What Can Organic Solar Cells Bring To The Table?
Kellie Stellmach, Ensia
When you picture solar power, chances are you conjure up images of large solar panels spanning the length of a rooftop or a large solar farm out in a field.
Banking That Serves People, Not Bankers
Jim Hightower
Corporate ideologues never cease blathering that government programs should be run like a business. Really? What businesses would they choose?
I Know Who is Scarier Than the Big Bad Wolf, Do You?
Samantha Bruegger
In 2021, following the loss of Endangered Species Act protections, we learned a lot about wolves and fear. In Idaho, wolves used their gigantic teeth to kill all of 0.00428% of the state’s beloved cattle and sheep population.
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