child walking holding an adult's hand
Image by Dirk (Beeki®) Schumacher 

Our InnerSelf welcomes your inner self.

We have been taught, as children, to trust without question the authority and knowledge of our parents, teachers, those older than us, or better educated than us. However, with the advent of the 24-hour media and the internet, our sources of authority have changed. We now trust the posts shared by our friends, or by people we look up to. We may fail to question the values and judgments of the "newly-ordained" authority figures in our life... whether those are media sites, blog sites, talk show hosts, or a friend of a friend of a friend on Facebook and other social media sites.

This week we reflect on whose authority we rely on... We start off with questioning the concept of beauty and success in "Finding Our Own Definitions of Beauty". Unfortunately, we are all affected by the accepted "ideal images" propagated by "authority figures" in the media and in advertising. Consequently, while Allison Carmen's article is directed to women, its precepts and questions can apply to all genders. 

The impact of authority figures lives on much longer than their actual presence in our lives. What we are told, and the opinions, fears, and values that are imposed upon on in childhood, become part of who we are as adults. Research conducted by Vanessa Vieites helps answer the question: "Do kids free to roam on their own feel more confident in adulthood?". 

Our next two articles take a look at health and healthcare and present new perspectives on how to reclaim our authority in those two areas. Pierre Pradervand writes about "How Authority Wanes: Incurable Disease or Lack of Knowledge?" and Robert Jennings shares insights and information about "Why Quality Healthcare May Not Be As Difficult As It Seems". 

Another area of life where we may run into walls when dealing with authority is career advancement, especially for women in the job market. Areva Martin sheds light on  "Mentors, Men, and Leaning Into Closed Doors". While her article focuses on closed doors for women, many of these closed doors also show up for people of color, or non-traditional gender expressions. This again is another case of coming face to face, sometimes unknowingly, with the forces of traditional authority figures and their old beliefs and agendas.

And, of course, we encounter many challenges when we choose to resist or confront authority. We may wonder, as asked in one of the original authority tomes, "What doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" So the balance lies in regaining our own authority and our own values, while retaining "Loving Relationships and a Peaceful Soul". And, the way we regain our authority is important. We must do so while being true to our own self, and not by creating hatred. This is the tough road we are walking on our journey of life. To regain our power while coming from a center of love and peace... sometimes tough love, but love nevertheless. 

And we round off the new articles this week, with Pam Younghans' "Horoscope: Week of October 25 - 31, 2021". Pam starts off her column this week with this statement: "Still breathless and a bit wobbly-legged from the steep climb that has been the month of October, we now pause to assess our current position and also observe what lies ahead."

So we invite you to pause and reflect as you read our offering of articles this week, and question the story you are living... is it the one you wish to live, is it one that you've accepted from authority figures in your life (past or present), and is there a better plot or script for you to write for yourself and bring to life? 

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"

Please scroll down for the new articles and videos that were added to the website this week.

NEW ARTICLES THIS WEEK

Most featured articles are also in audio and video format.
Go to each article for the links.

Finding Our Own Definitions of Beauty

 Allison Carmen
a glowing orb in a pendant with a copper wire wrap
Definition of beauty, Merriam-Webster dictionary: "that which gives the highest degree of pleasure to the senses or the mind. . . ."

Finding Our Own Definitions of Beauty (Video)

Do kids free to roam on their own feel more confident in adulthood?

 Vanessa Vieites, Postdoctoral Associate
two young boys walking down the street by themselves
The distance from home that kids are allowed to roam and play has over the last 50 years. That’s largely due to parents’ concerns...

Do kids free to roam on their own feel more confident in adulthood? (Video)

innerself subscribe graphic

How Authority Wanes: Incurable Disease or Lack of Knowledge?

 Pierre Pradervand
medical practitioner holding a beaker of blue liquid
When I was a child, what the family doctor said was gospel, and no one would even have thought of disputing it.

How Authority Wanes: Incurable Disease or Lack of Knowledge? (Video)

Why Quality Healthcare May Not Be As Difficult As It Seems

 Robert Jennings, Innerself.com
group of healthcare professionals standing around a desk or table
The means to achieve quality healthcare for all is there. All that is lacking is the people's will and demand. But how?

Why Quality Healthcare May Not Be As Difficult As It Seems (Video)

Mentors, Men, and Leaning Into Closed Doors

 Areva Martin
young white man wearing a suit standing in from of closed doors
In an excerpt from her new book, Ladies, Leadership, and the Lies We've Been Told, women's rights advocate and entrepreneur Areva Martin explores the power dynamics of male mentors in the post-#MeToo era.

Mentors, Men, and Leaning Into Closed Doors (Video)

Loving Relationships and a Peaceful Soul

 Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com
smiling mother, sitting on the grass, holding up a child
All of us, even animals, need to love and be loved. We need it for basic survival, we need it for growth, both physical and emotional, and we need it for happiness. 

Loving Relationships and a Peaceful Soul (Video)

Horoscope: Week of October 25 - 31, 2021

 Pam Younghans
panorama of the Northern Lights in Norway
This week, the aspects list is relatively short and there are three days when no major aspects are exact. The solar system seems to be giving us a chance to process where we've been and also to repack our gear for the next part of the ascent.

Horoscope Week: October 25 - 31, 2021 (Video)

? Your InnerSelf ?To Do? List ?

? If you shop on Amazon, please use this link: http://www.amazon.com/?tag=innerselfcom Your cost is the same and we receive up to 5% in commission. Every little bit helps!

? Share the InnerSelf articles and the Daily Inspiration with your friends on social media and otherwise.

? We also welcome (and invite) feedback... To send us your comments, hover over the "This and That" item in every page's top menu, and click on the "Contact Us" button.

 HELPFUL INNERSELF LINKS:

Facebook | Twitter | InnerSelf Home

Please use this link to shop at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/?tag=innerselfcom
Your price is the same, and we get a commission :-) which helps us defray the costs of running the website: servers, bandwidth, program updates, etc.