Welcome... Our InnerSelf welcomes your inner self.
Balance. This week we focus on attaining balance. Being born a Libra, this word has been very present in my life, but contrary to popular opinion, Librans don't necessarily come in with balance, they seek it... as they go from one end of the scales to the other, from one extreme to the other.
It seems that our whole world is also now in a state of seeking balance. We go from austerity to over-spending and over-consumption; from puritan attitudes to 1000 shades of grey! From neighborly caring and assistance, to "I don't even know my neighbor's name". From repressing our anger to violently expressing it. As a society and as a planet, we've gone from one extreme to the other... seeking balance, yet not quite attaining it. Perhaps we're looking for balance (and love) in all the wrong places?
This week we being you articles to assist you in reflecting on the need for balance in your life and our authors present ways to help you attain it. Denise Jaden reminds us that "Life Is About Balance" and "The Woman Who Chose to Plant Corn" gives us a real-life example of seeking to put balance into practice in life.
A necessary prerequisite to being in balance is "Letting Go Of Our Fear When In The Midst Of Change". Nancy Windheart shares a vibrant and inspiring example of being in balance in "Living in the Flow of Grace". and Ira Israel explains why you may be "Blowing Off Steam To Keep Your Life Manageable".
Even this week's astrological forces support us in our search for balance. I quote from Pam's Astrological Journal:
"...we must find a way to be both mother (Ceres) and father (Saturn) to ourselves. These two inner voices can seem to be at odds, one reminding us of our duties and the other telling us it's OK to play. The challenge is to know which voice to heed and when, and to be aware of when we've ignored one of the voices too long. The long-term effect of closing our ears to either voice is that it interferes with both our productivity and our fulfillment."
Scroll down for the links to these and numerous more articles. Some of the additional articles were posted around Valentine's Day so they can help you reflect on seeking balance in your loving relationships.
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"
Friendly Reminders:
* Please use this Amazon link if you shop at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/?tag=innerselfcom Your cost is the same and we receive approx. 5% in commission.
* Your Donations are welcomed and appreciated (and useful). There's also a quick and easy PayPal donation page (you don't have to be a PayPal member) at http://paypal.me/innerself
*Thank you for visiting our advertisers...
* Please share our articles with your friends on social media and otherwise.
We also welcome (and invite) any 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.
NEW ARTICLES THIS WEEK
Finding Balance: Life Is About Balance
Written by Denise Jaden
In all areas, I believe balance is key to living a peaceful and successful life. As the saying goes, “All work and no play” makes for a dull life. But what about all creativity and no responsibility? Even if that were a possibility, I’d like to argue that this would not make anyone happy.
Article is continued here: Finding Balance: Life Is About Balance
The Woman Who Chose to Plant Corn
Written by Charles Eisenstein
A Diné (Navajo) friend of mine, Lyla June Johnston, sent me a one-line email: “I am not going to Harvard… I am going to plant corn.” Her statement signals a profound divergence from the path she’d set out on when she was an undergraduate at Stanford University. She is choosing instead to learn the lifeways of her culture...
Article is continued here: The Woman Who Chose to Plant Corn
Blowing Off Steam To Keep Your Life Manageable?
Written by Ira Israel
Being constrained by a civilization’s laws and regulations, combined with a low tolerance for emotional expression, produces discontents for some if not all of that civilization’s inhabitants. Underneath our fashionable veneers we are still animals...
Article is continued here: Blowing Off Steam To Keep Your Life Manageable?
Letting Go Of Our Fear When In The Midst Of Change
Written by Jodi Hershey
A friend of mine who is very aware of these changes and has been stuck for some time asked me how we move forward. “If you could write some sort of guideline, it would be helpful,” she suggested. I took some time to really contemplate this, vividly recalling what my own experience had been. I will attempt to describe it to you.
Article is continued here: Letting Go Of Our Fear When In The Midst Of Change
Living in the Flow of Grace: Seashells in the Desert
Written by Nancy Windheart
I am astonished and delighted at how the universe works. I am learning more and more about how to live in what I call “The Flow of Grace.” For me, this is learning to allow, rather than push; to accept and receive, rather than hold myself closed out of fear; to expand, rather than contract; and to...
Article is continued here: Living in the Flow of Grace: Seashells in the Desert
Who Are The New Renewable Superpowers
by Andrew Barron, Swansea University
Imagine a world where every country has not only complied with the Paris climate agreement but has moved away from…
Article is continued here: Who Are The New Renewable Superpowers
How To Stimulate a Child's Brain Development
by Nina Sokolovic, Jennifer Jenkins and Michal Perlman, University of Toronto
When parents and teachers adapt their own behaviours based on what a child is thinking, they help stimulate that…
Article is continued here: How To Stimulate a Child's Brain Development
How To Eradicate The Flu Virus From Your Home
by Jason Tetro, University of Guelph
Once a respiratory virus like influenza has entered your home or workplace, it is wise to treat the space like a…
Article is continued here: How To Eradicate The Flu Virus From Your Home
How Western Science Is Finally Catching Up To Traditional Knowledge
by George Nicholas, Simon Fraser University
A team of researchers in northern Australia have documented kites and falcons
Article is continued here: How Western Science Is Finally Catching Up To Traditional Knowledge
How Witnessing Violence Harms Children’s Mental Health
by Lee Daniel J. Flannery, Case Western Reserve University
When children learn about news like the deadly school shooting that claimed more than a dozen lives on Feb. 14, 2018 in…
Article is continued here: How Witnessing Violence Harms Children’s Mental Health
How Hearing Loss And Depression Are Connected
by Karl Bates, Duke University
Hearing loss can create chronic stress that can lead to depression, but high levels of social support—from family…
Article is continued here: How Hearing Loss And Depression Are Connected
Product Labels Like ‘Fair Trade’ Mean Less Than You’d Think
by Rob Jordan-Stanford University
Buying ethically sourced products is not as straightforward as it might seem, according to the first large-scale…
Article is continued here: Product Labels Like ‘Fair Trade’ Mean Less Than You’d Think
How To Defeat Social Anxiety And Embarrassment
by Melissa Dahl, Big Think
Why is it awkward to listen to a recording of your own voice? What makes us cringe?
Article is continued here: How To Defeat Social Anxiety And Embarrassment
Why This Dog Show Is More Than A Canine Beauty Pageant
by Jacqueline Boyd, Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University
Every year, the NEC in Birmingham, England, becomes a magnet for dog lovers, as more than 22,000 canines assemble for…
Article is continued here: Why This Dog Show Is More Than A Canine Beauty Pageant
Ten Things You Never Knew About The Ocean’s Deepest Places
by Alan Jamieson, Senior Lecturer, Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen
The ocean is deep. In fact, most of it is deep. Officially anything deeper than just 200 meters is considered the “deep…
Article is continued here: Ten Things You Never Knew About The Ocean’s Deepest Places
Why Are So Many People Still Living In Flood-prone Cities?
by Guy Michaels, Associate Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science
Over the last 30 years, floods have killed more than 500,000 people globally, and displaced about 650m more. In a paper…
Article is continued here: Why Are So Many People Still Living In Flood-prone Cities?
To Beat The 'Throwaway' Waste Crisis, We Must Design Loveable Objects – That Last
by Jonathan Chapman, Professor of Sustainable Design, Director of Design Research Initiatives, University of Brighton
We live in a world drowning in objects: households with a television in each room; kitchen cupboards stuffed with…
Article is continued here: To Beat The 'Throwaway' Waste Crisis, We Must Design Loveable Objects – That Last
How Much Time Have I Got, Doc? The Problems With Predicting Survival At End Of Life
by Sarah Winch, Health Care Ethicist and Sociologist, The University of Queensland
Predicting how long a patient will survive is critically important for them and their families to guide future…
Article is continued here: How Much Time Have I Got, Doc? The Problems With Predicting Survival At End Of Life
Will Self-driving Cars Reduce Energy Use And Make Travel Better For The Environment?
by Zia Wadud, Associate professor, University of Leeds
I started learning driving only three years ago, and failed my first test. Naturally, I was disappointed: but then it…
Article is continued here: Will Self-driving Cars Reduce Energy Use And Make Travel Better For The Environment?
Mysterious Chimpanzee Behavior May Be Evidence Of 'Sacred' Rituals
by Laura Kehoe, PhD researcher in wildlife conservation and land use, Humboldt University of Berlin
I trampled clumsily through the dense undergrowth, attempting in vain to go a full five minutes without getting snarled…
Article is continued here: Mysterious Chimpanzee Behavior May Be Evidence Of 'Sacred' Rituals
How The Bargaining Power Of Workers Could Boost Productivity
by David Spencer, Professor of Economics and Political Economy, University of Leeds
The UK’s employment rate has been at a record high. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that…
Article is continued here: How The Bargaining Power Of Workers Could Boost Productivity
The Growing Demand For Pet-friendly Workplaces
by Deborah McPhee, Brock University
Millennial women in their 20s and 30s have decided to stay single a lot longer than women did in the past. And instead…
Article is continued here: The Growing Demand For Pet-friendly Workplaces
Some New Rules to Digitally Disentangle After A Break Up
by Wendy Moncur and Daniel Herron, University of Dundee
Digital technologies can be great when looking for love, and displaying togetherness to the world. But for those with a newly broken heart, we have produced a practical checklist for how to deal with the digital aftermath of a romantic break up.
Article is continued here: Some New Rules to Digitally Disentangle After A Break Up
Do We Want To Live In A World Where Our Best Friends Are A.I. Chatbots?
by Trudy Barber, University of Portsmouth
Before the internet, before smart phones, teenagers and young people would seek out quizzes in comics, read problem…
Article is continued here: Do We Want To Live In A World Where Our Best Friends Are A.I. Chatbots?
The 'Mandela Effect' And How Your Mind Is Playing Tricks On You
by Neil Dagnall and Ken Drinkwater, Manchester Metropolitan University
Have you ever been convinced that something is a particular way only to discover you’ve remembered it all wrong? If so,…
Article is continued here: The 'Mandela Effect' And How Your Mind Is Playing Tricks On You
It's Not Just You, Politics Is Stressing Out America's Youth
by Melissa DeJonckheere and Tammy Chang, University of Michigan
The current political climate has been difficult for Americans of all political stripes. People have been so stressed…
Article is continued here: It's Not Just You, Politics Is Stressing Out America's Youth
Sustainable Shopping: How To Stay Green When Buying White Goods
by Trivess Moore and Simon Lockrey, RMIT University
Most of us have a range of white goods (refrigerators, washing machines, etc.) in our homes. These white goods provide…
Article is continued here: Sustainable Shopping: How To Stay Green When Buying White Goods
Why Having A Tattoo Of Your Lover's Name Has Been A Bad Idea
by Stephen Crabbe, University of Portsmouth
Every Valentine’s Day we are reminded about the importance of showing our commitment to our lovers – whether we are…
Article is continued here: Why Having A Tattoo Of Your Lover's Name Has Been A Bad Idea
There Are At Least 14 Different Kinds Of Love
by Tim Lomas, University of East London
No emotion, surely, is as cherished and sought after as love. Yet on occasions such as Valentine’s day, we can often be…
Article is continued here: There Are At Least 14 Different Kinds Of Love
15 Questions To Determine If Your Relationship Is Hall Of Fame Or A Strikeout
by Gary W. Lewandowski Jr., Monmouth University
Your most important decision may be figuring out your best romantic partner. Relationships matter – a lot. They have…
Article is continued here: 15 Questions To Determine If Your Relationship Is Hall Of Fame Or A Strikeout
A Feminist’s Guide to Romantic Comedies and How to Watch Them
by Ayu Sutriasa, YES! Magazine
The internet is filled with lists of which rom-coms will “get you through” Valentine’s Day—the assumption seems to be that, otherwise, we singles would be festering alone in our living rooms, drinking vodka and singing “All By Myself” à la Bridget Jones. I enjoy the genre, but as a feminist I have some qualms.
Article is continued here: A Feminist’s Guide to Romantic Comedies and How to Watch Them
Who's Your Ideal Mate? Your First Love May Have Something To Do With It
by Gonzalo R. Quintana Zunino, Concordia University
Your first sexual partner may have more to tell you about your spouse or current lover than you may think. Although…
Article is continued here: Who's Your Ideal Mate? Your First Love May Have Something To Do With It
I'm Not Overweight, So Why Do I Need To Eat Healthy Foods?
by Alessandro R Demaio, University of Copenhagen
We all have that one friend whose eating habits and body shape simply don’t add up. While enjoying the unhealthiest of…
Article is continued here: I'm Not Overweight, So Why Do I Need To Eat Healthy Foods?
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.
HELPFUL INNERSELF LINKS:
Click on the graphic to go to the donation form.
Facebook | Twitter | InnerSelf Home
Please use this link to shop at Amazon
Your price is the same low Amazon price, and we get a commission :-) which helps us defray costs of running the website: servers, bandwidth, program updates, etc.
