InnerSelf Magazine
New Attitudes - New Possibilities
September 21, 2026
We live in a world that constantly asks us to decide, connect, adapt, and endure. Each day brings fresh demands on our attention, our bodies, our relationships, and our sense of who we are. Yet beneath the noise of news cycles and notifications, something quieter and more essential persists: the longing to live well, to understand ourselves honestly, and to find meaning in both the grand gestures and the small, ordinary moments.
This issue of InnerSelf gathers voices from many corners of human experience — science, spirituality, health, economics, communication, and inner wisdom — all circling that same fundamental hunger. Whether we are navigating the turbulence of a changing climate, the quiet revolution of technology reshaping our minds, or the timeless mystery of what lies beyond, we are all, in our own ways, at a threshold. The equinox arrives this week as a reminder that balance is not a fixed state but a living, breathing practice — one we return to again and again.
Robert Jennings & Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com
Featured This Week:
How to Make Bad Decisions
By Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com
We all make decisions every single day — some trivial, some life-altering. But what if the path to making better choices begins with understanding exactly how and why we make bad ones? Recognizing the patterns, biases, and emotional traps that lead us astray is the first and most powerful step toward genuine clarity and wiser living.
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How You Talk to AI Reveals Whether AI Can Fool You
By Robert Jennings, InnerSelf.com
The way we phrase questions and engage with artificial intelligence systems says far more about our critical thinking than we might expect. Are you treating AI like an oracle, or like a tool? Your conversational habits could be the deciding factor in whether you're guided wisely — or misled entirely.
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5 Ways To Become a Fabulous Small Talker and Why You Should Be
By Beth McDaniel, InnerSelf.com
Small talk gets a bad reputation, but those brief, seemingly inconsequential exchanges are actually the foundation of human connection. Mastering the art of light conversation opens doors, builds trust, and creates the kind of warmth that makes people feel genuinely seen. Here are five practical ways to become someone others love to talk with.
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The Best Cures for a Hangover and How to Actually Feel Human Again
By Beth McDaniel, InnerSelf.com
We've all been there — that morning after when the world feels tilted and your body is staging a full revolt. Separating myth from medicine, this article cuts through the folklore to deliver what science actually says about recovering from a night of excess and getting back to feeling like yourself again.
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Why Driving Through Water Is So Dangerous During Floods
By Alex Jordan, InnerSelf.com
Every flood season, the same tragic pattern repeats: drivers underestimate the power of moving water and pay a devastating price. Just inches of fast-moving water can sweep away a vehicle. Understanding the physics and the psychology behind this deadly gamble could save your life or the life of someone you love.
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Is Frying with Olive Oil Healthier Than Other Oils?
By James Brown, Aston University and Rachel Adams, Cardiff Metropolitan University
Olive oil has long been celebrated as one of nature's healthiest fats, but does it hold up under high heat? Researchers examine what actually happens to olive oil when it hits the frying pan, how it compares to other common cooking oils, and what the evidence says about its role in a health-conscious kitchen.
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Yoga's Risks and Benefits for Pain
By Evangelos Pappas, University of Sydney and Marc Campo, Mercy College
Yoga is embraced worldwide as a path to healing, flexibility, and calm — but it comes with an often-overlooked risk of injury, particularly for beginners and those pushing beyond their limits. This balanced look at the research explores when yoga helps chronic pain, when it can make things worse, and how to practice wisely.
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The Impact of Smartphones on Mental Health and Relationships
By Jean Twenge, San Diego State University
Decades of data are beginning to tell a sobering story about smartphones and the generations that have grown up with them. From rising rates of anxiety and depression to the erosion of face-to-face connection, this research-grounded examination asks the hard questions about what constant connectivity is really costing us.
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More From InnerSelf.com:
Reevaluating Corporate Culture and Personal Values
By Tom Borin
Many of us spend years climbing a ladder only to discover it's leaning against the wrong wall. The demands of corporate culture can quietly erode our sense of self, our values, and our deeper purpose. This reflective piece encourages a honest look at who we become in the workplace — and who we want to be.
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Historical Roots of Economic Inequality Concerns in America
By Daniel Mandell
The anxiety over economic inequality is not a modern invention. From the earliest days of the American republic, citizens debated the dangers of concentrated wealth and the promise of broad prosperity. Tracing these historical roots helps us understand why these concerns remain so deeply woven into the national conversation today.
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Limitations of BMI in Assessing Health Risks
By Karen Coulman and Sarah Sauchelli Toran
Body Mass Index has long been the go-to metric in medical settings for gauging health risks, yet researchers and clinicians are increasingly questioning its accuracy and fairness. This article unpacks the science behind BMI, who it fails, and why a more nuanced approach to assessing health is long overdue.
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Funding U.S. Roads in the Era of Electric Vehicles
By Jay L. Zagorsky
America's roads and bridges are in desperate need of repair, and much of their funding has traditionally come from gasoline taxes. As electric vehicles become more common and fewer drivers fill up at the pump, a structural funding crisis looms. What comes next — and who will pay for the roads we all share?
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Recognizing Signs from the Other Side
By Bill Philipps
Grief has a way of opening us to possibilities we might otherwise dismiss. Many people who have lost loved ones report receiving meaningful signs — feathers, butterflies, songs, or sudden warmth — at moments when comfort was needed most. This gentle exploration invites us to consider that love may not be bound by the limits of life and death.
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Meditation for Connecting with Inner Wisdom
By Shakti Gawain
Beneath the layers of daily noise, obligation, and opinion lives a quieter, wiser voice — one that has always known what you truly need. This guided meditation offers a pathway inward, helping you still the mental chatter and access the deep well of intuition and knowing that resides within every one of us.
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Astrology & Cosmic Guidance
Astrological Overview and Horoscope: September 21 to 27, 2026
The week of September 21–27, 2026 brings one of the year's most significant cosmic reset points, as the Libra Equinox arrives Tuesday and the Aries Full Moon peaks on Saturday....
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Horoscope
Standing at the Threshold: Fall Equinox and Full Moon - September 2026
By Clara Corwin
The Fall Equinox arrives this week as a powerful invitation to pause and take stock. Day and night reach their rare moment of equilibrium, and paired with a Full Moon, this cosmic convergence amplifies whatever we have been building — or avoiding. It is a time for honest reckoning, intentional release, and stepping forward with clarity into the season ahead.
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Superficial Relationships Won't Be Enough: Venus in Scorpio, Sept. 9–Oct. 24, 2026
By Clara Corwin
When Venus moves through Scorpio, the desire for depth, truth, and genuine intimacy intensifies. Casual connections may begin to feel hollow, and the impulse to merge fully — emotionally and spiritually — with those we love grows stronger. This transit is both an opportunity and a test of how honest we are willing to be in our closest bonds.
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InnerSelf Horoscope - Week of Sept. 20 - 26, 2026
By Clara Corwin, InnerSelf.com
This week's horoscope is shaped by the energies of the equinox and the Full Moon, touching every sign with themes of balance, completion, and new beginnings. Whether your chart calls for bold action or quiet reflection, the stars offer guidance for navigating this pivotal week with intention and grace. Find your sign's forecast inside.
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Before You Go
This week's equinox is more than a date on the calendar. It is a reminder that balance is not something we achieve once and hold forever — it is something we return to, consciously and deliberately, again and again. We balance our choices and our impulses, our connections to others and our connection to ourselves, our trust in the world around us and our trust in the wisdom within us.
The articles in this issue, taken together, offer a map for that ongoing journey. Whether you are reconsidering a decision, deepening a relationship, caring for your body, or opening to something beyond the visible world, you are doing the essential work of being fully alive. Thank you for reading, and for walking this path with us.
Robert Jennings and Marie T. Russell
InnerSelf.com
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