# Navigating the Siege Within: Finding Home in Ourselves
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Chapter 1: The Weight of External Pressures
In our fast-paced world, feeling at ease within ourselves can be quite challenging. We often find ourselves feeling estranged, even in our own homes.
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Section 1.1: The Onslaught of Digital Intrusions
Just yesterday, while feeling fatigued, I found myself mindlessly scrolling through my emails. One caught my attention labeled “scam alert.” My instinctive reaction was to dismiss it as fraudulent. However, fatigue got the better of me, and I clicked on it. Instantly regretting my decision, I deleted it and worried about potential malware. Anger bubbled up within me, directed both at myself and the relentless spam.
Every day, we’re bombarded with countless scams, unwanted solicitations, and telemarketer calls. It seems to worsen each year, compelling us to construct barriers against these intrusions. Whether it’s our phones, email inboxes, or piles of junk mail, we’re constantly battling against waste—time, paper, and energy. Many businesses face security breaches, leading to the theft of personal information. And social media? A whole other layer of concern. We find ourselves needing to safeguard multiple facets of our lives, creating walls that distance us from the world.
Section 1.2: The Burden of Global Concerns
Moreover, the news often feels overwhelming—climate change, threats to our voting rights, job security, and control over our own health. It’s easy to feel besieged by these external forces, making it hard to find comfort in our own skin, let alone in our homes.
Chapter 2: Finding Solace in Nature
Yet, amidst this chaos, I had a moment of clarity earlier today while observing my cat, Mikey. He strolled through the flower beds, fully present in his surroundings. In that moment, I realized that the flowers, trees, and stones constituted his home—not just our house or even my presence. His territory was a sanctuary, an extension of himself.
We often overlook the interconnectedness of our existence, mistakenly believing our skin defines our boundaries. In doing so, we pay a hefty price, severing ourselves from the essence of belonging.
The American poet Robinson Jeffers once wrote about this disconnection:
A severed hand
Is an ugly thing, and man dissevered from the earth
And stars and his history…
Often appears atrociously ugly.
Many cultures, particularly indigenous ones, have long understood the significance of place. David Hinton, in his book Hunger Mountain: A Field Guide to Mind and Landscape, articulates this beautifully: “Things are themselves only as they belong to something more than themselves: I to we, we to earth, earth to planets and stars…” Our true selves emerge only in relation to others, within the context of our environment.
The video explores the themes of connection and home, as seen in Asgard's Wrath 2 | Part 4 | Laying Siege To The Temple Of Osiris!
Section 2.1: Embracing Vulnerability
When I felt anxious about the potential malware from that email, I initially wanted to avoid confronting it. Logically, I knew I had acted cautiously—quickly shutting down my computer and changing my password. Yet, anxiety lingered, stemming from an imagined threat that left me feeling isolated.
Instead of shying away from this fear, I chose to face it. I acknowledged my fatigue and vulnerability, noticing how my body tensed. By confronting my feelings rather than escaping them, I found a sense of relief washing over me, relaxing my breath and posture.
Section 2.2: The Wisdom of Awareness
Even when confronting fear seems daunting, recognizing and accepting our limits can be empowering. This awareness allows us to connect with the present moment, alleviating the sensation of being under siege. It enables us to feel more grounded and better equipped to take meaningful actions. Ultimately, it reveals that separation is an illusion, and only by facing our fears can we take constructive steps forward.
One fundamental teaching in Buddhism highlights the concept of the "three poisons": ignorance, greed, and hatred. To mitigate their impact, we can cultivate wisdom, generosity, and loving-kindness. These practices help us to perceive the world more clearly and foster genuine connections.
In a previous blog, I discussed how sincerity plays a crucial role in this journey. Hinton notes that the Chinese character for sincerity illustrates a person standing next to words emerging from their mouth. When we are sincere, our thoughts align with our speech, allowing us to connect deeply with our surroundings and each other.
Sincerity acts as a guiding force, akin to a parent's unconditional love—both steadfast and adaptable. Each of us has unique paths to explore, and if we seek them out, sincerity can open doors to understanding and belonging.
A door to moving through life with the same ease as a cat? A gateway to dismantling the walls that separate us?
Read more from The Good Men Project on Medium:
- 8 Ways Good People Invalidate Their Partners and Ruin Relationships
- Alcohol Was My Mask
- A Married Man’s Sexual Epiphany
The story was previously published on The Good Men Project.
About Ira Rabois
Ira Rabois has spent 27 years teaching at the Lehman Alternative School in Ithaca, N.Y., developing innovative curricula across various subjects, including English, Philosophy, and Psychology. He writes about education and mindfulness and is the author of Compassionate Critical Thinking: How Mindfulness, Creativity, Empathy, and Socratic Questioning Can Transform Teaching.