“The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
It sucks out there sometimes. When you have anxiety, stress or depression the world can be very unkind to you. We once again find a pearl of wisdom from Tolkien to help us with this issue. You can “fence yourselves in” and you will gain some measure of security. However, you cannot “forever fence it out”
Tolkien is correct here, we cannot escape the outside world lest we put ourselves in great peril. While in the throws of a bout of anxiety the world can be toxic, it is also out there that we can find hope and salvation. You are not alone, other people feel like you do. In the moments you can conquer the demon, go out see what is around you.
A city park, a corner café, a hike on a trail… Take your fence down when you can and get out into the world. It becomes less and less scary every time you do.
You are doing great, one day at a time.
In Memory of Christopher Tolkien 1924-2020 – Thanks for keeping the fires lit on the Tolkien legacy !
