These two people remind me of having two fingers stuck in a Chinese handcuffs toy. The more they pull, the less progress they make. What they fear has been personified by the Devil. It's not an actual being, but what our mind externalizes as the cause of our problems. Fear of losing something we have or failing to get something we want keeps us trapped in the illusion. When we cease the struggle against what is, we free ourselves and then can respond in saner ways. The Wisdom Keeper of Orientation suggests that we orient ourselves in one of two ways: as a separate individual or as a diverse part of a greater whole. Lack of belonging - being without meaningful relationships - can create an underlying anxiety. Belonging is an inherent need of humans, just as important as food and shelter. Yet society presses us to be special and unique so that we separate ourselves and stand apart. We can fall for that insanity (becoming trapped in those mental handcuffs), or realize we all have a common bond of some sort (which may take an effort to see). There can be diversity in unity; we just mustn't forget the whole.
Belonging starts with self-acceptance. ~ Brene Brown
