Everyone’s Talking About World War III—Here’s What to Do Instead
When the empire rattles its sabers, don’t lose your center. This is how we resist the fog of war—with clear eyes and steady hearts.
I had a completely different post lined up for today. But after doomscrolling Substack and TikTok last night—like half the country—I knew we needed to pause and talk about what’s happening in the Middle East.
Whether you’re pro-Israel, pro-Iran, or (like me) deeply skeptical of both, one thing’s clear: people are scared. The headlines feel heavy. The word war is on everyone’s lips.
So instead of adding more noise, I want to offer something else: a way to think about fear. A way to respond that doesn’t feed the fire.
Not with panic. Not with politics.
With calm. With care. With a steady hand on the wheel.
If you’ve been walking through the last 24 hours feeling like the air is too thin to breathe—if your chest is tight, your sleep is off, and you keep checking headlines like a nervous tick—you’re not alone.
The news from the Middle East is terrifying. The noise online is deafening. And the old ghosts of global war are stirring in their graves.
But here’s the thing they don’t tell you when you’re doom-scrolling through the end of the world:
When the war drums start pounding, the most radical thing you can do is pause and take care of your own.
I don’t mean “retreat.” I mean resist the panic. I mean slow down when they want you spun out. I mean notice your breathing, check on your neighbors, make a pot of something warm and share it.
Because this—this moment right here—is when authoritarians thrive.
They count on fear to fracture us.
They count on confusion to make us compliant.
They count on chaos to make the strong feel helpless, and the hopeful feel foolish.
But you don’t need to have a plan for World War III. You don’t need to predict what happens next in Tehran or Tel Aviv or D.C.
You just need to stay human.
That’s the assignment today.
So here’s what I want you to do, just for today:
Put your bare feet on the floor. Feel the ground. It hasn’t gone anywhere.
Eat something nourishing. Even if it’s just a piece of toast. Especially if it’s a piece of toast with blackberry jam.
Call someone who calms you down. Not to debate geopolitics. Just to be reminded that the world is still full of good hearts.
Check on the person who lives alone. If you’re scared, imagine how it feels to not have anyone nearby.
Say the true thing out loud: “This is scary.” You don’t have to hide it. You just don’t have to live in it.
There will be time to organize. Time to push back. Time to protest and pressure and demand better from those in power.
But today?
Today is for staying sane. Staying soft. Staying upright.
Because when empires teeter and missiles move and men in suits start drawing red lines on maps that aren’t theirs to draw—what the world needs most is not more noise. It needs more nerve. And that starts with you.
So take the walk. Say the prayer. Feed the cat. Laugh when you can.
And if you’re lucky enough to be somewhere safe tonight, wrap yourself in that blessing—and pass it along.
We’re in this together.
Not just to survive history.
But to live through it—with our humanity intact.
Hold still.
Hold each other.
We’re not powerless. We’re just pausing.
And that, my dear rebels, is a kind of resistance too.
—Lady Libertie
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Read more at The American Pamphleteer.
I love your posts. So needed right now.
Thank you for this wisdom. Hard to keep focusing on the present but very necessary and very powerful.