When I saw the photos of the East Wing of the White House being demolished to make way for the construction of an unvetted ballroom, I viscerally felt sick.

I realized that I had seen images like this before, but they were a) always fictional and b) from an attack from the outside. Another country, terrorists, even aliens. They weren’t real, these photos and video, they were created by movie special effects.

But this is real. And though the photos and videos look like something from a war-torn country, it is not an outside power to blame. The attack, as they say, is coming from inside the house. Literally.

If you are feeling the same, slow down. Feel it. Vent a little. Analyze your feelings: horror, outrage…and probably, grief. As so many commentators have already noted, this feels like a fitting metaphor for the expectations many of us had about the laws and practices of our country that are being ignored or destroyed. Our feelings are valid and acknowledging them means we are staying centered in reality.

Staying centered in reality doesn’t mean only focusing on the bad, though. This week, seeing the millions, literally millions, of people showing up to peacefully assemble and protest attacks on our democracy in the No Kings rallies has been empowering. We are not alone.

We grieve, we march, and we continue working. As scholar Erica Chenoweth, (who coined the “3.5% Rule” that says authoritarian regimes will be toppled by non-violent resistance of at least 3.5% of the population) writes, what is necessary is sustained, strategic action.

Acknowledge reality, including our own feelings. Celebrate the wins. And keep on with the work.