“No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride...and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well...maybe chalk it up to forced consciousness expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten.”
Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
Perfect pull, Frank. Thompson’s saying the quiet part out loud: you don’t bargain with darkness...you out-stare it.
We bought the ticket the day we chose truth over comfort. So yes...it gets heavy. That’s not a mistake...that’s the work. Forced consciousness expansion is another way of saying: “Wake up...armor up...move forward.” Tune in. Freak out (productively). Take the hit...and keep swinging. That’s how we win.
You remind me of a more buttoned up HST. He’s one difficult cat to characterize but had loads of wisdom, humor and fearlessness which often danced to the line of recklessness but fully embracing the humor of the absurdity of it all. This is another one of my favorite quotes of the good doctor: “Never turn your back on fear. It should always be in front of you, like a thing that might have to be killed.”
Hunter S. Thompson, Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century
That means a lot...thank you. We all need reminders like that sometimes. Just remember: heavy weeks...are where grit gets forged. Keep your standards high...your focus tight...and your humor intact. You’ve got this...and I’ve got your back through it.
Ha! You just made my day, Debby. That’s the best kind of problem I could hope to cause. And yes...a book is coming. Something you can dog-ear...underline...and carry like a weapon against the noise. Until then...keep that mirror full. That reflection staring back...that’s the person I’m writing for.
I’m retired and this last few weeks I have made my house nice for me and paid at my kids elementary school. For lunches and breakfast for kids who will miss this!! Had a beautiful outside yard and now my inside will match! It’s a start and I’m not scared of the orange tangerine!! I’m moving forward what ever comes!!
That’s powerful! And...exactly the spirit this moment calls for. You’re leading by example: creating beauty...helping others...refusing to live in fear. That’s how courage looks in real life...not with flags and noise...but with quiet strength and forward motion. Keep going...you’re doing it right.
Amen to that, Lillian. That’s the battle cry every citizen who still believes in this country should be shouting. We’re not just plodding...we’re proving that resolve beats rage...and endurance outlasts chaos. We will not be beaten by any expedient. That’s how democracy survives.
Brilliant article! Very Much needed & appreciated. My whole life I have a saying that I tell my self when on the horizon of stress from anything- 'I will not be beaten by any expedient '... it has become a mantra when necessary. Crawling into a cave will never help you..it only makes it worse!
That’s a hell of a mantra, Lillian...and exactly the mindset that separates survivors from spectators. “I will not be beaten by any expedient” ought to be etched...on every mirror in America right now. You’re dead right...retreat doesn’t protect you...it just gives fear home-field advantage. Keep standing tall.
You are wealth itself. You are happiness itself. You are...fill in any goal, objective, object of desire, material or otherwise, even desire itself. The power of this perspective lies precisely in its absurd departure from objective reality.
Exactly, Buck...and that’s the genius of it. The moment you stop chasing something as outside yourself...you start embodying it. Absurd? Sure. But so is every breakthrough until it works. Reality always bends toward conviction...that’s why mindset isn’t fluff...it’s leverage!
Thanks Jack. Needed this. I'm trying to balance the fear with I can survive this. Because there is a lot of "this" now and a lot more "this" coming. However, I am trying to do smart things to be ready for a recession/depression. I've looked at moving to other countries to be honest. My brain is a tornado right now. A lot to process.
I hear you, Karen...and I get it. It’s not weakness to feel that swirl...it’s proof you’re awake in a time when most are sleepwalking. Just remember: fear drains power...preparation builds it. Keep doing the smart things...but don’t let “what if” steal your peace. You’ve already survived more than “this.” Stay steady...you’re built for storms like these.
Resolved yesterday: Every time I leave the house I take out AT LEAST one bag/box of trash, one to storage and/or one to donate!! Then, everything that’s left gets scrubbed!!
MS be damned. It may slow me down, but I’ll not be stopped.
It tickles me how often I decide on a strategy that you suggest very soon thereafter. 😆
That’s the spirit, Cherae...unyielding...and unstoppable. You’re proving that momentum... doesn’t have to be fast...it just has to be constant. MS can slow the body...but it can’t touch willpower like that. I love that we’re on the same wavelength...great minds (and determined hearts) think alike. Keep going!
Just keep going. Hold to convictions. One step after the other. Eventually, you reach a point of what I call “unkillability”. In other words, no matter what gets thrown at you, you don’t get knocked off course, you don’t take the bait, you just keep on keeping on. The Brits had that steeliness in WW II. We laugh now. It’s all over the coffee mugs, but it’s true. We all get the wind knocked out once in a while. Sometimes, even withstand direct attacks.
That’s exactly it, Laurel. That “unkillable” mindset...the steady...quiet defiance...is what separates those who endure from those who collapse. You nailed it. Every step forward... no matter how small...is another strike of steel against the anvil. Eventually...nothing can break you.
I think this notion is catching on. It never happens when things are going great but in the face of adversity and multiple shocks people reach a point where they can’t be “killed” anymore. We just choose to move on no matter what.
This is such an important piece of information. My mother was adamant that unless you were doing house chores, yard work etc, it was important to always be dressed neat & tidy & in keeping the house that way. She stressed the importance of not hanging around in pjs. She rightly believed that doing that improves the mood & how you feel.
Absolutely right...your mother was onto something powerful. The way we present ourselves shapes the way we feel and act. Order outside creates order inside. Dressing with intention...keeping the home in shape... it’s not vanity...it’s strategy for staying strong and centered.
I have always been pretty frugal. But lately, I find myself spending --- not just on stuff, although 2 pairs of shoes I really didn't need are somehow in my closet, but on donations, subscriptions (and I don't read everything on each one, I just want all the writers to still be around), on friends who need a hand. A town in the UK which I have only ever driven through had to cancel its big fall festival due to weather. I used to organize public events, and I know how hard it is to make that decision. I know how much people depend on those events for joy, for income. The vendors who had perishable goods started a page to try to sell some items, and even though I don't know the vendors, I bought some brownies to be delivered to a friend who lives close to them. I have felt odd spending so much since it really is not in my nature, but now I think you have explained it. I AM NOT GOING TO LET THE ORANGE MENACE DEPRIVE ME OR MY FRIENDS OR ANYONE I CAN HELP whether it's a business, a charity, or a writer. Thank you, once more.
“No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride...and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well...maybe chalk it up to forced consciousness expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten.”
Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
Perfect pull, Frank. Thompson’s saying the quiet part out loud: you don’t bargain with darkness...you out-stare it.
We bought the ticket the day we chose truth over comfort. So yes...it gets heavy. That’s not a mistake...that’s the work. Forced consciousness expansion is another way of saying: “Wake up...armor up...move forward.” Tune in. Freak out (productively). Take the hit...and keep swinging. That’s how we win.
-Jack
You remind me of a more buttoned up HST. He’s one difficult cat to characterize but had loads of wisdom, humor and fearlessness which often danced to the line of recklessness but fully embracing the humor of the absurdity of it all. This is another one of my favorite quotes of the good doctor: “Never turn your back on fear. It should always be in front of you, like a thing that might have to be killed.”
Hunter S. Thompson, Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century
That you, Jack. I really needed to hear that this morning. Hope your
week is a great one.
That means a lot...thank you. We all need reminders like that sometimes. Just remember: heavy weeks...are where grit gets forged. Keep your standards high...your focus tight...and your humor intact. You’ve got this...and I’ve got your back through it.
-Jack
Jack-
You’re killing me with these.
As I’m reading—I’ll reach a line that I say to myself—THAT one needs to go on the bathroom mirror in red lipstick.
But then 3 lines later I’ll read another one that needs to be on the mirror.
And so on
And so on
Until finally — with each missive of yours (#620??) I’ve run out of room on my mirror.
Maybe a book? Could you compile these into a book that I can carry around until I’ve memorized it?
I think that would be cheaper than all the lipstick and having to buy a new mirror.
🙏
Ha! You just made my day, Debby. That’s the best kind of problem I could hope to cause. And yes...a book is coming. Something you can dog-ear...underline...and carry like a weapon against the noise. Until then...keep that mirror full. That reflection staring back...that’s the person I’m writing for.
-Jack
HOORAY! Looking forward to THAT!! Put my name first on the list for an autographed copy!! 🫶🏽🙌🏽
I’m retired and this last few weeks I have made my house nice for me and paid at my kids elementary school. For lunches and breakfast for kids who will miss this!! Had a beautiful outside yard and now my inside will match! It’s a start and I’m not scared of the orange tangerine!! I’m moving forward what ever comes!!
That’s powerful! And...exactly the spirit this moment calls for. You’re leading by example: creating beauty...helping others...refusing to live in fear. That’s how courage looks in real life...not with flags and noise...but with quiet strength and forward motion. Keep going...you’re doing it right.
-Jack
Thank you for the reminder of being.
You're most welcome, Alexa.
-Jack
For all who are plodding along to keep our Democracy intact: 'We will not be beaten by any expedient!'
Amen to that, Lillian. That’s the battle cry every citizen who still believes in this country should be shouting. We’re not just plodding...we’re proving that resolve beats rage...and endurance outlasts chaos. We will not be beaten by any expedient. That’s how democracy survives.
-Jack
Brilliant article! Very Much needed & appreciated. My whole life I have a saying that I tell my self when on the horizon of stress from anything- 'I will not be beaten by any expedient '... it has become a mantra when necessary. Crawling into a cave will never help you..it only makes it worse!
That’s a hell of a mantra, Lillian...and exactly the mindset that separates survivors from spectators. “I will not be beaten by any expedient” ought to be etched...on every mirror in America right now. You’re dead right...retreat doesn’t protect you...it just gives fear home-field advantage. Keep standing tall.
-Jack
You are wealth itself. You are happiness itself. You are...fill in any goal, objective, object of desire, material or otherwise, even desire itself. The power of this perspective lies precisely in its absurd departure from objective reality.
Exactly, Buck...and that’s the genius of it. The moment you stop chasing something as outside yourself...you start embodying it. Absurd? Sure. But so is every breakthrough until it works. Reality always bends toward conviction...that’s why mindset isn’t fluff...it’s leverage!
-Jack
Thanks Jack. Needed this. I'm trying to balance the fear with I can survive this. Because there is a lot of "this" now and a lot more "this" coming. However, I am trying to do smart things to be ready for a recession/depression. I've looked at moving to other countries to be honest. My brain is a tornado right now. A lot to process.
I hear you, Karen...and I get it. It’s not weakness to feel that swirl...it’s proof you’re awake in a time when most are sleepwalking. Just remember: fear drains power...preparation builds it. Keep doing the smart things...but don’t let “what if” steal your peace. You’ve already survived more than “this.” Stay steady...you’re built for storms like these.
-Jack
Resolved yesterday: Every time I leave the house I take out AT LEAST one bag/box of trash, one to storage and/or one to donate!! Then, everything that’s left gets scrubbed!!
MS be damned. It may slow me down, but I’ll not be stopped.
It tickles me how often I decide on a strategy that you suggest very soon thereafter. 😆
That’s the spirit, Cherae...unyielding...and unstoppable. You’re proving that momentum... doesn’t have to be fast...it just has to be constant. MS can slow the body...but it can’t touch willpower like that. I love that we’re on the same wavelength...great minds (and determined hearts) think alike. Keep going!
-Jack
Just keep going. Hold to convictions. One step after the other. Eventually, you reach a point of what I call “unkillability”. In other words, no matter what gets thrown at you, you don’t get knocked off course, you don’t take the bait, you just keep on keeping on. The Brits had that steeliness in WW II. We laugh now. It’s all over the coffee mugs, but it’s true. We all get the wind knocked out once in a while. Sometimes, even withstand direct attacks.
That’s exactly it, Laurel. That “unkillable” mindset...the steady...quiet defiance...is what separates those who endure from those who collapse. You nailed it. Every step forward... no matter how small...is another strike of steel against the anvil. Eventually...nothing can break you.
-Jack
I think this notion is catching on. It never happens when things are going great but in the face of adversity and multiple shocks people reach a point where they can’t be “killed” anymore. We just choose to move on no matter what.
This is such an important piece of information. My mother was adamant that unless you were doing house chores, yard work etc, it was important to always be dressed neat & tidy & in keeping the house that way. She stressed the importance of not hanging around in pjs. She rightly believed that doing that improves the mood & how you feel.
Absolutely right...your mother was onto something powerful. The way we present ourselves shapes the way we feel and act. Order outside creates order inside. Dressing with intention...keeping the home in shape... it’s not vanity...it’s strategy for staying strong and centered.
-Jack
I have always been pretty frugal. But lately, I find myself spending --- not just on stuff, although 2 pairs of shoes I really didn't need are somehow in my closet, but on donations, subscriptions (and I don't read everything on each one, I just want all the writers to still be around), on friends who need a hand. A town in the UK which I have only ever driven through had to cancel its big fall festival due to weather. I used to organize public events, and I know how hard it is to make that decision. I know how much people depend on those events for joy, for income. The vendors who had perishable goods started a page to try to sell some items, and even though I don't know the vendors, I bought some brownies to be delivered to a friend who lives close to them. I have felt odd spending so much since it really is not in my nature, but now I think you have explained it. I AM NOT GOING TO LET THE ORANGE MENACE DEPRIVE ME OR MY FRIENDS OR ANYONE I CAN HELP whether it's a business, a charity, or a writer. Thank you, once more.
Again your words are what everyone and myself needs to hear and absorb this. Thank you!