Jack- I don’t know about you but music motivates my every move. Your comment about growing your tribe to make us stronger reminded me of this song. May I suggest this as your JHN theme song:
Tom Schell, thank you for the site with this song and for including the lyrics. I feel so calm tonight, and even more so with Jack’s message, comments here by our community members, and now the soothing of your shared song!
Like you, music plays a major role in my life, and as I was reading Jack, and read The Shift paragraph, “ You’ll Never Walk Alone’ popped right in to my head!
Thanks for being you , and for all you do to help us get through this miserable time. I still believe we will get through this and we’ll look back and say ‘whew, our people and our democracy survived, and we’re now stronger because of our resilience.’
Jack, it is uncanny how impeccably you time your topics! Today was an especially good day, and I have been feeling comforted about having expressed my thought, regarding something that will affect all of us, when I heard comments to the contrary. Your message tonight is a perfect one, paralleling what I was told about developing confidence at home, yet going into much more detail and fitting our current situation. It is amazing how much better I feel tonight with the advice in your message bolstering my experience of today. I had had enough of being polite and not saying anything, so instead, I spoke up, firmly but politely, in defense of a particular person who is fighting the situation being forced upon us. I did not hear another word about it. Thank you!
Wow. Thank you for sharing this with me...and for standing up when it counted. What you just described is exactly what I hope these messages spark: the courage to step out of silence, to plant your feet, and to speak the truth firmly but without apology.
That’s how confidence gets built...not in theory...but in the moment...under pressure... when everyone else is watching to see if you’ll fold.
And notice what happened: the second you spoke up...the opposition had nothing left to say. That’s the power of clarity. That’s the power of conviction. It changes the temperature in the room. It shifts the balance of strength. And you just proved it to yourself.
I can’t tell you how encouraged I am to hear stories like this from readers who are not just absorbing ideas...but living them out. Keep leaning into that muscle...it only gets stronger each time. And know this: you’re not alone. There’s an entire community of us...right here... refusing to sit quiet while the future is being written.
Stay loud. Stay confident. And thank you for being part of this fight with me.
Jack, thank you so much. Your kind reply adds still more encouragement as I learn to analyze more in this particular field and work to keep on growing. You are a tremendous help!
Thank you for this, Jack. Thank you for building this community so we can feel less alone and less fearful from the seemingly unending craziness and chaos.
With your knowledge and help, we are getting stronger, smarter, and more confident each day we read your newsletters, posts, and responses.
You sleep well tonight, too. You definitely deserve it!
Thank you for this, Moon. You have no idea how much it means to hear that this community is giving you strength in the middle of so much chaos.
That’s exactly why I built it...so none of us would have to carry this weight alone...and so every time the noise of the world tries to overwhelm us...we’ve got a place to come back to for clarity...courage...and connection.
And you’re right...we are getting stronger...smarter...and more confident together. That’s the power of refusing to sit quietly in the dark. Each article...each post...each conversation is another brick in the wall we’re building against fear.
I’ll take your advice and rest easier tonight knowing we’re making a difference...one person at a time, one voice at a time. And tomorrow...we’ll get back to it again. Together.
Thank you for sharing that with me...Becky. Your words hit hard: “I WAS BUILT FOR THIS.” That’s not just defiance...that’s legacy speaking through you. When your grandparents survived the Holocaust...they carved strength into your DNA. And tonight...that strength is alive in you.
That’s the fire we need right now...the refusal to bow...the certainty that no matter how dark it gets...you were made to withstand it.
Because you’re right: history built you for this fight. And you are carrying forward not just your own will...but the resilience of those who came before you.
I’m honored you’re in this community with me. That kind of grit doesn’t just survive...it leads.
Thanks, Jack. I always need to be reminded of exactly this. Now is always a good time to act. Sane doesn’t appear to be returning during our lifetimes. We’ll rise, anyway
You’re right...Ronda...now is always the time to act. Waiting for “sane” to return is like waiting for a bus that’s never coming. The chaos won’t fix itself. But your words are the key: we’ll rise anyway.
That’s the mindset that wins...grit in the face of madness...refusing to stand down or wait for perfect conditions. And reminders matter. None of us can carry the fire alone. That’s why this community exists...to stoke the flame when the world tries to snuff it out.
Thank you Jack! I need to be reminded of this every day! I can’t possibly read everything that comes to my inbox daily, I chose this today and made the right call!
Thank you for saying that, Barbara....it means a lot. I know how overwhelming the flood of information can feel right now...and that’s exactly why I write the way I do: so when you carve out a few minutes...you’re not just “reading another email,” you’re getting something that actually sharpens you...steadies you...and makes you stronger.
And you did make the right call today. Every time you choose to invest in clarity instead of noise...you’re building that muscle of confidence and resilience.
That’s how we outlast the chaos...not by trying to keep up with everything...but by focusing on what matters most.
I’m grateful you chose this community to be part of that. And I’ll keep showing up with messages worth your time...because you deserve nothing less.
I'm so exhausted tonight. So worn out with the overwhelming events of the days going by, and my discouragement is running high. I cried at step 5. That one has been my mantra, since Project 2025 was revealed. Thank you for the "grit" articles, Jack. Tonight's article of practicality in tough and uncertain times is getting me to my next rock.💙❤️
I hear you. And I want you to know...there’s no shame in feeling worn out. The pace of what we’re living through right now is enough to drain anyone. Discouragement is real... and the tears you shed at step 5? That’s proof you’re still human...still feeling...still fighting.
Sometimes that release is exactly what keeps us from breaking.
What you just wrote...“my mantra since Project 2025 was revealed”...tells me something powerful: even in exhaustion...you haven’t let go. You’re still clinging to grit. You’re still reaching for the next rock. And that is the difference between people who cave under pressure and people who outlast it.
That’s why I keep writing these articles. Because when the weight feels unbearable... sometimes what we need is not a pep talk but a practical step...a reminder that grit isn’t some abstract idea ...it’s survival fuel. And tonight...I’m grateful you let me be part of giving you just enough of it to keep climbing.
We’ll keep stacking those rocks together. You’re not alone in this climb. Not tonight...not ever.
Thank you Jack! For the encouragement, guidance, and reminder that the generations before us have weathered so many trials and challenges; it is so important to avoid 'why me' at this time, and your dispatches are each another brick in the wall of resilience we must construct now. Reading your article today I actually felt embarrassed about falling into any self pity or complaining when I thought about previous generations of my family and what they faced!
Thank you for this, Philip. You’re absolutely right....the generations before us endured trials we can hardly imagine...and they did it without the luxury of self-pity.
That’s why your note matters: it’s a reminder that our job isn’t to ask “why me?” but to keep laying bricks in that wall of resilience. Each dispatch I send...each moment you choose strength over complaint...is part of that wall. And together...we’re building something no tyrant can knock down.
PS: when I saw your headline in my inbox, I started laughing at 'crazy town'...it truly is, and it is truly something frighteningly serious, yet hilarious about this insanity all at once!
Jack, so often your scripts are a positive kick for me. Not this one. Some of us in Crazy Town have other crazy towns inside other crazy towns....like Russian dolls. So it ain't so easy...just words 😕
I hear you. And you’re right...sometimes it isn’t easy...and sometimes words alone feel like they can’t touch the weight of what you’re carrying. But don’t sell yourself short.
Even in “Crazy Town inside Crazy Town,” you’re still here...still showing up...still reading... still fighting to hold on to something solid. That’s not just words...that’s grit in action.
I’ll keep sending the kicks when you need them...and the steady hand when you don’t. Either way...you’re not carrying it alone.
Thanks for bring a part of my tribe, by leading with truth, and giving us how to and what next lessons. I am ready. I am not afraid of the wannabe thugs. Life is tough. I'll be tougher! After all, I'm the granddaughter of a coal union organizer!
I needed this, thank you. I’m all in.
You're welcome, Julie.
-Jack
Jack- I don’t know about you but music motivates my every move. Your comment about growing your tribe to make us stronger reminded me of this song. May I suggest this as your JHN theme song:
https://youtu.be/wtyyXJ_tQ7U?si=N56xY2T2CxQ-tcs1
I'm just living my life
Holding my vibe
Growing every day
With a clearer tribe
I'm not ignoring the world
I'm just aligning my life
I'm just living my life
Taking my steps right
Tom Schell, thank you for the site with this song and for including the lyrics. I feel so calm tonight, and even more so with Jack’s message, comments here by our community members, and now the soothing of your shared song!
So happy you enjoyed it. Deep breath. Calm. Strength!
Like you, music plays a major role in my life, and as I was reading Jack, and read The Shift paragraph, “ You’ll Never Walk Alone’ popped right in to my head!
Mo- Jack is the man. 👍
Absolutely. There’s no one quite like him.
My door sets an example and hopefully helps others feel part of my tribe.
Thanks buddy hope you like the song. Rock on my friend.
Thanks, Tom.
I love the Substack community and ecosystem. Seems like the only place with honest unfiltered unedited discourse.
I LOVE that, Tom! I just saved it. Thank you so much.
-Jack
Thanks for being you , and for all you do to help us get through this miserable time. I still believe we will get through this and we’ll look back and say ‘whew, our people and our democracy survived, and we’re now stronger because of our resilience.’
Wow! That is wonderful...Thank you!
Glad you liked it Vivian. ❤️
Jack, it is uncanny how impeccably you time your topics! Today was an especially good day, and I have been feeling comforted about having expressed my thought, regarding something that will affect all of us, when I heard comments to the contrary. Your message tonight is a perfect one, paralleling what I was told about developing confidence at home, yet going into much more detail and fitting our current situation. It is amazing how much better I feel tonight with the advice in your message bolstering my experience of today. I had had enough of being polite and not saying anything, so instead, I spoke up, firmly but politely, in defense of a particular person who is fighting the situation being forced upon us. I did not hear another word about it. Thank you!
Wow. Thank you for sharing this with me...and for standing up when it counted. What you just described is exactly what I hope these messages spark: the courage to step out of silence, to plant your feet, and to speak the truth firmly but without apology.
That’s how confidence gets built...not in theory...but in the moment...under pressure... when everyone else is watching to see if you’ll fold.
And notice what happened: the second you spoke up...the opposition had nothing left to say. That’s the power of clarity. That’s the power of conviction. It changes the temperature in the room. It shifts the balance of strength. And you just proved it to yourself.
I can’t tell you how encouraged I am to hear stories like this from readers who are not just absorbing ideas...but living them out. Keep leaning into that muscle...it only gets stronger each time. And know this: you’re not alone. There’s an entire community of us...right here... refusing to sit quiet while the future is being written.
Stay loud. Stay confident. And thank you for being part of this fight with me.
-Jack
Jack, thank you so much. Your kind reply adds still more encouragement as I learn to analyze more in this particular field and work to keep on growing. You are a tremendous help!
Thank you for this, Jack. Thank you for building this community so we can feel less alone and less fearful from the seemingly unending craziness and chaos.
With your knowledge and help, we are getting stronger, smarter, and more confident each day we read your newsletters, posts, and responses.
You sleep well tonight, too. You definitely deserve it!
Thank you for this, Moon. You have no idea how much it means to hear that this community is giving you strength in the middle of so much chaos.
That’s exactly why I built it...so none of us would have to carry this weight alone...and so every time the noise of the world tries to overwhelm us...we’ve got a place to come back to for clarity...courage...and connection.
And you’re right...we are getting stronger...smarter...and more confident together. That’s the power of refusing to sit quietly in the dark. Each article...each post...each conversation is another brick in the wall we’re building against fear.
I’ll take your advice and rest easier tonight knowing we’re making a difference...one person at a time, one voice at a time. And tomorrow...we’ll get back to it again. Together.
-Jack
Thanks, Jack!
Thank you!
My grandparents were Holocaust survivors.
I WAS BUILT FOR THIS!❤️❌👑
Damn straight!
Thank you for sharing that with me...Becky. Your words hit hard: “I WAS BUILT FOR THIS.” That’s not just defiance...that’s legacy speaking through you. When your grandparents survived the Holocaust...they carved strength into your DNA. And tonight...that strength is alive in you.
That’s the fire we need right now...the refusal to bow...the certainty that no matter how dark it gets...you were made to withstand it.
Because you’re right: history built you for this fight. And you are carrying forward not just your own will...but the resilience of those who came before you.
I’m honored you’re in this community with me. That kind of grit doesn’t just survive...it leads.
-Becky
Thanks, Jack. I always need to be reminded of exactly this. Now is always a good time to act. Sane doesn’t appear to be returning during our lifetimes. We’ll rise, anyway
You’re right...Ronda...now is always the time to act. Waiting for “sane” to return is like waiting for a bus that’s never coming. The chaos won’t fix itself. But your words are the key: we’ll rise anyway.
That’s the mindset that wins...grit in the face of madness...refusing to stand down or wait for perfect conditions. And reminders matter. None of us can carry the fire alone. That’s why this community exists...to stoke the flame when the world tries to snuff it out.
We rise together. Always.
-Jack
Amen brother
It’s mellow. It’s makes you smile. It gives you fuel to fight on.
Thank you Jack! I need to be reminded of this every day! I can’t possibly read everything that comes to my inbox daily, I chose this today and made the right call!
Thank you for saying that, Barbara....it means a lot. I know how overwhelming the flood of information can feel right now...and that’s exactly why I write the way I do: so when you carve out a few minutes...you’re not just “reading another email,” you’re getting something that actually sharpens you...steadies you...and makes you stronger.
And you did make the right call today. Every time you choose to invest in clarity instead of noise...you’re building that muscle of confidence and resilience.
That’s how we outlast the chaos...not by trying to keep up with everything...but by focusing on what matters most.
I’m grateful you chose this community to be part of that. And I’ll keep showing up with messages worth your time...because you deserve nothing less.
-Jack
I'm so exhausted tonight. So worn out with the overwhelming events of the days going by, and my discouragement is running high. I cried at step 5. That one has been my mantra, since Project 2025 was revealed. Thank you for the "grit" articles, Jack. Tonight's article of practicality in tough and uncertain times is getting me to my next rock.💙❤️
You can do it, Mantis. Grab my hand. C’mon.
I hear you. And I want you to know...there’s no shame in feeling worn out. The pace of what we’re living through right now is enough to drain anyone. Discouragement is real... and the tears you shed at step 5? That’s proof you’re still human...still feeling...still fighting.
Sometimes that release is exactly what keeps us from breaking.
What you just wrote...“my mantra since Project 2025 was revealed”...tells me something powerful: even in exhaustion...you haven’t let go. You’re still clinging to grit. You’re still reaching for the next rock. And that is the difference between people who cave under pressure and people who outlast it.
That’s why I keep writing these articles. Because when the weight feels unbearable... sometimes what we need is not a pep talk but a practical step...a reminder that grit isn’t some abstract idea ...it’s survival fuel. And tonight...I’m grateful you let me be part of giving you just enough of it to keep climbing.
We’ll keep stacking those rocks together. You’re not alone in this climb. Not tonight...not ever.
-Jack
Try me.
But wait til the morning. Time for
resting.
Wishing you all sweetest dreams.
Reading this makes me feel better. Thanks for all you share.
You're most welcome.
Thanks, as always, Jack. I love knowing I’m not alone in Crazy Town, and love learning how to stay unshakable! Never surrender!
Joanne....my pleasure. Never surrender...indeed!!
-Jack
Secrets #5 and 6 are especially helpful!
Thank you Jack! For the encouragement, guidance, and reminder that the generations before us have weathered so many trials and challenges; it is so important to avoid 'why me' at this time, and your dispatches are each another brick in the wall of resilience we must construct now. Reading your article today I actually felt embarrassed about falling into any self pity or complaining when I thought about previous generations of my family and what they faced!
Thank you for this, Philip. You’re absolutely right....the generations before us endured trials we can hardly imagine...and they did it without the luxury of self-pity.
That’s why your note matters: it’s a reminder that our job isn’t to ask “why me?” but to keep laying bricks in that wall of resilience. Each dispatch I send...each moment you choose strength over complaint...is part of that wall. And together...we’re building something no tyrant can knock down.
-Jack
PS: when I saw your headline in my inbox, I started laughing at 'crazy town'...it truly is, and it is truly something frighteningly serious, yet hilarious about this insanity all at once!
Lol...agreed.
Jack, so often your scripts are a positive kick for me. Not this one. Some of us in Crazy Town have other crazy towns inside other crazy towns....like Russian dolls. So it ain't so easy...just words 😕
I hear you. And you’re right...sometimes it isn’t easy...and sometimes words alone feel like they can’t touch the weight of what you’re carrying. But don’t sell yourself short.
Even in “Crazy Town inside Crazy Town,” you’re still here...still showing up...still reading... still fighting to hold on to something solid. That’s not just words...that’s grit in action.
I’ll keep sending the kicks when you need them...and the steady hand when you don’t. Either way...you’re not carrying it alone.
-Jack
Thanks for bring a part of my tribe, by leading with truth, and giving us how to and what next lessons. I am ready. I am not afraid of the wannabe thugs. Life is tough. I'll be tougher! After all, I'm the granddaughter of a coal union organizer!