Stop Worrying, Start Acting: The Mental Shift That Makes You Dangerous to the People Wrecking This Country

The Mindset Move That Shuts Down Fear and Puts You Back in Control

Stop Worrying, Start Acting: The Mental Shift That Makes You Dangerous to the People Wrecking This Country

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #385

You’re going to want to read the Jack Hopkins Now issue I’m sending out later this evening.

It’ll be short.

It’ll punch like a freight train.

And it’ll shift your thinking in a way that most people spend their whole lives trying to achieve—but almost never do.

Especially on a day like today.

Especially when the Supreme Court has just handed Trump and his wrecking crew the keys to smash whatever they want.

I know many of you feel gutted.
I know you feel like you’ve been punched in the stomach by this ruling.

But I need you to hear me now…not later…now:

There is never a good reason to worry.

There are only reasons to act…or not.

Never worry. Not ever. I’ve said this before. Some of you know it like a religion by now. But today…more than ever…I need you to own this.

Because worrying is what they want you to do.

Worrying is what keeps you out of the fight.

Let’s break this down.

Worry Is a Paralysis Machine

Worry is not just a bad habit. It’s a biological shutdown.

When you worry, your brain’s problem-solving capacity literally collapses. Blood flow reroutes to the primal parts of your brain that are wired for survival…not strategy.

The complex, thinking parts of your brain? They go dark. You get tunnel vision. You start spinning in circles…playing horror movie loops in your head about what might happen.

It’s the same biological system that kicks in when a gazelle freezes while a lion bears down on it.

That freeze response? That’s worry.

It’s a shutdown.

Nothing productive comes from worry. Nothing.

It’s like driving a car with the emergency brake on. You can rev the engine all you want…but you’re not going anywhere.

And the worst part? Worry is contagious.
It spreads faster than any virus. One worrier can sink a room full of fighters.

Trump and his people don’t just tolerate your worry. They count on it.
It’s part of their system of control.

Concern Is a Switchblade

Now, let’s talk about concern.

Concern is not passive.
Concern has weight. Concern has teeth.

When you’re concerned…you’re active. You’re present. You’re scanning for what you can control and what you can move now.

The physiology is different, too. Instead of freezing…your body prepares to engage. Your heart rate steadies instead of spiking. Your thinking centers light up. You make better decisions…you prioritize better…and you see options.

Concern turns you into a problem solver. Worry turns you into a victim.
And I have zero time for victims.

Those who identify as victims give up. They quit. They throw in the towel. There’s no room for that in the fight for democracy. It’s dead weight.

When you’re concerned…you start asking the right questions:

• What can I fix?

• What can I move today?

• Who can I pressure, call, support, or replace?

Concern builds momentum.
Worry builds walls.

I had a mentor once tell me: “Worry is a rocking chair. You can sit in it all day…but you’re not going anywhere.”

Concern?
Concern is a pair of boots. You put them on…you lace them up…and you start walking.

Worry Builds the World They Want

Let me tell you a quick story.

There was a farmer whose horse ran away. His neighbors came by and said, “What bad luck.”

The farmer said, “Maybe.”

The next day, the horse came back…bringing with it three wild horses. The neighbors said, “What good luck.”

The farmer said, “Maybe.”

The next day, his son tried to ride one of the wild horses…was thrown…and broke his leg. The neighbors came by and said, “What bad luck.”

The farmer said, “Maybe.”

The following day, military officers came to conscript young men into the army. They saw the farmer’s son with a broken leg and passed him by. The neighbors said, “What good luck.”

The farmer said, “Maybe.”

The lesson is this: You don’t know what’s coming next.
You don’t know how things will unfold.

Worry is always based on the assumption of doom. And that assumption will burn you every time.

Meanwhile, concern is about what’s right in front of you…what you can move right now.

Worry builds the world they want—one where you’re frozen…checked out…hopeless.

Concern builds the world we need—one where you’re dangerous…adaptable…and relentless.

Worry Is a Habit. So Is Concern.

Let me hammer this home: Shifting from worry to concern is a trainable skill. You’re not born with it. You build it. Like a muscle.

People who don’t worry aren’t magical unicorns. They just trained themselves to ask better questions…faster.

I’ve spent years burning this into my bones:

• Am I focused on what I can control right now?

• Am I taking a useful step, no matter how small?

• Am I asking, “What’s next?” instead of “What if?”

If the answer is yes—I’m concerned.
If the answer is no—I’m worrying…and I’ve got to stop immediately.

You can practice this. And you should.
Every day. Every decision. Until it becomes who you are.

Because here’s the payoff: When you train yourself to operate from concern instead of worry…you become part of the solution automatically. You become someone other people look to when they start to panic.

And there’s a multiplier effect.
The more people who make this shift…the harder it is for anyone—Trump…the Supreme Court…or their billionaire backers—to crush us.

Why You Must Make the Shift Now

Today’s ruling isn’t just a setback. It’s a moment that will separate the worriers from the warriors.

And you have to decide—which one are you?

The worst people in this country—the ones actively wrecking lives…stripping away rights…and dismantling democracy—they don’t fear your opinions. They don’t fear your tweets. They don’t fear your hand-wringing.

They fear your ability to act.
They fear your ability to adapt faster than they can.
They fear your ability to turn setbacks into new strategies.

And that ability only comes when you operate from concern.

When you worry…you become predictable.
When you move from concern…you become dangerous.

It’s no accident that most people are conditioned to worry. The system depends on it. Worry keeps you obedient. Worry keeps you in your place. Worry keeps you stuck.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—never worry. Never.

You don’t have the luxury. Not now. Not ever.

The Takeaway

I’ll leave you with this:

Imagine you’re walking into a burning building.
One person is panicking…screaming about the fire.
Another is scanning for fire extinguishers…looking for exits…directing people to safety.

Who’s more valuable? Who’s more effective?
Who do you want to be?

The worrier? Or the problem solver?

You choose.

I’ll be back soon with even more.

Warmly,

Jack