When the internet's on fire, go carry a sandbag.
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 | | In today's edition, Joe shares: - Why chaos is a test you should train for
- What strength looks like when no one's watching
- A challenge to tune out the noise and do something hard
| | Spartans!
Hi, it's Joe here, writing this week from Washington, D.C.
Ironic that I'm here while the country's two biggest personalities are blowing up the internet. You've seen it, unless you've been under a rock (that's often a great place to be, by the way). Trump, Musk, chaos, headlines. Everyone scrambles to react. The volume goes up, the noise gets louder, and suddenly everyone's a commentator.
Meanwhile, nothing in the real world has changed.
The weights still sit there. The hill still climbs. The cold water still hurts. Your body still needs to be pushed, your mind still needs to be sharpened, and your habits still decide who you really are when no one's watching.
Mental toughness isn't built when things are quiet, in my opinion. Rather, it's built when the world is on fire and you stay focused anyway. When you choose discipline over distraction, stillness over scrolling, and grit over mindless gossip. Here's how I see it: - You don't need to win an argument. You need to carry a damn sandbag.
- You don't need to be right. You need to be ready.
Because when a storm rolls in, and someone needs your strength, and when your body's all you've got, no one's going to give a fuxx what you posted. They'll ask if you can move, if you can lead, if you can endure. That's why we train and why we suffer. Not to impress anyone, but to become the kind of person people can count on when it really matters.
Let other people trade outrage. You focus on building your capacity.
At the end of the day, our mission hasn't changed. The hill is still steep. The water is still cold. And your strength is still built the same way it always has been: through suffering, repetition, and choosing the harder path on purpose.
That's what separates the strong from the loud. Your character isn't forged in a thread of comments, it's built in the way you get off your ass at 5am, in the sweat you leave behind on the ground, in the choice to train when no one's watching. Strength doesn't tweet! It quietly earns.
So here's your assignment this week: go quiet. Tune out the bullshit, the noise, the performative rage. Pick something hard and do it. Not because it's trending, not because you'll get likes, but because it's the right thing to do. I've learned from interviewing hundreds of world-class people that the strongest in the room are often not the loudest.
Now go shut up :)
Joe | | | BUSINESS MEETING, SPARTAN STYLE | Two guys wanted a meeting while I was in Ithaca with my boys at wrestling camp. They drove seven and a half hours to find me. When they arrived, I didn't take them to a boardroom. I said, "Let's run and talk." We covered ten miles, then did 150 pull-ups. Our hands were torn up. Then came the burpees, around 300. Still no business talk. We walked to breakfast. By then, I knew everything I needed to know. They showed up, worked, and didn't complain. That's how I vet people.
More stories here: The Spartan Way by Joe De Sena. | | | You Ask, Joe Answers | Q: "Joe, how do you stay focused?"
- Brian F.
A: It's not easy, it's crazy around here. But I train for it. I work out to keep my mind and body sharp if (when) things fall apart. As they say, you don't rise to the moment, you fall to the level of your training.
Aroo!
Question for Joe? Want to tell him what you think of The Hard Way? Email him at thehardway@spartan.com. | | | | They Said It | | "In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." | | – George Orwell | | | ➝The Hard Way Podcast with Joe | | | Ran 50 Marathons in 50 Days! | | | From a spontaneous 30-mile run sparked by tequila to training like a Spartan with no gym, Dean Karnazes shares powerful lessons on discipline, resilience, and building a body and mind that doesn't quit. | | | | | | ➝Watch The Latest Hard Way Video | | | To keep receiving this newsletter, sign up here. | | | WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS NEWSLETTER? | | | | | |
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