Category: Inspiration

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Heroes Have Names. His Is Wesley Autrey

Wesley Autrey

In 2007, chaos struck when a young man suffered a seizure and fell onto the subway tracks. As the train approached, the crowd froze—everyone but Wesley Autrey.
With his two daughters watching, this construction worker made a split-second decision: he leapt onto the tracks, pushed the man into a shallow trough, and shielded him with his own body. Seconds later, the train roared overhead, so close that grease brushed Autrey’s cap.
When silence fell, his voice rose: “We’re okay down here. But I’ve got two daughters up there. Let them know their father’s alright.”
He didn’t seek glory. He just saw someone in danger and acted. That day, an ordinary man became the “Subway Hero”—a living reminder that true courage is often found in the split second between fear and humanity.
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How To Sell Potatoes

French Guards In Potato Field
It’s hard for us to imagine anyone fearing a potato, but in 18th-century France, the distrust was serious. Part of the problem was that potatoes aren’t mentioned anywhere in the Bible, which made people suspicious.
Since they grow underground, some folks associated them with darkness and disease. Parmentier, being a pharmacist and a scientist, knew this was nonsense.
In 18th century France, when the government couldn’t convince people to eat potatoes, one wise man used a bit of reverse psychology to make them desire the very food that could save them. 🥔
His name was Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a pharmacist who saw the potential of the humble potato while he was a prisoner of war in Prussia. The Prussians fed him potatoes, and he realized they were not only healthy but could fight the famines that plagued his French homeland.
Back in France, however, people were suspicious. They thought potatoes were strange, unfit for humans, and even believed they caused diseases like leprosy.
So Parmentier got creative. He hosted lavish dinners for influential men like Benjamin Franklin, serving nothing but dishes made from potatoes. The guests were amazed.
He even presented a bouquet of potato blossoms to King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. They liked them so much they started wearing them, which made the flowers a fashion trend at court. Suddenly, the potato was associated with royalty.
His most clever move came in 1787. The king gave him a plot of land to grow potatoes. Parmentier hired armed guards to watch over the field during the day, making it seem like the crop was incredibly valuable.
But at night, the guards would leave. Curious locals, thinking they were getting away with something precious, would sneak in and take the potatoes for themselves to plant in their own gardens.
Through his brilliant efforts, Parmentier changed the nation’s mind. The once-despised tuber became a staple food, saving countless people from starvation and becoming a celebrated part of French cuisine.
His work was so impressive that in 1773, he won a prize from the Academy of Besançon for his research showing how potatoes could prevent the kind of malnutrition that led to diseases during famines.
It just goes to show how wisdom and perseverance can overcome long-held fears, and how even the most humble things can be used for great purpose.
Sources: National Geographic, Farmer’s Almanac

 

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They Told Me I’d Never Have a Career. I Told the Truth Anyway

The Fall Of The Academic Publishing Cartel

Standing alone at the University of Michigan to expose the deadly impact of mRNA shots was not easy.
Nicolas Hulscher, MPH

I sat down with Dr. Philip McMillan on Vejon Health, and our conversation wasn’t just about the latest evidence on vaccine harms—it was about survival in an academic world hostile to truth.

At the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, I faced walls at every turn. Professors ignored internship requests and warned me that investigating vaccine harms would mean I’d “never have a career.”

When I presented our systematic review of autopsy findings at the school’s epidemiology poster session, some of my own professors walked past without even making eye contact. Those who did stop were shocked — as though serious adverse events after genetic injections simply didn’t exist.

I was an outlier—isolated, ridiculed, and told I was finished in public health if I continued this line of work. They were unequivocally wrong.

Despite immense pressure, I didn’t back down. Partnering with Dr. Peter McCullough, I helped publish the world’s first autopsy study linking COVID-19 mRNA shots to death.

From that moment forward, the attacks only intensified: hate campaigns online, cartel-funded “fact checker” defamation, censorship of preprints, and illegal retractions from the Journal Cartel:

The Fall of the Academic Publishing Cartel
Nicolas Hulscher, MPH

Most of the major publishers, including Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, Sage Publications and Taylor & Francis, have formed a cartel under the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers. The Cartel controls two-thirds of global journal publications, enforces unpaid peer reviews, restricts manuscript submissions, and delays scientific progress—all to protect their multi-billion-dollar profits. This resulted in a recent class action lawsuit against the Cartel for “tremendous damage to science and the public interest.”

The Cartel’s corruption extends to censoring critical genetic injection safety data in accordance with the Biopharmaceutical Complex, likely costing lives. A prime example of this is when Cartel member Elsevier violated COPE guidelines and immediately censored the Hulscher et al autopsy study proving a casual link between COVID-19 vaccines and death after it became the #1 trending research paper worldwide across all subject areas:

Dr. McMillan asked whether it was worth it—whether exposing these harms justified the personal and professional cost. My answer was clear: yes. Because what’s at stake isn’t reputations—it’s human lives.

Despite years of hostility, I remain unshaken. Academic bullying forged resilience, and personal attacks now bounce off me like light off a mirror. It’s clear that telling the truth wasn’t just the right choice—it was the only choice.

Click to read the article:
https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/they-told-me-id-never-have-a-career

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Contentment, Progress and Happiness – How to Have It All!

Happiness Is Not

(Tom I saw the above image and this post. Comment below.)

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough, and we’ll be more content when they are.
After that, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our partner gets his or her act together when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice holiday, when we retire.
The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?
Your life will always be filled with challenges.
It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.
A quote comes to mind from Alfred D. Souza. He said,
“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.
So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time…and remember that time waits for no one.
So, stop waiting until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until winter, until your song comes on, until you’ve had a drink…. there is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
Work like you don’t need money,
Love like you’ve never been hurt,

And dance like no one’s watching.

(Tom: First, some definitions:
grateful: feeling or showing an appreciation for something done or received.
content: willing to accept a particular thing; satisfied, accept as adequate despite wanting more or better.
happy: feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.

My perspective is that there are three desirable states:

1. being content with what good you currently have in your life,
2. being constructively discontent and working towards a better scene for yourself and others and
3. being happy.
There might seem to be some contradiction in these conditions of being but if you work at it you can maintain a balance and keep these three balls in the air. Let’s explore how.
Content versus Discontent
Many people are discontent with what they have. They allow that to make them unhappy. They do not apply the definition of content that includes, ‘accept as adequate despite wanting more or better’.
Many are destructively discontent with their existing life. They experience unhappiness about what they do not have. Most likely they have been upset with the scene so go out of communication with it. And you cannot solve a problem you are out of communication with! Without being in communication with an area they cannot come up with a solution to changing it so cannot formulate a concrete plan. Hence, no progress.
Which leads to the first step to improving anything – get more into communication with it!
A constructive discontent builds a desire to improve, it looks for a way to solve barriers to progress. Constructive discontent gets into communication with all elements of the situation. The more in communication with it you are, the more likely you are to have a light bulb moment and solve the problem!
Production and Morale
You may have noticed that when you overcome an obstacle towards you attaining a goal you feel happy.
You may have also noticed that when you produce something you feel happy.
Therefore you may be forgiven for thinking that happiness comes about from overcoming obstacles and producing things, goods or services. I know I do.

The might seem to be contrary states of being but if you work at it you can attain the peace of mind by being content with what you have concurrently with a desire to improve conditions while attaining happiness overcoming obstacles and producing products progressing towards accomplishing your goals.

Your Action Plan

Here’s a little exercise to help you attain this state of being:

1. Make a list of everything you are grateful for in your past or present.
Take a moment to feel content about those things.
2. Make a list of those things in your life you would like to change or improve.
For each item write a skill or ability you could acquire that would help you change that condition.
3. Set a sequence for the acquisition of those skills and abilities, most important first.
4. For the first skill or ability, work out how you will attain it. You might need to set conditional targets before you can start attaining the skill. For instance you might need to set aside some money to pay for a course or coach, or gather data so  you can evaluate prospective coaches. You might need to ‘sell’ your significant other on the time or money it will take to start this journey. You may find it useful to help them with these steps so you are both working on your shared goals or at least supporting each other on your individual goals, if they do not match.
5. Make a start on your action plan.
6. Keep at it, even if you encounter obstacles. Nothing worthwhile was ever achieved without some sweat, sometimes some blood.
7. Give yourself a pat on the back and celebrate your milestones and wins. Allow yourself to be happy for the small progresses as well as the big wins.
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Dr Jim Doty

Dr Jim Doty

Another man died last week. He was not a Hollywood celebrity, and he didn’t hold animal blood sacrifices on stage to become famous; he wasn’t complacent while young women were being drugged and raped, and he didn’t beat his wife and children.

He was none of those things, and his name is Dr. Jim Doty, a neurologist who dedicated his life to helping people recognize that being good and doing good may very well be the most significant and most powerful prophylactic to overall health that has ever existed.

We so often hear the phrase, If you eat crap, you’re going to feel like crap.

But very rarely do people talk about the fact that if you treat yourself and other people like crap, you are also going to feel like crap. Because either one will take a toll on your physical health. This is something I’ve been trying to instill in the minds of everyone for years. But nobody has done it better or said it better than Dr. Jim Doty a.k.a. “James R Doty” if you want to look him up and find out who he is.

I hope one day that every single one of you recognizes that the better you are as a human being, the healthier you will be. Hold that door open, just smile at a stranger, consider and be mindful of others. Love unconditionally and recognize that the purpose of each of us here is to help lift each other up.

Let’s all do a whole lot more of this than we have been, including me. We need it for our own health, but the world needs it so we can all come together again.

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Your Care Makes A Difference

Lady With Bread At Self-Checkout

I watched an old woman stand at the self-checkout for fifteen minutes, clutching a loaf of bread, too ashamed to ask for help.
My name’s Mark. I’m 45. I work the late shift at a Walmart in Ohio. People think it’s boring—scanning bar codes, bagging groceries, cleaning up spills in aisle seven. But boredom has a way of hiding things, if you’re not paying attention.
Her name was Ruth. Seventy-nine. Hair the color of fresh snow, shoulders caved in like the weight of the world sat on her back. She came every Tuesday, always around 5 PM, always carrying the same two things: a loaf of bread and a carton of milk.
And every Tuesday, I watched her walk up to the self-checkout, stand there frozen, and then leave. No bread. No milk. Just empty hands pressed into the pockets of her old coat.
At first, I thought maybe her card didn’t work. Maybe she just forgot her PIN. But the third time, I followed her outside.
“Ma’am,” I said, trying not to startle her, “did you want me to help you check out?”
She blinked, lips trembling. Then she lifted a hand to her ear, shook her head, and whispered something I could barely hear. “I can’t… I can’t hear… these machines… I don’t know what to do.”
Her eyes filled with tears. She wasn’t just confused. She was ashamed.
That night, sitting in my empty apartment, I couldn’t stop seeing her face. I’d been divorced two years, living in silence of my own kind. But hers? Hers was heavier. A silence made of isolation, not choice.
So I pulled up YouTube. “Basic American Sign Language.” For hours, I sat in front of my laptop mouthing words, shaping my hands. “Hello.” “Help.” “Milk.” My fingers felt stiff, my brain clumsy. But I kept going.
The next Tuesday, Ruth came again. This time, I was waiting near the self-checkout. I caught her eye, lifted my hand, and signed the word “help.”
She froze. Then, slowly, her face broke into the kind of smile that makes you feel both proud and ashamed at the same time. Proud that you tried. Ashamed that it took you so long.
Together, we scanned her bread and milk. I mouthed “okay?” She nodded, clutching the bag like it was treasure. Before she left, she raised her hands, fingers shaky, and signed back: “Thank you.”
I nearly cried right there next to the Mountain Dew display.
It didn’t stop with her.
The college kids working part-time at the store noticed. One night, Sarah, nineteen, tapped my arm. “Hey, what were you doing with that lady? Was that, like… sign language?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Just the basics.”
She grinned. “Teach me.”
So I did. Then Carlos from produce joined. Then Jenny from the pharmacy. Now, on Tuesdays, you’ll see three of us scattered near the self-checkouts, ready to quietly sign “help” to anyone who looks lost.
Two months ago, Ruth didn’t show. I worried. The next week, her grandson came instead. He handed me a folded note in her handwriting. Shaky, but strong: “Thank you for seeing me.”
I kept that note in my locker. It reminds me that not everyone who’s silent is choosing to be.
Last week, a man in a worn suit stopped at the self-checkout. He struggled with the scanner, hands trembling. Then he touched his chest, pointed to his ear. I signed “help.” He exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for years.When we finished, he signed back, slow and careful: “Thank you.”
I don’t think anyone else noticed. But I did.
We live in a country that moves too fast, where everything’s automated, where “self-service” often means leaving the most vulnerable behind. We measure efficiency in seconds, but forget the cost in dignity.
I learned something standing by those machines.
You don’t have to be fluent in ASL. You don’t need a fancy program or a big plan. Sometimes, all you have to do is see the quiet ones—and answer in their language, even if it’s clumsy.
Because in the end, it’s not about bread or milk. It’s about reminding someone that they matter.
And sometimes… that’s enough to feed a soul.
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The Fudai Seawall

The Fudai Seawall

In the 1960s, Mayor Kotaku Wamura of Fudai, Japan, was widely seen as a man obsessed with a wasteful dream.

He had studied the history of the great tsunamis of 1896 and 1933 that had devastated his region. He was convinced that another would one day come and was determined to protect his people.

His solution was a massive, 51-foot-high seawall and floodgate system. It was an enormous undertaking for a small fishing village.

The project cost the equivalent of $30 million in today’s money. Many in his own community criticized the expense, calling it a foolish waste that diverted funds from more pressing needs.

The opposition Mayor Wamura faced wasn’t just quiet disagreement. He was openly mocked for his persistence on building the seawall.

His plan was far more advanced than just a simple barrier. It included a complex and costly floodgate system designed to close and seal the river mouth, a detail often overlooked.

This required immense public investment, delaying other village developments that residents felt were more immediate and necessary.

He had to personally persuade a reluctant town council, arguing that no matter the cost, they could not leave the next generation to suffer as the last one had.

He once said, “Even if you face opposition, have the confidence to push through. In the end, it will protect the people.” His conviction was proved right when it mattered most.

For 40 years, Kotaku Wamura served as mayor, and for decades after he left office, the wall stood as a silent, concrete giant. A monument to what many called one man’s folly.

Then came March 11, 2011. A catastrophic earthquake triggered the Tohoku tsunami, sending waves as high as 46 feet crashing into Japan’s coastline.

Town after town was wiped from the map. But in Fudai, the wave met Wamura’s wall. The water crested the barrier but the structure held firm, completely protecting everything and everyone behind it.

While neighboring towns suffered unimaginable loss, not a single life was lost within the protected zone of Fudai. The mayor’s controversial vision, born from studying the past, had saved them.

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Meet Tom Woods

Meet Tom Woods

Tom Woods shared this email he received from Charlie:

The one email I received from Charlie Kirk, when he was just 18 (on the verge of 19), October 1, 2012:

Mr. Woods,

Your speeches on YouTube have inspired me to take action on a national stage. I am 18 years old and a recent high school graduate. So often in high school we are told what to think instead of how to think. For years I felt subject to the system, like a sheep getting ready for slaughter. Then my friend told me about your videos. I watched every single one, and I read two of your books. Upon reading your work and watching you speak I realized that freedom is the solution, not the problem, and our public school education system has done nothing more but perpetuate the problem and make it worse.

Inspired by your words, I started an organization Turning Point USA. Which has skyrocketed to the national stage. The basis of our group is to educate our peers about the generational theft that is taking place in this country….

I want to thank you for playing a important role in my life. I will continue to read your articles, and watch your videos for inspiration. One day I hope to meet you and thank you in person.

In liberty,

Charlie Kirk

(Tom: Charlie was spot on the money. Freedom IS the solution, NOT the problem.)

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Ray Wallace and Judy Garland

Ray Wallace and Judy Garland

Ray Bolger was born Raymond Wallace Bolger on January 10th, 1904 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He worked in the broadway and film industries from 1922-1985, but he is best known for one role, Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.
This clip is from an episode of “The Judy Garland Show” that aired on March 1st, 1964 and featured Ray Bolger as a guest. Ray and Judy looked back on the film, and their memories of making it together. Everyone is always remembering the negative aspects about the production of Oz, but when I see clips like this, I remember how much love there was amongst the cast, despite the challenges on set. They loved the film and the story then, as much as we do today. I’ll leave you with this quote from Ray Bolger to start your day, as it’s one of my favorites…
“I was brought up on the books of The Wizard of Oz and my mother told me that these were great philosophies. It was a very simple philosophy, that everybody had a heart, that everybody had a brain, that everybody had courage. These were the gifts that are given to you when you come on this earth, and if you use them properly, you reach the pot at the end of the rainbow. And that pot of gold was a home. And home isn’t just a house or an abode, its people, people who love you and that you love. That’s a home.” – Ray Bolger, 1964