Iran's War, Brigitte Bardot, and Tom Cruise's Advice on Fear

Good Morning. Twelve days 1,100 dead, and now Iran officially declares war on the West. We break down June's strikes and today's escalation.

We also share Supreme Court's "interim" orders, mid-market theme parks, and why fixing problems damages relationships (forwarded this email? Join 523k readers).

Theme Parks Shrink

Entertainment companies are launching mid-market theme parks for afternoon visits costing hundreds, not thousands. Area15 in Las Vegas and Netflix House sites near Philadelphia and Dallas offer immersive franchise attractions without multi-day destination commitments.

These venues cost tens or hundreds of millions to build in months versus billions and years for traditional parks. Universal Horror Unleashed opened at Area15 in August. EY consulting calls middle-market entertainment "the most underserved today."

The trend reflects flat U.S. theme park attendance and desire for affordable experiences. Netflix uses modular attractions that swap between locations. Universal plans a children-only Dallas park and second Horror Unleashed in Chicago by 2027.

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TODAY’S LIFE ADVICE

Tom Cruise Doesn’t Believe in Fear

Big dreams require action — not permission from your feelings. Tom Cruise's approach is brutally simple:

  • "Don't be so worried if you're afraid. It's like, okay, I feel it. It's like, that's fine. Just keep working through it."

  • "I don't just sit there and worry about it. I just start doing it."

Fear isn't a roadblock — it's just the unknown. "The fear you feel is the unknown. It's what you don't know."

His method: "Learn how to crawl before I walk, walk before I jog, jog before I run, run before I sprint."

Success is built one small action at a time. Your dream is waiting. Write it down. Make a plan. Take the first step.

Share in Feelings, Don’t Fix Problems (Yet)

The real work in relationships isn't solving problems—it's sharing feelings. When someone shares their struggle, resist the impulse to fix it. Hold space for their emotions instead. Love isn't always about offering solutions; it's about being present, validating their experience, and listening to understand, not just waiting (or interrupting) to respond with a solution.

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