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Think like a champion.
Trump’s reflections include, “Champions think big. Champions are focused. Champions are disciplined. Come to think of it, champions think like champions.”
Barack Obama Election Ushers in a Different World.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Barack Obama proved that determination combined with opportunity and intelligence can make things happen—and in an exceptional way. The world is excited about Barack Obama and the new United States. Let’s keep it that way.
Innovation
Victor Hugo said, “There is one thing stronger than all the armies of the world, and that is an idea whose time has come.” Sometimes new ideas can come from something mundane and functional. The key is to pay attention and keep your brain open to new stimuli. Be a great assembler—no matter what your interests may be—and you’ll be on your way to inventiveness.
The importance of being a team player.
Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success.” More than ever, working together is integral to success.
Thanksgiving
Albert Schweizer said, “At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” We all have a lot to be thankful for, whether it’s New Year’s, Thanksgiving, or just another Wednesday in our lives.
Learning is a new beginning.
Pythagoras said, “The beginning of every government starts with the education of our youth.” Never think of learning as being a burden or studying as being boring. It may require some discipline, but it can be an adventure. It can also prepare you for a new beginning.
Learn to think on your feet.
Napoleon Bonaparte said, “A leader has the right to be beaten, but never the right to be surprised.” Live on the edge—it’s the opposite of complacency, and the same as thinking on your feet.
Give your higher self a chance.
Albert Camus said, “An achievement is bondage. It obliges one to higher achievement.” When the achiever achieves, it’s not a plateau, it’s a beginning. Achievers move forward at all times—they have anticipation for their next deal and have another goal immediately lined up.
Wisdom
What does wisdom mean to you? Answers are diverse but generally have the following common denominators: experience, integrity, and knowledge. Wisdom comes as a result of experience and knowledge. There are many roads to wisdom and many wonderful books to educate us on our way, but the first step is to take the time to read and learn. Wisdom will come provided you give it the chance to develop.
The more you learn, the more you realize what you don’t know.
Abraham Lincoln said, “I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” Aldous Huxley said, “Experience teaches only the teachable.”
Pearl S. Buck said, “If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.” It’s good to start each day by saying to yourself, “What can I learn today that I didn’t know before?”
I view my work as an art form.
Pablo Picasso said, “Art is a lie which makes us see the truth.” Compete with yourself to be the best you can be. Don’t sell yourself short.
Confronting your fears.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.” Carl Jung said, “To ask the right question is already half the solution of a problem.” Fear has a way of making things bigger than they are. But the opposite of fear is faith, which is one reason you’ve got to believe in yourself and see yourself as victorious. You will know you are capable of dealing with any discouragements, bullies, or problems along the way. Replace it with a problem-solving attitude, faith in yourself, and hard work.
Imagination: A key to financial savvy.
Robert Kiyosaki said, “People with vision master the ability to see through to the heart of issues and investments. They value transparency.” A lot of people have imagination, but it doesn’t help them because they can’t execute. I’m able to execute with the imagination.
Is business success a natural talent?
Peter Gelb, the general manager at the Metropolitan Opera, is really putting the opera back on the map by applying contemporary marketing ideas to this venerable institution. You have to be alert for ways of revitalizing the old and creating the new, or combining them, to achieve the best results. Is business success a natural talent? I think it’s a combination of attitude, work, and luck.
Keep it short, fast, and direct.
Confucius said, “He who will not economize will have to agonize.” Most people don’t have time to waste. Your audience, or your superiors, will be grateful for your ability to distill the essence for them. Have a contest with yourself by asking, “How concise can I possibly be?”
Have the right mindset for the job.
Henry Ford said, “Don’t find fault. Find a remedy.” Give your full attention to your work! Mindset includes responsibility and focus.
Momentum is something you have to work at to maintain.
Socrates said, “The beginning of wisdom is a definition of terms.” Maybe he’s advising us to define our own terms. Maybe he’s suggesting that we start thinking for ourselves. Maybe what he’s suggesting is actually very wise advice. In that case, my advice to you regarding momentum is definitive: Get yours going!
Learn from setbacks and mistakes.
How we handle difficult situations in life says a lot about who we are. Problems, setbacks, mistakes, and losses are all a part of life. They can be your learning tools on the way to building something great for yourself.
Tell people about your success.
Mark Twain said, “A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” It’s very important to be your own best friend. So don’t be afraid to toot your own horn when you’ve done something worth tooting about.
Prescience
Malcom Forbes said, “The best vision is insight.” Prescience is a word that defines vision, foresight, creative discernment, or perception.
The Shock Market
Mark Twain said, “I am more concerned with my money being returned than the value on my money.” What transpired on Wall Street on September 15, 2008, is one day for the history books. A well-known Greek motto that pertains is: “The sea gets sick but never dies.” Remember that things are cyclical, so be resilient, be patient, be creative, and remain positive.
Financial Literacy
Ayn Rand said, “Wealth is the product of man’s capacity to think.” My advice to you is to take as many finance classes as you can, no matter what your line of work is. My emphasis here is to advise you to be financially literate. A hungry man will realize something immediately. If he had money, he wouldn’t be hungry. That’s a very basic visual.
Destiny
Nathaniel Hawthorne said, “Every individual has a place to fill in the world and is important, in some respect, whether he chooses to be so or not.” Quote from an anonymous thinker, “The bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to take the turn.” Carefully planning your way to success is a sure way to achieve your goals, and that approach should never be underestimated. Just remember that you need to be patient and persevering and to know that there can be delays and detours along the way.
Each success is the beginning of the next one.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” The best achievers are those who are self-motivated, who are naturally curious, and who don’t need to be told what to do next.
There are times when you should move on.
Sometimes we have to be patient and sometimes we have to get moving. Wisdom is knowing which time is which and when to do what.
Keep the big picture in mind.
Henry David Thoreau said, “Men are born to succeed, not fail.” Sometimes people spend too much time focusing on problems instead of focusing on opportunities. Best thing to remember is Winston Churchill’s advice: “Never, never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in, except to the convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
Get the best people you can.
Aesop said, “After all is said and done, more is said than done.” No matter how much you want to trust people, you still have to be a little paranoid.
Winners see problems as just another way to prove themselves.
Albert Einstein said, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
Develop a tempo when you’re working.
Webster’s definition of tempo is the rate of motion or activity. When you’re the CEO of a company, it’s like being a general. But it’s also a bit like being a conductor, which is one reason I mention tempo. When all work well together, you will have an exceptionally good orchestra. But the conductor is the one responsible for the tempo, for the performance, for the teamwork—it’s very much like having a well-run organization. Learn to develop your own tempo and stick to it. See it as an inner metronome that keeps consistent time no matter what’s going on around you.
You can better your best at any time.
Samuel Goldwyn said, “No person who is enthusiastic about his work has anything to fear from life.” No matter how well you’ve done, you can always do more and do better.
They thought I was doing so well.
Oscar Wilde said, “It is a curious fact that people are never so trivial as when they take themselves seriously.” My theory is: Take your work seriously, take yourself less seriously. It’s a great recipe for some good times and great memories.
It’s not personal: it’s business.
Andy Warhol said, “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.” Businesses have to watch out for their bottom line or they won’t be in business for very long. I learned early on that business can be completely impersonal even when you’re dealing with human beings. Don’t take personally what is not meant personally. Be tough, be smart, be personable, but don’t take things personally. That’s good business.
Think like a genius.
Albert Einstein said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” Open your mind up to wonder—and to asking questions. That’s a big first step to thinking like a genius, and it might unlock some of your hidden talents.
Go against the tide.
Washington Irving said, “Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.” Make your life as groundbreaking as possible, while also minding the tides and riptides around you. It’s a good way to wind up on top.
Think positively.
Things rarely just happen overnight. Most overnight success stories are no such thing.
People have different ways of achieving results.
Aristotle said, “Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way.” The old saying, “to each his own” is right because there is no right way or wrong way. Find the most productive way of working for yourself.
Discover and live your purpose.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Expand your horizons! In other words, think big and live large.
Set the standard.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Freedom is not the right to live as we please, but the right to find how we ought to live in order to fulfill our potential.”
Go with your gut.
Carl Jung said, “Intuition is perception via the unconscious.” Be alert to your instincts and what they are trying to tell you.
Know your audience.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Be sincere; be brief; be seated.” Performers prepare for every performance. That’s showmanship, and that’s life. Prepare yourself every day. Learn, know, and show. It’s a proven formula.
The good, the bad, and the rogue wave.
Thomas J. Barrack, Jr. said, “2009 will not be the Endless Summer—but it may be the beginning of Spring.” Do not let your guard down. Focus on the positives—but don’t forget about the pirates.
Building a reputation.
Henry Ford said, “You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” Having a quality brand is very much like having a good reputation. Remember that everything you say and do is important. Actions matter. You are, literally, your own brand. Build your reputation on intelligence, responsibility, and results. That’s building the right way.
“The harder I work, the luckier I get.”
Benjamin Franklin said, “Diligence is the mother of good luck.”
How to get rich.
Norman Vincent Peale said, “Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.” Getting rich isn’t always simple. I have and will always continue to emphasize the importance of loving what you do first. If you want to get rich, two important considerations are passion and efficiency: Have passion for what you do and be efficient about it at the same time.
Work with people you like.
Vincent Lombardi said, “Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work.” Give people a chance to prove themselves. A good manager will look for what he or she likes about the people around them. No one is perfect. Make an effort to make your working environment as pleasant and effective as possible. Just set the example, and you’ll be a magnet for the right people.
In addition to business: what the successful person needs to know.
Richard Buckminster Fuller said, “Integrity is the essence of everything successful.” Our actions and words will eventually point us toward having a reputation for having integrity or not having integrity. If you don’t love what you’re doing, your margin for success is significantly reduced and tough times will be much tougher to get through. Passion gives resiliency that is necessary to achieve great things.
As a businessman, Trump has have realized that “to whom much is given, much is expected.” See yourself as having a lot already, and keep your integrity intact. It’s the best way to pave your way to a comprehensive success.
So, whether you are a Quiet Thinker—like me—or an outspoken leader—more like Donald Trump—you should “Think Like a Champion” as you shoot for the stars!