: How to get what you want - - every time
Positive thinking is essential to success, yet so many people just don't have the persistence required to make it work for them. The reality is, most overnight success stories are no such thing. Just because you've heard of someone for the first time doesn't mean they haven't been working for 20 or 30 years or more to get where they are.
For example, The Apprentice became a big hit when it first aired, but I had over 30 years of experience to draw from in those boardroom scenes. It wasn't just a fluke that I came across as someone who knew what he was doing. The fact that I was on television was new, but the rest wasn't particularly new to me. Business is business, whether it's being filmed or not. My business credentials and experience made up the back story to a show based on a high-stakes New York corporation.
How does positive attitude fit into the making of The Apprentice? First of all, I didn't say no when I was asked to do the show. I knew it was a risk, but I was positive about what might happen. If I had chosen to listen solely to the negatives about the endeavor, such as, "most new TV shows fail" or, "reality TV is on the way out" or, "you'll lose your credibility," and about 50 others, I never would have given the show a thought.
But instead, I chose a positive perspective. I asked myself the "what if" questions. What if it were a success? What if I enjoyed it? What if it proved to be enlightening? What if it brought The Trump Organization more of the recognition it deserved? What if the jobs provided to the winners proved to be a valuable stepping-stone to deserving individuals? I had a long list of positives to go along with the negatives.
I see myself as a cautious positive thinker. When I hear people saying that anything you want to do is possible, to me that's being childish or at least uninformed. Some things are not going to happen. For example, if I decided tomorrow that I wanted to win a gold medal at the Olympics as a swimmer, and I was sure I could because I was so positive about it, I'd need a shrink instead of a swim coach.
You need to be positive every day, but you need to be realistic too.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Luck is when opportunity meets preparedness.”
I don’t know who made that statement. But whoever said it, I agree.
I've often heard people talking about how so-and-so is so lucky (as if to emphasize that they themselves are not lucky). I think what's really happening is the complainers aren't “working themselves into luck.” If you want to be lucky, prepare for something big.
Developing your talents requires work, and work creates luck. Having this attitude toward success is a great way to set yourself on a rewarding course for your life.
There was a lot of talk for a while about venting your frustrations and anxieties and how it might be healthy to get them off your chest. To a point, yes, but to an exaggerated degree, no. I read an article recently about how complaining, without doing anything about it, is actually detrimental to physical and mental well-being.
With the advent of blogging and all the other sorts of opinion-gushing venues available to everyone now, people are spending way too much time harping on negative themes. The emphasis is out of balance, and the negative focus doesn't help the situation.
Don't dwell so much on a problem that you've exhausted yourself before you can even entertain a solution. It just doesn't make sense. It takes brainpower and energy to think positively and creatively - and to see creatively and positively. Going negative is the easy way, the lazy way. Use your brainpower to focus on positives and solutions instead, and your own mindset will help create your own luck.
Shakespeare put it this way, in a famous quote from Julius Caesar:
“The fault is not in our stars, dear Brutus, but in ourselves.”
That's a clear message. We are responsible for ourselves. We are responsible for our own luck. What an empowering thought! If you see responsibility as a bum deal, then you are not seeing it for what it really is - a great opportunity.
Let's say you're facing some big challenge today. I can tell you right now you've got a lot of company. What will separate you from the complaining crowd will be how you choose to look at your situation. If you believe you are in control of it - and you are - you will know exactly who to look for when you need help: yourself. You could be your greatest discovery yet for success, luck, power, and happiness.
When I encountered enormous financial challenges back in the 1990s, I was mature enough to assume responsibility and know that the problem was mine. I knew it wouldn't do any good to blame other people. That would be a waste of time, and that's one kind of loss I don't like. Time is something that cannot be replaced. If you find yourself slipping into the blaming others mode, get out of it quickly.
Give luck the chance it needs to play itself out in your life. No one can do it for you. As soon as you discover that luck is yours to create, you'll be thinking and seeing things in a whole new way. So work hard, have fun, and good luck.
I don’t know who made that statement. But whoever said it, I agree.
I've often heard people talking about how so-and-so is so lucky (as if to emphasize that they themselves are not lucky). I think what's really happening is the complainers aren't “working themselves into luck.” If you want to be lucky, prepare for something big.
Developing your talents requires work, and work creates luck. Having this attitude toward success is a great way to set yourself on a rewarding course for your life.
There was a lot of talk for a while about venting your frustrations and anxieties and how it might be healthy to get them off your chest. To a point, yes, but to an exaggerated degree, no. I read an article recently about how complaining, without doing anything about it, is actually detrimental to physical and mental well-being.
With the advent of blogging and all the other sorts of opinion-gushing venues available to everyone now, people are spending way too much time harping on negative themes. The emphasis is out of balance, and the negative focus doesn't help the situation.
Don't dwell so much on a problem that you've exhausted yourself before you can even entertain a solution. It just doesn't make sense. It takes brainpower and energy to think positively and creatively - and to see creatively and positively. Going negative is the easy way, the lazy way. Use your brainpower to focus on positives and solutions instead, and your own mindset will help create your own luck.
Shakespeare put it this way, in a famous quote from Julius Caesar:
“The fault is not in our stars, dear Brutus, but in ourselves.”
That's a clear message. We are responsible for ourselves. We are responsible for our own luck. What an empowering thought! If you see responsibility as a bum deal, then you are not seeing it for what it really is - a great opportunity.
Let's say you're facing some big challenge today. I can tell you right now you've got a lot of company. What will separate you from the complaining crowd will be how you choose to look at your situation. If you believe you are in control of it - and you are - you will know exactly who to look for when you need help: yourself. You could be your greatest discovery yet for success, luck, power, and happiness.
When I encountered enormous financial challenges back in the 1990s, I was mature enough to assume responsibility and know that the problem was mine. I knew it wouldn't do any good to blame other people. That would be a waste of time, and that's one kind of loss I don't like. Time is something that cannot be replaced. If you find yourself slipping into the blaming others mode, get out of it quickly.
Give luck the chance it needs to play itself out in your life. No one can do it for you. As soon as you discover that luck is yours to create, you'll be thinking and seeing things in a whole new way. So work hard, have fun, and good luck.
big part of being successful is performance. We all know about preparation, doing your homework or groundwork, covering our bases and so on, but it all boils down to the bottom line. Sometimes there is only one winner.
I’ve been lucky enough to watch quite a bit of the U.S. Open this year. I love to watch these champions go at it. I was there to watch the match between Serena and Venus Williams, and when I left I was thinking about what fighters they are. Both of them are great athletes, and to see them battle it out left quite an impression. They were very equally matched--which made for an exciting time for their fans--but Serena was just a bit tougher. Her determination was incredible. It’s not a big surprise that she won the U.S. Open title last night.
Some things are team sports. Tennis isn’t. There is one winner, and it’s a bit like combat if you think about it. It’s also not a group effort. Those champions are out there and using everything they’ve got to avoid defeat and to win. They take sole responsibility for the outcome. It’s a great lesson just to watch them.
I have often said that being an entrepreneur is not a group effort. The first thing an aspiring entrepreneur must realize is that he or she will be going at it alone. You may have a lot of friends and family who will cheer you on, or maybe not, but when you go out there in the center court of the world, you will be going at it alone to make your mark. That excites some people, and it deflates others. Make sure you know what kind of person you are at your core level before you enter that arena. It will save you a lot of time and effort.
Fortunately, in the business world there is room for more than one winner. Venus and Serena are both winners in my book. Just don’t underestimate the stamina and determination you will need to succeed.
I’ve been lucky enough to watch quite a bit of the U.S. Open this year. I love to watch these champions go at it. I was there to watch the match between Serena and Venus Williams, and when I left I was thinking about what fighters they are. Both of them are great athletes, and to see them battle it out left quite an impression. They were very equally matched--which made for an exciting time for their fans--but Serena was just a bit tougher. Her determination was incredible. It’s not a big surprise that she won the U.S. Open title last night.
Some things are team sports. Tennis isn’t. There is one winner, and it’s a bit like combat if you think about it. It’s also not a group effort. Those champions are out there and using everything they’ve got to avoid defeat and to win. They take sole responsibility for the outcome. It’s a great lesson just to watch them.
I have often said that being an entrepreneur is not a group effort. The first thing an aspiring entrepreneur must realize is that he or she will be going at it alone. You may have a lot of friends and family who will cheer you on, or maybe not, but when you go out there in the center court of the world, you will be going at it alone to make your mark. That excites some people, and it deflates others. Make sure you know what kind of person you are at your core level before you enter that arena. It will save you a lot of time and effort.
Fortunately, in the business world there is room for more than one winner. Venus and Serena are both winners in my book. Just don’t underestimate the stamina and determination you will need to succeed.
From difficult times, evolve great ideas and opportunities. There are many reasons why you should be cautious in this kind of unprecedented market cycle. But sometimes, if you are creative, you can find a way to fill a void or find a new opportunity while others are retreating. Just think about the very money managers and hedge fund managers that predicted the sub-prime crisis. You too could capitalize on a great idea if you put your mind to it even in this market.
To do this, you must first clearly have an understanding of how business in a particular sector works. For instance, if you wanted to create a business that would attract foreign investors for real estate investments since US banks are being pummeled with mortgage loss write-downs. You would need to research as to how these investors are being attracted now, understand what the needs and protections are for them, create a business plan and figure out what you can do that is different from the others. Meeting with an attorney on the front end of your endeavor will also save you a lot of time and headache later. They will help make sure you are creating the right type of entity which can shield you from personal exposures of liabilities and taxing inefficiencies.
The key is to think outside the box but fully understanding everything you can about the box first!
To do this, you must first clearly have an understanding of how business in a particular sector works. For instance, if you wanted to create a business that would attract foreign investors for real estate investments since US banks are being pummeled with mortgage loss write-downs. You would need to research as to how these investors are being attracted now, understand what the needs and protections are for them, create a business plan and figure out what you can do that is different from the others. Meeting with an attorney on the front end of your endeavor will also save you a lot of time and headache later. They will help make sure you are creating the right type of entity which can shield you from personal exposures of liabilities and taxing inefficiencies.
The key is to think outside the box but fully understanding everything you can about the box first!
Just yesterday I was reading about George Clooney, who apparently doesn’t want to say ‘yes’ to a return appearance on “ER”--the show that made him famous. “ER” was one of the most successful of television series, with a big fan base as well as critical acclaim. From there, Clooney went on to great success in films, and has shown himself to be a remarkable and diversified talent.
The gist of the article seemed to be that George Clooney isn’t grateful--to either the show that launched him or his former boss, or to his loyal fans. I can understand that any action--or non-action--can be misinterpreted or made positive or negative depending on the spin it is given by the media. We don’t know the whole story behind his decision, or whether he’s even made his decision.
My point is that we shouldn’t be so quick to judge. We don’t know the background of the situation, and we must realize that he’s a very busy man whose schedule might very well be unable to accommodate a guest appearance. That is likely as well as understandable.
I met George once and he seemed like a great guy. I also think he’s a fantastic actor. I say we should give the guy a chance before jumping to conclusions.
The gist of the article seemed to be that George Clooney isn’t grateful--to either the show that launched him or his former boss, or to his loyal fans. I can understand that any action--or non-action--can be misinterpreted or made positive or negative depending on the spin it is given by the media. We don’t know the whole story behind his decision, or whether he’s even made his decision.
My point is that we shouldn’t be so quick to judge. We don’t know the background of the situation, and we must realize that he’s a very busy man whose schedule might very well be unable to accommodate a guest appearance. That is likely as well as understandable.
I met George once and he seemed like a great guy. I also think he’s a fantastic actor. I say we should give the guy a chance before jumping to conclusions.
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