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Recently,
an interviewer asked me what my greatest fears were. I said I didn't have
any. He seemed surprised, but this is how I see it: If you label something
as a fear, then it creates fear when sometimes it's not a fear but a
concern. For example, I know just as well as everyone else that New York
City experienced a major terrorist attack and the thought of that is a
concern for all of us, because it affects all of us. It's happened in many
places, so it's a worldwide concern. But if we let it become a firmly rooted
fear, the terrorists will have won.
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The same applies to business. Do you fear owning a business? Translate
that for yourself as asking: Are you concerned about owning a business
yourself ? Why? What specifically are those concerns? It's much easier to
break down a concern than it is a fear. Fear creates a block that will only
hinder your creative thinking. Objectivity will remove that block and allow
for creative ideas to flow.
An antidote to fear is as simple as problem solving. Whether you have
investing, estate planning, or running a business on your mind, or all of
those things, they can be broken down into units of thought and dealt with
in an orderly manner. It's a bit like a jigsaw puzzle -- you need to find
the right place for each piece of the puzzle until the whole is apparent.
When I began to construct Trump Tower, for example, I had several things
in mind that I knew I wanted. I wanted a certain kind of marble called
Breccia Perniche, which was expensive, beautiful, and rare. It was also
irregular and had white spots and white veins, which bothered me, so I went
to the quarry itself and marked off the best slabs with black tape. Action
turned this concern into a problem solved. I got exactly the marble pieces I
wanted, and sitting around worrying about whether those pieces would be
right or wrong was getting me nowhere. As a result of deciding to go to the
quarry myself, the pieces of this puzzle fell into place and the finished
product was perfect.
Know that if you want to own your own business, you will be doing a lot
of the work yourself. That's just the way it is. It isn't all about giving
orders or having other people do the legwork or brainwork for you. That
comes into the picture, but you should always be ready to go at it yourself.
If that idea bothers you, maybe you'd be better off being an employee. If
responsibility comes naturally to you, or if you enjoy that challenge,
owning your own business is a good fit.
Fear has a way of making things bigger than they are. There's an old
German proverb to the effect that "fear makes the wolf bigger than he is,"
and that is true. 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.
When I was faced with some huge debts in the early 1990s, it was widely
reported that I was finished, done for, gone. Looking at the numbers alone
made that seem clear to the media. However, I never believed I was finished.
I simply saw that situation as a problem I had to solve and went about doing
that. I'm not saying it was easy, because it wasn't. It was a big problem.
But I refused to give in to fear or to believe what was being said about my
so-called demise. I came back to become more successful than I ever was, and
that's why I believe business is very much about problem solving. If you can
learn to deal with and solve problems, you will have a much bigger margin
for success.
Do not allow fear to settle into place in any part of your life. It is a
defeating attitude and a negative emotion. Recognize and zap it immediately.
Replace it with a problem-solving attitude, faith in yourself, and hard
work. Put that formula into working order for yourself and you'll be dealing
from a position of power, not fear. That's winning.
The above is an excerpt from the book Think Like a Champion: An Informal
Education In Business and Life by Donald J. Trump. The above excerpt is a
digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has
been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process.
Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.
Copyright © 2009 Donald J. Trump, author of
Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education In Business and Life
Author Bio
Donald J. Trump, author of Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education
In Business and Life, is the very definition of the American success story,
continually setting standards of excellence while expanding his passionate
interests in real estate, gaming, sports, and entertainment, which include
runaway hits The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice. He is one of the
most recognizable and credible "brands" in the world. Trump is the Number
One New York Times bestselling author of The Art of the Deal, Surviving at
the Top, The Art of the Comeback, and How to Get Rich, as well as other
books that have changed and enhanced the lives of millions of people. An
ardent philanthropist for many years, Trump is involved with numerous civic
and charitable organizations, and has always felt that giving back adds a
sense of perspective and substance to anyone's life.
For more information, please visit www.trump.com
February 2009
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