This Issue: Get the Most from Every Day

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

-- Eleanor Roosevelt

Confidence can get you where you want to go, and getting there is a daily process. It’s so much easier when you feel good about yourself, your abilities and talents. That’s why I emphasize confidence as a way to get the most from every day. It’s absolutely essential, so never let anyone undermine you, including yourself. We’ve all had those “top of the world” feelings at some point in our lives, and I think we can recognize and remember the energy that feeling gave us.

The old saying that “success breeds success” has something to it. It's that feeling of confidence that can banish negativity and procrastination and get you going the right way. Even if you haven’t encountered great success yet, there is no reason you can’t bluff a little and act like you have. Confidence is a magnet in the best sense of the word. It will draw people to you and make your daily life--and theirs--a lot more pleasant.

When I was starting out in Manhattan, I had to be courageous because I was in new territory. I did my homework and studied and watched what was going on, but I was paving my own way here and I had to appear confident or I knew I’d never make it. Every day was important. I’ve never lost that edge. I was in the big time and I knew it. I still feel that way every day, and I think that’s one reason I’ve managed to achieve as much as I have. You can do the same thing, no matter where you are now. What matters is where you want to go. Focus in the right direction!

Take the pains required to become what you want to become, or you might end up becoming something you’d rather not be. That is also a daily discipline and worth considering. It’s also like the hub vs. rim theory. Do you want to be the hub, or the rim? Being the hub means you’re more centered, more central, and being on the rim is being away from the action or the driving force. When I emphasize the importance of focus, that is one way of visualizing it. Focus can make the difference between your being the hub or on the rim.

Discernment is another way to get the most out of each day, because it will ultimately save you a lot of time and effort. Leaders are people who can discern the inevitable and act accordingly. When people talk about business acumen, discernment is a big part of it. It’s a bit like gut instinct, but a little more developed. Strive for that level of perception every day. Sometimes what is essential can be invisible to the eye.

Business is full of complexities. That’s what makes it so interesting. Anyone who thinks it’s boring hasn’t given it much thought. Business can be an art, and as an art, it is ever evolving and mysterious in its own right. When I wrote The Art of the Deal, I was aware of that aspect of business, and I haven’t changed my mind about it. I’ve mentioned before that like an artist, I give my utmost every day to what I’m doing. I’m not pretending in any sense of the word.

If you really want to succeed, you’ll have to go for it every day like I do. The big time isn’t for slackers. Keep up your mental stamina and remain curious. I think that bored people are unintelligent people. Hopefully, since you’re reading this, that unfortunate group won’t ever include you. It had better not, and I don’t like drop outs either. Get with and keep up with the program here at Trump University--and I mean every day. I’m not really a tough guy, but I am when it comes to education and using your brains. Ignorance can be more expensive than education, and considering what’s available these days, very few people can make a strong case for ignorance.

It was Thoreau who wrote “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Get your vision, get focused, and then do the work--starting today!

Very few people are perpetually positive or take the time to reflect on their past actions and future goals. Much of daily life is routine, functional, and plain unexciting. Because everyday life is short on peak moments and startling revelations, it is difficult to work up the enthusiasm required to truly embrace life and get the most from every day. Sometimes we need a jolt of some kind, whether an epiphany, a trauma, or some other external event, that serves as a wake-up call.

In the industrialized world, comforts abound and some of the more grueling tasks of daily of life have been all but eliminated. On some levels, though, life is more demanding than ever before, and we still want to perform at our best every day. Juggling a career, family, and friends can leave people feeling stressed and exhausted. Work, money, and family can be major sources of stress. How can we get the most from every day so that we really can have it all?

Being the best you can be is about enhancing what you already have, which means getting the most out of your mind and body. This can be achieved through a deliberate effort. It is difficult, but possible, and the consequences are, well, life and death, professionally, spiritually, even physically.

The death of a loved one or a protracted illness mean suffering, a diminished quality of life, a feeling of loss. Yet such pain also gives people something that may have been lacking before: a genuine appreciation of the here and now. It is not uncommon to hear mourners at a funeral say things like, "A positive attitude is what he passed on to me" or “Her death touched us all and made us really appreciate the things we have.” To derive inspiration in a moment of grief is often a life-changing experience. Some people have learned how important it is to get the most from every day after watching someone close to them die.

Terminal illness is another condition that often transforms attitudes about the self and one's duty in life. Both the medical literature and anecdotal evidence suggest that defeatism is relatively rare. Surprisingly, many terminally ill patients were determined to live as long as possible and with a quality that would ensure their remaining time was meaningful. These people made a choice to get the most from every day by staying positive, balanced.

It's not necessary to come close to death or experience debilitating illness to appreciate that what it means to be completely alive and wanting the most from every day. Yet, extreme circumstances often compel a strong response. The intense emotions unleashed by these experiences can be a catalyst in the often difficult, time consuming process of changing one’s attitude and behavior.

Time waits for no one. Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.