Your True Talent Will Set You Free

Your True Talent Will Set You Free

by David Czach

When you get home from work, do you feel enriched, fulfilled and empowered? Or does it seem like you just finished an uphill battle on a treadmill? Imagine being paid to do what you love. You could return home feeling as though time stood still. Being “in the zone” virtually all day. Coming home invigorated knowing you consistently live a natural high.

• Place a new piece of blank paper on your night stand.

• Write “While I sleep tonight, I am connected with my heart and soul. I allow myself to travel with the Ultimate Spirit. I bring back to my consciousness my honest desire, life purpose and grand plan to integrate with our current society to benefit others and myself. I now release the power and intentions of these words. And this is so.”

• Go to bed. Close your eyes. Mentally repeat the same phrase until you fall asleep.

• During the next 21 days, remain consciously alert for any clues to your answer.

Are you ready for abundance?

Jambali the Wealth Giver

Are you ready for abundance?

by Brett Krkosska

This tale of five young travellers in search of wealth and wisdom illuminates the perils awaiting those who seek riches.

The five young men gathered close around the fire. The day-long trek across the arid high plains had left them weary and discouraged. Was this journey an act of otherwise sane men?

Certainly the elders could not be mistrusted. Their constant ramblings about the man called Jambali filled the air almost daily. They said he was a man of immense wealth and wisdom. A man who freely dispensed both to any who sought it.

Yet many had travelled to the eastern mountains in search of this man, and all had returned weeks later with nothing to show but callused feet. Was it all just a wistful tale; a fantasy concocted to give the people of their desperately poor village a reason to hope? This was the question that plagued the five travellers as they bedded down for the night, their hearts full of hope and their heads full of doubt.

The sun rose to find only four travellers remaining; the fifth having let doubt win over. His note by the ashes of the fire implored the four to push on, but he had returned to the village, unable to pursue a journey that held no promise.

And so the four travellers hiked throughout the morning and reached the tree line of the eastern slopes by mid-day. It was a welcome escape from the relentless heat of the desert sun. They had not walked more than 100 yards beneath the shade of the trees, when they happened across an old woman.

They told the woman of their quest to find a man called Jambali, and asked if she knew where to find him. She exclaimed that they were indeed fortunate, for he was a nomad and was camped for the day just over the next rise. She bid them caution however, as he was not fond of unannounced strangers to his camp.

Thanking the old woman, they hastily made their way to the rise and thereupon did devise a plan. One of them would ascend the rise to investigate the layout of the camp and then report back to the others. In this way they could best decide upon a method of entering the camp.

They elected a scout, and he ascended the rise while the others anxiously waited. After a short time the scout returned looking forlorn and discouraged. He announced to the others that he did not see the camp of a wealthy man, rather was it the camp of a pauper. He spoke of a man dressed in rags and a tent of simple design.

And then this traveller did proclaim their journey a fool’s adventure, and he marched back into the desert with a heavy heart.

The remaining three travellers were not so easily dissuaded. One was elected and he ascended the rise to scout the camp. He shortly returned with a puzzling report. Not only was this man without wealth, but he was also crazy. He told of a man standing in front of his tent waving his arms wildly in the air, screaming obscenities at an unseen demon.

And as before, this traveller also proclaimed their journey a fool’s adventure, and marched back into the desert… with a perplexed heart.

The remaining two travellers had not come this far to give up so easily. One of the pair ascended the rise, only to quickly return shaking with fear. He exclaimed that the man was indeed acting crazy, but not because of an unseen demon, rather because there was a tiger crouched in the trees ready to devour the man.

This traveller hastily declared their journey a fool’s adventure, and hurried back into the desert… with a fearful heart.

The last traveller began his ascent. He reached the top and peered into the camp. He too witnessed a tiger of great ferocity, but he put his fear aside and decided to help the man defeat the beast.

He quickly fashioned a makeshift spear using a dry branch sharpened with his hunting knife. He ran down the hill and jumped between the man and the snarling tiger. He readied his weapon and was on the verge of thrusting it into the beast, when the man suddenly let out a shrill whistle and grabbed the spear from the traveller’s hands. The tiger abruptly ceased its attack, then trotted over to stand next to the man. Obviously, a cruel trick had been played upon the traveller.

Distraught over what had just transpired, the traveller demanded an explanation. The man explained that the old woman had seen the four travellers approaching from the desert, and had warned him of their arrival. He explained that his antics were designed to invite only the most sturdy of heart into his camp.

The man went on to introduce himself as Jambali the Wealth-Giver. He invited the traveller to sit beside him and tell of his journey. The traveller did so, explaining that the trip had began with five, of which he was the only one remaining. He went on to tell Jambali about his people’s belief that all who visited him would receive wealth and wisdom.

Jambali told the traveller that his people’s belief was true, but that before wealth can be possessed, one must first have the wisdom to own it.

Jambali explained, “The first traveller gave up on the first night. He did not want to work at acquiring wealth.”

“The second traveller saw a poor man’s camp. He had not the vision to perceive wealth among ordinary things.”

“The third traveller witnessed a crazy man. He had not the vision to perceive wealth among non-ordinary things.”

“The fourth traveler witnessed a man-eating tiger. He was not ready for wealth because he had not the courage to overcome fear.”

Jambali watched as the traveller digested these words. They were powerful words that sank deep into the traveller’s heart.

Then, suddenly and without notice, the traveler rose to his feet and thanked Jambali for these wealth-giving secrets. He was overwhelmed with exhilaration at the wisdom he had just received, and could barely contain his desire to depart for the village with news of his good fortune on this journey. He quickly bade Jambali farewell and promised he would tell his people what he had learned.

And so, this traveller did declare the journey a success, and he trotted into the desert with a glad heart.

As the traveller disappeared from sight, Jambali strode into his tent and filled a ruby-rimmed cup to overflowing with a dark, red wine. He drank largely, allowing the warm liquid to both caress and exhilarate his senses. A drop escaped from the corner of his mouth and momentarily danced upon his chin, as if unsure of which direction to fall before relinquishing its hold to the ground below.

Jambali tossed the cup, gestured loudly to the barren desert which had swallowed the travellers, and dispensed his last bit of wisdom, “And the fifth traveler was ready to receive wealth, yet received none, because he did not ask for it.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brett Krkosska provides how-to advice on family and home-based work issues. Get start-up guidance, business ideas and inspiration at http://HomeBizTools.com . Become a subscriber for a fresh and original perspective on today’s business issues: mailto:enews@homebiztools.com

Einstein, The Universe and Leadership

Article by Brent Filson

Ever since serving a hitch in the military, I have been nagged by the question that’s been hanging around leadership since time immemorial: How can some leaders persuade people to believe in them and follow them and other leaders can’t? But it wasn’t the military that provided me with a framework to answer that question. It was Albert Einstein and his quest for the unified field theory of the universe.

Einstein is well known for his special and general theories of relativity, two of the crowning intellectual achievements of the 20th century. But what he is not so well known for is a magnificent quest that he carried on for some 30 years — and ultimately failed in. That was his quest for a unified field theory of the universe. And it was a quest that inspired me, in my small way, to find an answer to the leadership question.

Einstein’s special theory combined space and time into a single concept known as the space-time continuum. He spent the rest of his life failing to develop a unified field theory that incorporated gravity into the electromagnetic field. But it wasn’t his trying to solve the conundrums of physics that inspired me. It was his trying to unify the grand forces of the universe that’s so compelling.

Just as there are grand forces driving the activities of the universe, I’m convinced that there are grand forces driving the activities of leadership. Whether we are talking about small or large organizations, organizations of butchers, bakers or candlestick makers, the same leadership forces — leadership laws, if you will — apply. Or at least that I was my theory, that was my quest: to find the laws of leadership, if they did indeed exist, and then show how those laws can be applied in any organizational challenge. In short, we can have a “unified field theory of leadership.”

I won’t go into the details of how I came to develop the theory — only that after a quest of several decades, working with leaders of all stripes, I developed what I call the Unified Field Theory of Leadership Success. I’m certainly not unifying such grand concepts as gravity and the electromagnetic field; but my theory, in its small way, has helped many leaders around the world raise their leadership effectiveness to much higher levels.

Here then is the Unified Field Theory of Leadership Success. It is not magic dust to transform you into a great leader. It is instead a polestar to guide and help you invigorate your leadership and communication efforts.

The UFTLS is expressed as a series of four propositions.

• Business success happens when people get results. Clearly, this is not some strange, UFO- like concept. Instead, it is a BFO a Blinding Flash of the Obvious. Yet obvious or not, it is ignored by many leaders

• too many leaders. Too many leaders focus on enabling such drivers as quality initiatives, re-engineering projects, and cost-cutting programs

• at the expense of the people who must animate those drivers. For instance, I know of a company that is engaged in the fourth major restructuring in the past half dozen years.

• Three of those initiatives have failed, mainly because they ignored the human/leadership aspect. In fact, I propose that the new initiative is doomed to fail too.

It’s obvious why: instead of being driven by a compelling market strategy, strong products, or a vision of marketplace leadership, this new restructuring is being driven by a new computer system! The officers are restructuring the company primarily to better employ that system, not to better employ people for results. I dare say the light that they may perceive to be at the end of the tunnel will turn out in truth to be a search party looking for survivors.

Leaders do nothing more important than have people get results. Another seemingly obvious statement. Yet when I give talks to leaders around the world, and ask them, “What is the most important thing you do as a leader?” some 95 percent of them give every answer but this one. This is the only right answer.

Understand the power in the seeming passiveness of “have.” Leaders cannot get results by themselves. They need others to help get those results. Today, with speed, flexibility, and teamwork being driving competitiveness, the control-freak order-leader who must tyrannize and micro manage can’t compete against the leader who can build and motivate teams to get results. In short, the leader who can “have” others get results.

The best way to have people get results is not to order them but to motivate them. Like leadership purpose, motivation is another concept that is misunderstood by many leaders. If we misunderstand the concept of motivation, how in the world can we motivate anybody to do anything? Here are the four “eternal truths” of motivation:

1. Motivation is not something people think or feel but what they physically do. Only when people take physical action can they in truth be defined as “motivated.
2. Motivation is not something we can do to anyone. We as leaders can only communicate. The people we want to motivate must motivate themselves. The motivatee and the motivator are always the same person.
3. Motivation is driven by emotion. In fact, the words emotion and motivation come from the same Latin root, meaning “to move.” When we want to move people, motivate people, to take action, we engage their emotions.
4. Motivation happens best when it is triggered by face-to-face speech.

We lead well only when the people we lead are leading well. Let’s throw out the old concept of leadership. That concept is based on the idea of “followership”

— successful leaders being the ones who got people to follow them. Baloney! Today, the speed and scope of change in the marketplace demand a new vision of leadership, leadership that can not only deal with that change but actually speed it up and make opportunities of it. That vision is this fourth proposition. How many times have we heard this seeming praise, “They’re such great leaders, they can’t be replaced!”

Within the terms of the new leadership dynamics, those “great, irreplaceable leaders” are in truth poor leaders that should be gotten rid of! If the leader’s function is to have others get results, then the best way is not simply to motivate them but to motivate them to lead others to get those results. When we challenge our leaders to truly lead, we change their world and ours. Only then are we leading well.

Those are the four propositions of the Unified Field Theory of Leadership Success. Einstein failed in his quest for a unified field theory; but the success or failure of this Theory of Leadership rests with you. Put it into action. Guided by its ideas, develop strategies, processes, and leadership skills.

When you do, I can’t promise that you will develop an e=mc2-like revelation, but you will start on the road to being a better leader. Because the four propositions do provide defining differences between leaders. Those differences are not as grand as the differences between gravity and electromagnetic fields, but they can help you do that very simple, down-to-earth thing that your career, that any career, rests on: lead.

Contact Information:
Brent Filson
Founder & President
The Filson Leadership Group, Inc.
413-458-4403
http://www.actionleadership.com/

An Amazing New Short-Cut to Make All Your Dreams Come True

Inspired Action:

An Amazing New Short-Cut to Make All Your Dreams Come True

by Joe Vitale

Ever since my latest book, “Spiritual Marketing,” became a #1best-seller at Amazon last June, people have been writing me. Most of the time people are just praising the book. Sometimes people have questions about the five-step process in the book for creating wealth from the inside out. By far the most common question is about step five, the one called “Let go.”

Spiritual Marketing

Bob Proctor (Foreword). AuthorHouse 2002, Paperback, 136 pages, $8.11

“But what do I DO if I let go?” is the question I get the most. “If I let go, don’t I just sit there?”
What I didn’t fully explain in the book is that you usually still have to do something to achieve your dreams. That something might be as little as answering the phone. Or making a call. Or buying a book. Or joining an association. Or answering an email. I have no idea what that action will be for you regarding achieving your dream. But you usually have to do something, however small or large a step.

But the magic answer to the question of what action to do next is this:
You want to take what I call “Inspired Action.”

Inspired Action is any action you take based on an inside nudge.

In other words, an Inspired Action is when you suddenly get a desire to drive to the store. You may have no idea why you need to go to the store right now. But something within you is urging you out the door. Follow that hunch. It may lead you to your goal. At the store, you may meet the right person. Or find the right product. Or pick up the right magazine that will lead you to completing your dream.

For example, in “Spiritual Marketing” I talk about how I managed to get into Nightingale-Conant with my own tapeset, called “The Power of Outrageous Marketing.” I had tried to get Nightingale-Conant to pay attention to me for over ten years. (Ten years!) Nothing I did would ever work out. Yet I was doing all the “right things” people said I should do—make calls, send letters, follow a plan of action, etc.
Nope. None of that ever worked.

So I stopped all that planned action. I didn’t stop wanting my goal of being in the famous Nightingale-Conant catalog, of course, but I did stop struggling to make it happen. I, in short, let go. I waited for divine inspiration to tell me what to do next.

And then one day I started to get emails from someone asking questions about my book on P.T. Barnum, called “There’s A Customer Born Every Minute.” My gut said to answer the questions. So my Inspired Action was simply to write back to this stranger. That’s what I felt guided to do.

I did. And after three weeks of email exchanges, this man finally wrote me an email that rocked my world. He said, “I appreciate all you’ve done for me. If you ever want your material considered by Nightingale-Conant, I am their senior marketing director. Just send your stuff to me.” I still get goosebumps when I think of that email. That miracle occurred not because of any planned action, but because of Inspired Action.

So here’s how to make Inspired Action work for you:
Step One: As I explain in “Spiritual Marketing,” set an intention. An intention is your declaration about your dream, or goal, that you want to be, do, or have. This is your request of your subconscious, unconscious and universe itself. The clearer your intention, the better your results. One of my intentions was, “I intend to have a best-selling audiotape program with Nightingale-Conant.” Another was, “I intend for my ‘Spiritual Marketing’ book to become a #1 best-seller at Amazon.”

Step Two: Follow your hunches. Listen to your intuition. If you get a desire to make a plan of action, so be it. Do it. But if you get a desire to go for a walk, or to watch television, or to surf the web, then do that. You never know where your Inspired Action will take you, but because you set an intention (step one), your intuition will find a short-cut to your dreams.

Inspired Action works because your ego can only see limited terrain while the universe can see it all. Your ego might say, “Write a business plan.” But your intuition might see that that won’t work in your case and instead urge you to do something else, maybe even something strange. Trust it. Inspired Action comes from the bigger picture, which you can’t always see until you’ve taken the actions you’re being inspired to take.

Finally, the more you can quiet your mind, still your thoughts, and relax your body, the more you will hear the inner voice nudging you in the direction of your dreams. When it speaks, move.

That’s Inspired Action.

Do it and you’ll find amazing new short-cuts direct to the fulfillment of your stated desires. It’s an easy path more fun, more relaxed, and usually more profitable, than planned action and constant struggle.
Try it and see.

Joe Vitale is author of way too many books to list here, including the #1 best-selling book “Spiritual Marketing,” the best-selling e-book “Hypnotic Writing,” and the best-selling Nightingale-Conant audioprogram, “The Power of Outrageous Marketing.”

The Four Emotions That Can Lead to Life Change

by Jim Rohn

Emotions are the most powerful forces inside us. Under the power of emotions, human beings can perform the most heroic (as well as barbaric) acts. To a great degree, civilization itself can be defined as the intelligent channeling of human emotion. Emotions are fuel and the mind is the pilot, which together propel the ship of civilized progress.

Which emotions cause people to act? There are four basic ones; each, or a combination of several, can trigger the most incredible activity. The day that you allow these emotions to fuel your desire is the day you’ll turn your life around.

1) DISGUST

One does not usually equate the word “disgust” with positive action. And yet properly channeled, disgust can change a person’s life. The person who feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, “I’ve had it!” That’s what I said after many humiliating experiences at age 25, I said. “I don’t want to live like this anymore. I’ve had it with being broke. I’ve had it with being embarrassed, and I’ve had it with lying.”

Yes, productive feelings of disgust come when a person says, “Enough is enough.”

The “guy” has finally had it with mediocrity. He’s had it with those awful sick feelings of fear, pain and humiliation. He then decides he is not going to live like this anymore.” Look out! This could be the day that turns a life around. Call it what you will, the “I’ve had it” day, the “never again” day, the “enough’s enough” day. Whatever you call it, it’s powerful! There is nothing so life-changing as gut-wrenching disgust!

2) DECISION

Most of us need to be pushed to the wall to make decisions. And once we reach this point, we have to deal with the conflicting emotions that come with making them. We have reached a fork in the road. Now this fork can be a two-prong, three-prong, or even a four-prong fork. No wonder that decision-making can create knots in stomachs, keep us awake in the middle of the night, or make us break out in a cold sweat.

Making life-changing decisions can be likened to internal civil war. Conflicting armies of emotions, each with its own arsenal of reasons, battle each other for supremacy of our minds. And our resulting decisions, whether bold or timid, well thought out or impulsive, can either set the course of action or blind it. I don’t have much advice to give you about decision-making except this:

Whatever you do, don’t camp at the fork in the road. Decide. It’s far better to make a wrong decision than to not make one at all. Each of us must confront our emotional turmoil and sort out our feelings.

3) DESIRE

How does one gain desire? I don’t think I can answer this directly because there are many ways. But I do know two things about desire:

• a. It comes from the inside not the outside.
  b. It can be triggered by outside forces.

Almost anything can trigger desire. It’s a matter of timing as much as preparation. It might be a song that tugs at the heart. It might be a memorable sermon. It might be a movie, a conversation with a friend, a confrontation with the enemy, or a bitter experience. Even a book or an article such as this one can trigger the inner mechanism that will make some people say, “I want it now!”

Therefore, while searching for your “hot button” of pure, raw desire, welcome into your life each positive experience. Don’t erect a wall to protect you from experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your disappointment also keeps out the sunlight of enriching experiences. So let life touch you. The next touch could be the one that turns your life around.

4) RESOLVE

Resolve says, “I will.” These two words are among the most potent in the English language. I WILL. Benjamin Disraeli, the great British statesman, once said, “Nothing can resist a human will that will stake even its existence on the extent of its purpose.” In other words, when someone resolves to “do or die,” nothing can stop him.

The mountain climber says, “I will climb the mountain. They’ve told me it’s too high, it’s too far, it’s too steep, it’s too rocky, it’s too difficult. But it’s my mountain. I will climb it. You’ll soon see me waving from the top or you’ll never see me, because unless I reach the peak, I’m not coming back.” Who can argue with such resolve?

When confronted with such iron-will determination, I can see Time, Fate and Circumstance calling a hasty conference and deciding, “We might as well let him have his dream. He’s said he’s going to get there or die trying.”

The best definition for “resolve” I’ve ever heard came from a schoolgirl in Foster City, California. As is my custom, I was lecturing about success to a group of bright kids at a junior high school. I asked, “Who can tell me what “resolve” means?” Several hands went up, and I did get some pretty good definitions. But the last was the best. A shy girl from the back of the room got up and said with quiet intensity, “I think resolve means promising yourself you will never give up.” That’s it! That’s the best definition I’ve ever heard: PROMISE YOURSELF YOU’LL NEVER GIVE UP.

Think about it! How long should a baby try to learn how to walk? How long would you give the average baby before you say, “That’s it, you’ve had your chance”? You say that’s crazy? Of course it is. Any mother would say, “My baby is going to keep trying until he learns how to walk!” No wonder everyone walks.

There is a vital lesson in this. Ask yourself, “How long am I going to work to make my dreams come true?” I suggest you answer, “As long as it takes.” That’s what these four emotions are all about.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

This article was submitted by Jim Rohn, America’s Foremost Business Philosopher.

Fail Your Way To The Top

by John Assaraf

Have you had a challenging day or week?

Maybe you’re feeling a little tired or feel discouraged with a current situation.

Maybe you are ready to throw in the towel and quit something.

We all go through times of feeling that something in our life sucks, and all we can see and feel is the mess we are in.

When you feel that deep discouraged feeling, take a look at this report and reflect on this man’s record of failure. It is a testament to how we as humans can learn and grow and win despite the losses and defeats we encounter.

The Complete Vision Board Kit

John Assaraf. Atria Books/Beyond Words 2008, Paperback, 128 pages, $12.00

Each Success is the Beginning of The Next One

by Donald J. Trump, Chairman, Trump University

What lies behind us
and what lies before us
are tiny matters compared
to what lies within us.

– Emerson

That thought by Ralph Waldo Emerson has always been an inspiration to me. It gives me energy to keep going full force because I know I still have a lot to accomplish. No matter what I may have achieved, or plan to achieve, I know it’s ‘a tiny matter’ compared to what I am capable of doing. Think about it. How can we be complacent with that kind of thought pattern going on? It would be impossible!

When I hear people say things like “It’s impossible to do more!” I always smile to myself and think, “I’ve just started!” It’s just a great way to feel. I’d like you to have that feeling, too, because it’s like having stepping stones in all the right places just waiting for you to see them.

Sometimes it helps to minimize your achievements to yourself so that you will be eager to do more. You might say, “Yeah, that was good, but I’m just getting warmed up” as a way to keep yourself challenged. The best achievers are those who are self-motivated and naturally curious, people who don’t need to be told what to do next. Strive to be that kind of person. Entrepreneurs are driven by inner forces. That’s a great way to live as well as a great approach to life.

What lies within us? Hopefully, there are a lot of great ideas and plans for the future coupled with confidence in our ability to achieve them. I think Emerson was alluding to this idea of hope in his statement. It’s important for survival, and it’s important for success. Sometimes it is what keeps us going when the odds may not be on our side. Don’t underestimate the power of some of the unseen or intangible forces in your life. Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not there. The first person to give you a chance should be yourself.

So give yourself a chance every single day! Some people really are their own worst enemies. Don’t fall into that abyss, because that’s really what it is. Have you ever watched children when they are trying something new? They are excited, they are eager, and they welcome the challenge. That’s an attitude to recapture or to emulate. The enthusiasm that discovery provides is a reliable way to make sure that everything you are doing is paving the way towards your current as well as future successes. I recently received a letter from my kindergarten teacher. She wrote that what she remembered most clearly about me was that I never stopped asking questions. I wrote back to tell her that some things never change—that I still ask a lot of questions. I said that it had obviously served me well, and I thanked her, belatedly, for her patience many years ago. Every one of my questions was the beginning of the next one.

So here’s one question for you. If you had nothing at all to do, what would you do? And after you did that, what would you do? And after you did that, what would be next on your list? I call that multi-thinking versus multi-tasking. Most people have at least a few things they want to do. Sometimes one thing leads to another—that’s a form of discovery. Discovery breeds discovery, as in success breeds success. Quest ions are thoughts with a quest.

Can you guess what the quest is? Knowledge. Knowledge is power. That’s one reason you’re reading this essay. No one is born a know-it-all. Wouldn’t that be a little boring? I think it might be. Fortunately, at this time in history, things are moving so quickly that no one has the right to boredom. Just keeping up is the challenge we all have today. I like that challenge because a challenge equals a success just waiting to happen.

Let’s end this with a few good questions.

• What lies behind you? What are your life experiences and education up to this point?
• What lies before you? What are your goals, your plans, your aspirations?
• What lies within you? Do you have what it takes to succeed? Do you know the full extent of your abilities yet?
  Do you know what the future holds for you? Do you know how your dreams will evolve?

All of life is full of mystery, including your life, which is no tiny matter. So don’t sell yourself short on something that important. Today is just the beginning.

Go Beyond Money Donald Trump

by Donald J. Trump

The first sentence in my first book, The Art of the Deal , goes like this: “I don’t do it for the money. I’ve got enough, much more than I’ll ever need. I do it to do it. Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That’s how I get my kicks.”

Trump

Donald J. Trump. Ballantine Books 2004, Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages, $4.36

At the end of that book, I also mention that there are two things I have found myself to be very good at: overcoming obstacles and motivating good people to do their best work. I’ve had some major challenges since then, which I’ve met, and I’ve made a hit television show out of motivating smart people to do and be their best. I certainly didn’t see that one coming, nor did I see Trump University surfacing either. But here we are, with The Apprentice entering yet another season and Trump University expanding in many ways.

I didn’t get involved in either one of these ventures to make money. I had something to offer and the opportunities presented themselves to me. I was simply in the midst of doing my daily deals when these things found their way to me. It’s funny how that can work. Notice that I said I was working, doing my daily deals. I wasn’t sitting around waiting for people to come up with great ideas for me. I was focused on my business and moving forward daily when they were presented to me. There’s something about keeping your momentum going that can work like a generator in producing and attracting good energy and great ideas.

If I was in it just for the money, I would never have ended up doing a lot of the things I’ve done. Take Wollman Rink, for example. My decision to renovate it didn’t come from any profit motive. I did it to save the city time and money. I knew I had the ability to get it done in less time and for less money. I loved doing that job because I love New York City and Central Park, and the citizens of New York deserve the best.

Ask yourself what you love doing first, then think about the money. If you think about the money first, you’ve got it all wrong. That’s a backwards approach to success, and it won’t be very rewarding for very long. Sure, money is a scorecard and it is certainly useful, but it shouldn’t be the be all and end all. See it as the means to an end, but not the total reason for your efforts or endeavors. As Benjamin Franklin put it: “He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money. ”

You might be thinking that it’s easy for me to say what I’m saying because I’m already a billionaire. It probably helps, but even when I was a millionaire, I was interested above all in the end product. I had to care about what I was doing, while keeping the big picture in mind. I wanted to transform the Commodore Hotel into a beautiful Hyatt Hotel not just because it would be a great success, but because it would help the surrounding, increasingly dilapidated area of Grand Central on 42nd Street. That’s a major thoroughfare, and it was becoming an eyesore and an undesirable location in midtown Manhattan. My success there began a renewal that has continued to this day. Yes, I made money, but there was more to it than just that.

Give your goals substance. Imbue them with a value that exceeds the monetary. Make them count on as many levels as you can. Give them a subtext that will provide them with a dimension that will not only benefit you but other people as well. In other words, get the big picture. That’s an important aspect of thinking big—and a big step towards greater success.

Work As An Art Form

Real World Art: The Canvass that is Business

by Donald J. Trump
Chairman, Trump University

Art is a lie that makes us see the truth.

–Picasso

Picasso was not only a great artist, he was a good businessman. He knew the value of his work, and he didn’t make excuses for it. He once told a story about someone who visited his studio, stood in front of a painting, and asked him “What does it represent?” Picasso’s response was “Two hundred thousand dollars.” He was telling the truth and in no uncertain terms. Picasso obviously viewed his art as a business, which it was. I view my business as an art, which it is. You should view your work that way too.

Here’s why. Artists are known for their dedication, to their ideals, to their muse—whatever that might be—and for their perseverance in getting things just right. Those are admirable traits to possess. They will go to great lengths to achieve the desired result. Just recently a Beethoven manuscript was discovered in a library. He had made so many changes and scratches on it that he had punctured holes in the pages in some places. This work was done towards the end of his life, so he wasn’t a novice at writing music at that point. That was just how he worked. Beethoven was a perfectionist, who wouldn’t settle for less than his best. He didn’t need to impress anyone except himself. That’s a good way to be, whether you’re a businessperson or a musician.

Try to best yourself. Compete with yourself to be the best you can be. That’s the mindset of entrepreneurs. They know that competing with others could lower their own standards. That may sound tough but it’s the truth. You have to have your own vision and stick with it. Picasso definitely had his own way of seeing things, which certainly worked to his advantage artistically and financially. Don’t be afraid of being unique. It’s like being afraid of your best self.

When I was building Trump Tower, I spent a great deal of time finding and getting the exact color of marble I wanted for the lobby. I looked at hundreds of marble samples until I found something called Breccia Perniche, a rare marble and, therefore, very expensive. The color was a blend of rose, peach and pink that was absolutely perfect. When we went to the quarry, however, I noticed there were white spots and veins in a lot of the marble. Nevertheless, I was determined to use this marble. So we marked off the slabs that were the best and scrapped the rest—about 60% of the total. It wasn’t cost effective, but it was worth it. The lobby in Trump Tower is truly a work of art, and the marble made the difference. It’s gorgeous.

Back to Picasso’s statement about art being a lie. One take on that is that artists often make the difficult look effortless. How hard is it to put paint on a canvas? Easy if you don’t know what you’re doing. A little more complex if you do know what you’re doing.In my first book, The Art of the Deal, I chose the title for those very reasons. Anyone in business knows that negotiating and making deals requires a lot of background work. People don’t see me doing that part, but that doesn’t mean I don’t do it. When people see the beautiful marble in Trump Tower, they usually have no idea what I went through personally to achieve the end result. No one cares about the blood, sweat, and tears that art or beauty require. It’s the end result that matters.

Art is also representational. In other words, it’s not life, but it’s about life. It can point to truths that we might not notice in our busy daily lives. It gives us a reflection. When I do a deal, it’s a reflection of my astuteness as a businessman. I strive for a comprehensive approach, much as an artist would. No matter what your field is, you can learn a lot by emulating that approach as much as possible. I didn’t have to use Breccia Perniche marble, but I knew it would make a difference. My work as a builder combines both craftsmanship and art. I refuse to settle for less. So when I say I view my work as an art form, you can bet that I’m as meticulous as any artist would be about the materials and the desired result. If you do the same, I think you’ll surprise yourself at how high your standards will become.

Don’t sell yourself short. Life is an art. Business is an art. So, be an artist and best yourself.

What is Genius?

by Dr. Tony Alessandra

What is Genius?

Paul MacCready is a writer and inventor who has carefully studied genius and the ways people understand that concept. MacCready has evolved several categories of what genius seems to mean, and these can be useful starting point for defining what genius really is.

In the first category is what Paul MacCready calls the “everyone agrees” geniuses. These people are the great icons of civilization, including Einstein, Leonardo daVinci, Shakespeare, and Michelangelo.

Is there anybody who believes Einstein wasn’t a genius? I don’t think so — so this category is for the geniuses who are elected by unanimous consent. These are many of the same people who were mentioned in my own informal research. We’ll have much more to say about them in this session and throughout the program. In fact, most of our models for the various genius categories will be drawn from this group.

MacReady’s second category is the officially designated geniuses. These are the people who have won Nobel Prizes or other highly respected awards. Whether or not we understand what they’ve accomplished, we think of them as geniuses based on their recognition by people who are supposed to know one when they see one.

A third category includes people who haven’t yet gained national or international prominence, but who have done something so remarkable that they seem to be in a different realm from ordinary mortals. Some of these are the prodigy young people I mentioned earlier in this session — students who have won national science contests or gotten perfect scores on standardized tests.

Often they’re not the best in the day to day conduct of school or business, but they have some special gift that eventually reveals itself. Quite often, these people are underachievers who struggle with Shyness and low self-esteem. Their surprising success is surprising only because they’ve deliberately tried to stay in the background.

I think you can see how each of these three categories seems quite Legitimate — but it’s the fourth one that’s really most important for this program. And you may be surprised to learn that the fourth category questions or even completely refutes the other three. Because the fourth category includes everybody.

It’s based on the idea that we all have the potential for achievements that are wrongly considered possible for only a few. And there’s plenty of evidence for this. After all, the physical and mental challenges of learning to walk and talk are more difficult than anything we face later in life — yet the vast majority of human beings meet these challenges successfully. True, it’s been argued that these primary skills are hardwired into our genetic makeup. But there are many things that the genetic argument can’t account for.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, for example, it was simply expected that every member of the educated class would be able to read and speak several different languages, write poetry, play a musical instrument, and know much of the Bible by heart. Furthermore, all these skills were performed at a very high level and at very early ages. In other words, thousands of people routinely displayed abilities that today would be considered truly amazing — and perhaps even evidence of genius.

But in those days what we call genius was just the fulfillment of society’s expectations. When we speak of everybody being a genius in this sense, it doesn’t mean everyone has to get 800s on their SATs or have an IQ of 150 or above. It doesn’t mean everybody can play the violin or create beautiful oil paintings. Those are other ways of looking at the concept of genius. But right now, let’s go back to the origin of the word itself.

A researcher by the name of Thomas Armstrong has done some excellent work on this. He points out that the word genius is closely related to the word genesis. It comes from Greek and Latin words meaning “beget,” “be born,” or ” come into being.” It’s also related to the word genial, meaning “festive” or “jovial.”

In the Middle East, the term has been linked to the word jinni, or genie, the magical power that lay dormant and hidden in Aladdin’s lamp until a secret method released it. Combining all these roots leads to a very powerful and beautiful definition of genius. It means “giving birth to your joy.” In this sense, genius is a word for an individual’s hidden potential. It also includes the process of discovering that potential and transforming it into action.

But the first step is belief. The first step is certainty that you have greater capabilities than you thought. Not only do you have those capabilities — you also have a responsibility to develop them and put them to use.

Dr. Tony Alessandra has authored 13 books, recorded over 50 audio and video programs, and delivered over 2,000 keynote speeches since 1976. The ideas in this article, and many others, are adapted from Dr. Alessandra’s book, The Sales Professional’s Idea-A-Day Guide (Dartnell). If you would like more information about Dr. Alessandra’s books, audio tapesets and video programs, or about Dr. Alessandra as a keynote speaker for your group, call (800) 222-4383 or visit his website at http://www.alessandra.com.

The Platinum Rule

Tony Alessandra. Grand Central Publishing 1998, Paperback, 304 pages, $4.49