Trump: How to Get Rich

As you know, this rule has been easy for me to follow. But hear me out—I’ve got a good reason for it.

Having a well-developed ego, contrary to popular opinion, is a positive attribute. It is the center of our consciousness and serves to give us a sense of purpose. I remember saying to someone, Show me someone with no ego and I’ll show you a big loser. I was trying to stir things up and provoke a reaction, but I later realized the basic idea is on target.

The ego works to keep our conscious and unconscious aspects in balance. Too much either way can be detrimental. No ego means very little life force, and too much means a dictatorial personality. Keep your ego in a healthy balance, for your own well-being as well as for those around you. Strive for wholeness. It’s an intelligent approach to life and business.

Understanding how egos work can be a great tool. Did you ever notice how you can deflate an opponent by simply saying, Yeah, whatever you say …? By doing this, you are gently assuming a no-ego position, which disarms the other person while at the same time taking the wind out of their sails. It gives you the peace of mind necessary to allow you to concentrate on something more important than dealing with someone who is playing God.

Sometimes, rather than confronting a tyrant or a psycho directly, it’s more effective to keep the knowledge to yourself and proceed accordingly, behind the scenes.

We’ve all heard the saying that knowledge is power. The intelligent use of that power is crucial in the business world, and it’s just as important in your personal life. Your mind can build castles—just make sure the foundations are in place first. You, and the people around you, will be grateful for that.

Keep Critics in Perspective

In any job, you will be criticized at some point. Let’s face it: Nobody but a total masochist wants to be criticized.

There is constructive criticism, and then there is destructive criticism. Here’s how to assess both types:

1. First of all, consider the source. Should this person’s opinion even matter to you?

2. If it does matter to you, take a few minutes to consider whether anything helpful can result from the criticism. Others can often see things that we have overlooked. Use their keen eyes to your advantage.

3. Critics serve their purpose. Sometimes they serve a larger purpose, and sometimes they serve their own purpose.American Idol judge Simon Cowell can be critical of the performers on the program, but he’s fair and he’s honest, and I don’t think American Idol would work without him. Simon was nice enough to compliment The Apprentice in an interview. I think it’s absolutely fantastic, he told the Daily News. I think [Trump] is superb on the show. He’s not hamming it up. He’s just playing himself and that’s very hard to do on television. As I said, Simon is a fair and honest critic, and I am a fan of his.

4. Everyone has an opinion. In most cases, it’s not worth the paper it’s written on.

5. If the opinion is worth the paper it’s written on, and it’s written in a paper people are buying and reading, then realize that if people didn’t find you interesting enough for public consumption, they wouldn’t be taking the time to criticize you. Think of their criticism as a compliment, proof of your significance.

Homework Is Required and There Will Be a Test

People who think achieving success is a linear A-to-Z process, a straight shot to the top, simply aren’t in touch with reality. There are very few bona fide overnight success stories. It just doesn’t work that way.

Success appears to happen overnight because we all see stories in newspapers and on TV about previously unknown people who suddenly become famous. But consider a sequoia tree that has been growing for several hundred years. Just because a television crew one day decides to do a story about that tree doesn’t mean it didn’t exist before.

In 1955, Glenn Gould, the classical pianist from Toronto, rocketed to international fame by recording Bach’s Goldberg Variations. He was young and unusual, but he had already been practicing the piano for close to twenty years. He may have seemed like an overnight sensation to the general public, but anyone who’s been working at something for twenty years isn’t likely to agree with that assessment.

I have to admit that my knowledge of classical music is limited, but from what little I’ve read on the subject, I know that the process of becoming a classical musician is a long and demanding one. The amount of practice hours required to master an instrument is astounding, and also never ending. How do they do it? I’m not sure, but I would guess that passion plays a large part.

Every industry and profession has its bottom line for what is required to succeed. If you can’t stand to practice every day, being a musician is out of the question. If you hate to exercise, being an athlete is not for you.