Then, the real estate market crashed. I owed billions upon billions of dollars--$9.2 billion, to be exact. That's nine billion, two hundred million dollars. I've told this story many times before, but it bears repeating: in the midst of the crash, I passed a beggar on the street and realized he was worth $9.2 billion more than I was.
There are times when you should move on, and situations in which the only way up is out.
Learning is a new beginning we can give ourselves every day.
In some ways, it's easier to buy a skyscraper than a small house in a bad section of Brooklyn. Either way, you'll probably need financing, and most people would rather invest in a great building than a dilapidated duplex on a dangerous street. With the skyscraper, if you hit, at least you hit big. And if you don't hit, what's the difference between losing $100000 or hundreds of millions of dollars? Either way, you've lost, so you might as well have really gone for it.
If you're going to think, think big. If you're going to live, live large.
Storytelling is a skill, so work on it. It's helpful to listen to comedians. The good ones can teach you the art of great timing.
I'm a tough-minded optimist. I learned a long time ago that my productivity was increased by a large percentage simply by learning to let go of negativity in all forms as quickly as I could. My commitment to excellence is thorough--so thorough that it negates the wavelength of negativity immediately. I used to have to zap negativity mentally. By now, it just bounces off me within a moment of getting near me.
I don't have time to encourage as many people as I would like to, but whenever it seems appropriate, I recommend The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale, one of my father's favorite books, and mine, too. Some people may think it's old fashioned, but what Peale has written will always be true. He advocates faith over fear. Faith can overcome the paralysis that fear brings with it.
Keep a book of inspiring quotes nearby, so you can change a negative wavelength the moment it descends on you.
Know everything you can about what you're doing. -- Fred Trump
He who looks outside his own heart dreams, he who looks inside his own heart awakens. -- Carl Jung
Exciting is a dull word for the business we're in. -- Fred Trump
Continuous effort-not strength or intelligence-is the key to unlocking our potential. --Winston Churchill
There are no short cuts to anywhere worth going. -- Beverly Sills