Don't Let Setbacks Stop Your Momentum

Don't Let Setbacks Stop Your Momentum

By Donald J. Trump

“The bigger your business, the bigger your life, the bigger your problems are likely to be. Being prepared for that will save you a lot of emotional turmoil . . .” - Donald J. Trump

I feel strongly about the importance of wholeness. It's a combination of all the components of life that make us healthy, happy, and productive. To my mind, the opposite of wholeness is failure. If it happens, and sometimes it does, the best remedy is to move forward, to realize that failure is not permanent, and to immediately focus in the right direction. Ultimately, a solution will show up.

I don't mean to sound like a faith healer, but there is something profound and yet simple about viewing failure as a lack of wholeness. I will also add that it's effective. Believing that a negative situation is temporary and wrong will give you the impetus to do something about it, to feel righteous and energetic about fixing it. Being unhappy and unproductive is simply not part of my game plan, and it shouldn't be part of yours, either. See a situation as unacceptable, as taking you away from wholeness, and you will be motivated to get out of it as quickly as possible.

When I had a financial setback in the early 1990s, I saw it more as an aberration from the norm than as a final sentence. I knew what it was like to be whole, and all I had to do was get back to that place. I felt that a comeback was what was expected of me, and I expected it of myself. All I had to do was take the next step and get my momentum going again, which is what I did. It didn't happen overnight, but eventually things started to sort themselves out.

I've seen some people get completely swallowed up by failures. The worst thing you can do to yourself is to believe that bad luck is your due. It isn't! It's not just intelligence or luck that gets us places, it's tenacity in the face of adversity. Some people see problems as bad luck, but I don't. Problems are a part of life and a big part of business. The bigger your business, the bigger your life, the bigger your problems are likely to be. Being prepared for that will save you a lot of emotional turmoil, unnecessary deliberating, and even illness.

I've known people who have come back not just from adversity but from tragedy. There's adversity and then there's tragedy. Thinking about both is a good way to get an objective view of what you may think your problems are. Your situation may be tough, but you can bet others have had far worse things to deal with. One way to pave your way for a comeback (or for a first victory) is to read about people who have been courageous against long odds. My guess is they felt they had an obligation to succeed, and in some cases, an obligation to survive. That's how I feel. I had the privilege of a great family and a great education, and I am serious about honoring those privileges -- which means expecting the best from myself.

You can have the same attitude, no matter what your situation or background. When failure comes your way, you must believe that you matter, that you can overcome it, and most importantly, that success is what is expected of you. You'd be surprised at what you can accomplish when that's your attitude. It's not just survival, it's not just success, it is your obligation. A sense of duty toward wholeness will go a long way toward your personal and professional success.

What I learned at the time of my worst financial problems is that I was resilient and that I had this indomitable sense of success that couldn't be taken from me no matter what the newspapers said. That brings me to another level of thought, which is faith. Faith is a bit like wisdom. People can help you along the way with it but above all you have to develop it yourself. Faith in yourself can prove to be a very powerful force. Work on it daily. Sometimes when you're fighting a lonely battle, keeping yourself company with positive reinforcement and faith in yourself can be the invisible power that separates the winners from the losers. Losers give up.

In summary . . .

Strive for wholeness, believe in yourself, keep your momentum at full throttle, and be strong and tough in your resilience. Don't expect anything less than that from yourself, and I can assure you that success will become a permanent situation for you, even when your external circumstances may not show it.

Never Give Up!