Page 108 - Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success

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D ON ’ T L ET F EAR S TOP Y OU

The next day was Saturday, which ends up being a marathon
day for everyone. We ran through the show for a live audience of
three hundred people. This was considered to be the dress
rehearsal, and the skits that are most popular with this audience
will make the final show. That’s when I learned that we
wouldn’t know what skits would be in the live show, or their
order, until about a half hour before appearing live. I’m someone
who likes having things in order and ready to go, no matter what
it might be, this news hit me with a strange sense of surprise.
I’m used to having and studying blueprints for a long time, for
example. Being well prepared for critical meetings has been one
of the secrets to my success. Just think, some of the skits we had
rehearsed for two days would be cut out completely, including, it
turned out, one of my favorites where I played a romance novel-
ist. All the preparations for those skits would be null and void.
Then we’d have a new running order and no time to get ready
for it. I was in for an exciting time, that’s for sure.
I had to take a deep breath and realize that I just might be in
over my head. This was big time, with a huge live audience to
watch me as well as being on tape for history to see. My photo
would go up on the wall in the halls of the legendary show. What
if I flopped? Forgot my lines? Forgot the lyrics to the song I had
to learn in five minutes? Put on the wrong costume? Looked like
an idiot instead of a respected real estate developer? Believe me,
you can have a lot of thoughts at critical moments like these. So
if you’ve ever felt that way, know you’re in some good company.
Here’s my advice—get to it and go on with the show!
That’s what I did, and beginning with the monologue, I
have to say it was a night I’ll always remember. Everyone had a
good time, from the wardrobe people to the Saturday Night Live
pros, to the audiences, both live and at home, and to the musi-
cians who made sure we were ready to go on when the time
came. Here’s the best part—I had a fantastic time, and an expe-
rience that was worth every nagging thought and fear of failure

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