Page 109 - Think Like a Champion
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                                                      DONALD J. TRUMP
                                 had to take a few detours along the way, but what will help you
                                 the most is to be prepared for them. Interesting things have
                                 happened to people when they’ve taken side trips, planned or
                                 otherwise.
                                    I was scheduled to make a short appearance on a boat in New
                                 York City and then to get off before it took an evening long cruise
                                 around Manhattan. The boat was full of happy and excited peo-
                                 ple, and the festivities were just starting to begin, but I had other
                                 plans in midtown,and I was getting ready to leave when I noticed
                                 that the boat had already left the dock and was in the middle of
                                 the river. I wasn’t too happy about this turn of events, but there
                                 wasn’t much I could do about it except to adjust my mood and
                                 accept a cruise around my favorite city as an unexpected adven-
                                 ture. What happened is that I had the opportunity to talk with a
                                 variety of people while having some great ideas at the same time.
                                 New York City is beautiful when it’s lit up at night and it turned
                                 out to be a very pleasant evening for everyone. If I had perceived
                                 the situation as a misadventure, I don’t think I would have had
                                 some of the creative ideas that came to me, or as much fun.
                                    This is a simple example of an unanticipated event that turned
                                 into a positive memory. I had plans that were business related that
                                 had to be changed, but it wasn’t the end of the world. It was a blip,
                                 not a catastrophe. When these things happen to you, whether they
                                 be big or small events, remember that your perception of their
                                 magnitude will play a big part in what you can reap from them.
                                 We’ve all heard the term “go with the flow,” and in my case, that’s
                                 what I had to do unless I wanted to jump overboard and attempt
                                 to swim the Hudson River at night. Sometimes common sense
                                 will intervene, too.
                                    Carefully planning your way to success is a sure way to achieve
                                 your goals, and that approach should never be underestimated. Just
                                 remember that you need to be patient and persevering and to


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