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I S T H E P R O B L E M A B L I P O R A C A T A S T R O P H E ?

Being $9 billion in debt taught me to maintain my focus and
momentum at all times. That was an expensive lesson! And at that
steep price, I either had to learn or go out of business; so I
learned—a great deal.
I discovered that I had allowed myself to be diverted. I had
loosened my grip and relaxed my control. I lost my focus and
before I knew it, I was facing my worst nightmare. As soon as I
seemed vulnerable, everyone piled on. I had to get out from
under all my problems and find some room to breathe. So I
returned to the basics, focused on my business, and discovered
what went wrong. I pulled back, analyzed my mistakes, and
learned from them so that I could move forward.

EXPECT PROBLEMS

I always expect problems. Rarely is anything that’s worth doing
problem free. Sometimes I feel like Sisyphus, condemned to push
a boulder uphill for eternity. I just keep pushing, shoulder to
boulder, moving forward; I don’t give up. My focus is intense, and
I’ve learned from demanding situations that have made me
strong.
You also have to learn when to quit and when to move for-
ward. This can be tricky because a fine line frequently exists
between acceptance and resignation. Since everyone makes mis-
takes, try to be understanding when other people fail. Don’t
immediately give up on them; you wouldn’t want others to
write you off without a fair chance. The fine line widens when
you find out that someone is a scoundrel or incompetent and
will never change. When that’s the case, break off the relation-
ship, cut your losses, and eliminate that person from your life.

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