was good, but I’m just getting warmed up” as a way to keep
yourself challenged. The best achievers are those who are self-
motivated, who are naturally curious, and who don’t need to be
told what to do next. Strive to be that kind of person. Entrepre-
neurs are driven by their own inner forces, and it’s a great way of
life as well as a great approach to life.
What lies within us? Hopefully, a lot of great ideas and plans
for the future as well as the innate sense of our ability to achieve
them. I think Emerson was alluding to this idea of hope in his
statement. It’s important for survival and it’s important for success.
Sometimes it is what keeps us going when the odds may not be
on our side. Don’t underestimate the power of some of the un-
seen or intangible forces in your life. Just because you can’t see
something doesn’t mean it’s not there. The first person to give you
a chance should be yourself.
So give yourself a chance—every single day. Some people re-
ally are their own worst enemy. Don’t fall into that abyss—because
that’s really what it is. Ever watched children when they are try-
ing something new? They are excited, they are eager, and they wel-
come the challenge. That’s an attitude to recapture or to try to
emulate. The enthusiasm that discovery provides is a sure way to
make sure that everything you are doing is paving the way toward
your current as well as future successes. I received a letter from my
kindergarten teacher, and she mentioned that what she remem-
bers most clearly about me is that I never stopped asking ques-
tions. I wrote back to her and informed her that some things never
change—that I still ask a lot of questions. But I said that it had
obviously served me well, and I thanked her, belatedly, for her pa-
tience many years ago. Every one of my questions was the begin-
ning of the next one.
So here’s one for you: If you had nothing at all to do, what
would you do? And after you did that, what would you do? And
DONALD J. TRUMP