Trump on Trump: Quotes From “The Donald,” Part I

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Trump on Trump: Quotes From “The Donald,” Part I

Donald Trump

Love him or hate him, there’s no ignoring Donald Trump. Over the decades he’s made and lost major fortunes, known great success and abject failure, been hailed as a visionary and condemned as an ego-maniacal fool. His business empire, originally centering on Manhattan real estate, now includes hotels and buildings nationwide; international licensing of Trump properties; the private Palm Beach club, Mar-A-Lago; the role of executive producer (and star) of the mega-hit NBC reality show, The Apprentice; ownership of the Miss Universe Organization; and a whole lot more. Trump’s personal life—filled with high-profile romantic complications and well-reported feuds—has been open to public scrutiny for decades.

Pugnacious and voluble, Trump has plenty to say about Trump—and about his work methods, tips for success, and general outlook. Here’s the first of two batches of Donald Trump quotes for your enjoyment and learning (I’ve given my very favorite quote the No. 1 position):

As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, think big.
Everything in life is luck.
Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you’re generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make.
I try to learn from the past, but I plan for the future by focusing exclusively on the present. That’s were the fun is.
If you’re interested in “balancing” work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable.
Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game.
Part of being a winner is knowing when enough is enough. Sometimes you have to give up the fight and walk away, and move on to something that’s more productive.
Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war.
What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate.
When somebody challenges you, fight back. Be brutal, be tough.
Without passion you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing.
You can’t know it all. No matter how smart you are, no matter how comprehensive your education, no matter how wide-ranging your experience, there is simply no way to acquire all the wisdom you need to make your business thrive.
Watch, listen, and learn. You can’t know it all yourself…anyone who thinks they do is destined for mediocrity.
People get caught up in wonderful, eye-catching pitches, but they don’t do enough to close the deal. It’s no good if you don’t make the sale. Even if your foot is in the door or you bring someone into a conference room, you don’t win the deal unless you actually get them to sign on the dotted line.
In business, I’ve discovered that my purpose is to do my best to my utmost ability every day. That’s my standard. I learned early in my life that I had high standards.