The Philosophy of Donald J.
Trump, on Facing Challenges
Carlos Cardoso Aveline
“Every day is a new adventure.
There are no guarantees.”
(Donald J. Trump)
Do we want to calmly face reality as it evolves, with its daily instabilities and hourly turns of events? A few sentences from a book by Donald J. Trump help us accept old and basic facts:
“Life is not always going to turn out the way you expect. Every day is a new adventure. There are no guarantees. You can never know what is going to come at you, and sometimes it is pretty horrible. You have to be strong to survive, and you can never give in without a fight. Quitters do not stand a chance.”[1]
Students of esoteric philosophy may take a few lessons from these words.
The study of Theosophy includes the search for truth regarding both the higher and lower realms of life. It is not merely a logical process, for it has to be an existential journey. You must gradually die for ignorance, often painfully, and slowly get born again with a little more wisdom. You are invited to do both things at the same time during your present incarnation and while preserving your physical and emotional health.
One of the secrets of the journey is that, if you want to look for truth, you have to be in syntony with it. You must build an affinity with truth in the first place. Being truthful and loyal means you are in tune with truth. However, you will not be surrounded all the time by all kinds of loyal people. There will be challenges. What about the theosophical lodges worldwide?
The nominal theosophical movement may include false persons, but the real movement is much smaller, for it is made of deeply loyal individuals only.
Every student has therefore to undergo an alchemical process during which he learns to identify illusion in himself, and leaves it aside. Progress is gradual. This is a long-standing battle which renews itself each day, and “quitters to not stand a chance”.
Trump says the apprentice should ask himself this question: “What am I pretending not to see?” And he explains:
“We can all get swept up in the euphoria of a creative moment, or what former president Richard Nixon’s speechwriters used to call ‘the lift of a dream’. Before the dream lifts you into the clouds, make sure you’ve looked hard at the facts on the ground.” [2]
Be Optimistic, But Be
Prepared for the Worst
It is not difficult to see an energy of the first ray of the Logos in what Donald Trump has to say. One’s inner energy is not in appearances. The path to wisdom is a probationary road. Obstacles are there for some reason. They have something to teach you. Will-power is a major guiding force in esoteric philosophy, and Trump says:
“There are a lot of ups and downs, but you can ride them out if you’re prepared for them. Learning to expect problems saved me from a lot of wasted energy, and it will save you from unexpected surprises. It’s like Wall Street; it’s like life. The ups and downs are inevitable, so simply try to be prepared for them.”
“Sometimes I’ll ask myself why I want to take on some new, big challenge. A substantial loss is always a possibility. Can I handle it if it doesn’t go well? Will I be asking myself later, “Why did I ever do that? What was I thinking?” I’m actually a very cautious person, which is different from being a pessimistic person. Call it positive thinking with a lot of reality checks.” [3]
The energy of the first ray both teaches and requires a strong will-power. You must remember you can best strengthen your will by fulfilling three conditions:
(A) Having a noble goal,
(B) Giving up comfort, and
(C) Having courage here and now and a long-term persistence as you confront the obstacles along the path.
NOTES:
[1] “Think Big”, by Donald J. Trump and Bill Zanker, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, N.Y., USA, copyright 2007, 367 pages, see page 66.
[2] From the book “How to Get Rich”, by Donald Trump, with Meredith McIver, BBC Books, Penguin, London, UK, Copyright 2004, 252 pp., see p. 17. The title of this book does not define it. It deserves a reading between the lines. All books by Trump are very much the same as regards the subject matter. They share Trump’s personal experience in life, which seems to be shallow on the surface, but is deeper – beneath it.
[3] From the book “How to Get Rich”, by Donald Trump, with Meredith McIver, BBC Books, Penguin, London, UK, Copyright 2004, 252 pp., see p. 56.
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“Efficiency in the Art of Living” was published in the websites of the Independent Lodge of Theosophists on 20 October 2024. An initial version of the article is part of the September 2024 edition of “Aquarian Theosophist”, pp. 3-4. The quotation used in its last part, “Be Optimistic, But Be Prepared for the Worst”, can also be found in the October 2024 edition of “The Aquarian”, p. 5.
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Read more:
* Give Your Higher Self a Chance (by Donald J. Trump).
* Other writings of Carlos Cardoso Aveline.
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Helena Blavatsky (photo) wrote these revealing words: “Deserve, then desire”.
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