Originally published July 2020.

Welcome to Screw U — also known as “The Real World” or “The School Of Hard Knocks."

Class is now in session...

Your instructor today is Robert Ringer, author of the classic 1973 business & personal growth book, “Winning Through Intimidation.”

To put things in perspective... marketing legend, Dan Kennedy, has said that this is one of the “three most influential books” he has ever read. From Dan:

“This is a street-smart guy telling it like it is. Many people tell me they find the book— or at just its title without reading the book — offensive. When I hear that, I fear for their chances at survival. Success is a bare-knuckles business. Read Ringer.”

In this book, Robert shares the success secrets he learned while closing deals as a commercial real estate broker in the 60s.

His philosophy — welded in the fires of real world experience — include things like:

• “You have no legal, moral, or logical reason to ‘Work your way through the ranks’”

• “Staying positive is easier when you realize that success or failure is largely out of your control and only a small percentage of deals close.”

But today, we’re going to focus on 2 of his biggest ideas...

Which may help you to (1) ease your fear of death, and (2) get things done (or “get paid”)...

Get ready because here we go:

1. The 30 Year Theory

Accepting reality includes accepting death.

This process is difficult, but healthy.

Assume you’ve got — give or take — 30 years to “get on with it.”

Maybe there’s an afterlife, but consider that a bonus.

There’s no time to “play it safe.”

So, make this life a great one.

2. The Ice Ball Theory

Robert recalls reading a science book in school that said the sun will burn out in 50 billion years…

With no light or heat, the earth would turn into a giant ice ball.

This idea may be scary at first…

But then, it can also be liberating.

Knowing this can put things into perspective…

It allows you to:

• Avoid taking yourself too seriously

• Have some fun

• And take some big risks while trying to win at this strange game of life

After all if a deal doesn’t close... or you suffer an embarrassing moment…

What could it possibly matter in an “ice ball” future?

Embrace it all.