Enter Action With Boldness

Summary

In this inspiring transcript, the author reflects on the challenges he faced while writing 'The 48 Laws of Power' during a low point in his life. Despite financial struggles and initial skepticism from his girlfriend and publisher, he emphasizes the importance of boldness, confidence, and staying true to one's vision. He shares the lesson that to achieve success, one must be unafraid of failure and rejection, and instead focus on creating something unique and impactful with hard work and self-assurance.

Takeaways

• 💪 Don't fear failure, rejection, or loss; these are natural parts of the journey to success.
• 📚 The author was in a low point in life when writing 'The 48 Laws of Power', which highlights that adversity can inspire great work.
• 🤝 Collaboration with a supportive partner, Yoastelfers, was crucial in the creation of the book.
• 🔥 Embrace boldness and confidence in your ideas; this is a key to standing out and achieving success.
• 🚀 Success often comes from taking risks and being willing to stand by your unique vision, even if it's unconventional.
• 🤔 The author's girlfriend doubted the book's potential, showing that even trusted opinions can be wrong.
• 📈 The book's unique structure and form were initially met with resistance, but the author's conviction in his vision prevailed.
• 💰 A significant advance from the publisher was received, but the author was willing to return it if the book's integrity was compromised.
• 🛠 Mastery of a skill or subject is foundational to being able to take bold steps with confidence.
• 🌟 The author emphasizes the importance of hard work and dedication in addition to having a bold vision.
• 🚫 Avoid the fear of not fitting in or being different, as it can stifle creativity and lead to mediocrity.

Q & A

What was the author's situation when he wrote 'The 48 Laws of Power'?

The author was in his mid to late 30s, experiencing a low moment in his life with no significant success, living in a small apartment in Santa Monica, and feeling desperate.

Who was Yoast Meflah and what role did he play in the creation of 'The 48 Laws of Power'?

Yoast Meflah was the packager of 'The 48 Laws of Power' and a key partner to the author. He was a brilliant designer who got very excited about the book when it was pitched to him, and he played a crucial role in supporting the author's vision for the book.

What is one of the key lessons the author learned from his experiences in Hollywood?

The author learned the importance of boldness and standing out, as those who succeed are often those who are confident and take risks.

What was unique about the structure and form of 'The 48 Laws of Power'?

The book had a unique structure and form that was different from other books at the time, which included distinct sections and a layout that was not found elsewhere.

What was the initial reaction of the author's girlfriend to the manuscript of 'The 48 Laws of Power'?

The author's girlfriend was skeptical about the book's potential for success, doubting whether it would sell or be accepted by people.

What advice did the editor at Penguin give the author regarding the manuscript?

The editor suggested that the author should remove the distinct sections and make the book a continuous narrative, but the author disagreed with this advice.

What was the bold decision the author and his partner made regarding the publishing of 'The 48 Laws of Power'?

They decided to stick to their vision for the book and threatened to return the advance if the publisher did not accept the book as it was, which led to the publisher backing down.

What is the author's view on the importance of being bold in one's work?

The author believes that being bold is crucial for creating something impactful and reaching success, as it allows one to stand out and not conform to the norm.

What did the author learn about the relationship between skill and boldness from his experience writing 'The 48 Laws of Power'?

The author learned that having skill and confidence in one's abilities is essential for being bold, as it provides the foundation for taking risks and creating something unique and successful.

How does the author suggest overcoming the fear of rejection or failure?

The author suggests not being afraid of failure, rejection, or fitting in, but instead focusing on being true to oneself, being different, and putting in the hard work with confidence.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Embracing Failure and Boldness in Writing 'The 48 Laws of Power'

The speaker reflects on the challenges and mindset that led to the creation of 'The 48 Laws of Power'. Written during a period of personal struggle, the book was born out of desperation and a desire to stand out. The author emphasizes the importance of boldness and confidence, drawing from personal experiences in Hollywood and various jobs. He credits his partner, Yoast, for his support and the importance of staying true to the book's unique structure despite skepticism from others. The author's belief in the power of being different and the willingness to take risks is highlighted, as well as the potential for both failure and success that comes with such boldness.

05:02

🛠 Skill and Confidence: The Foundation for Boldness

In this paragraph, the author discusses the importance of having a solid foundation of skills and knowledge before attempting to undertake bold endeavors. He contrasts the potential failure of a young, inexperienced person attempting to write a book with his own confidence in writing 'The 48 Laws of Power', stemming from his years of experience as a journalist and his deep understanding of history. The author encourages listeners to fill themselves with energy and excitement for their ideas, while disregarding the voices that urge conformity. He stresses that true boldness comes from a place of skill and self-assurance, not naive overconfidence.

Keywords

💡Failure

Failure is the state of not achieving the desired outcome of an action or plan. In the video's context, the speaker emphasizes the importance of not being afraid of failure as a part of the creative process. He mentions that during the writing of 'The 48 Laws of Power,' he faced a low moment in his life but did not let the fear of failure stop him, which is a central theme of the video.

💡Rejection

Rejection refers to the act of refusing to accept or consider something or someone. The speaker talks about not being afraid of people rejecting you, which is a common fear that can hinder creativity and boldness. He suggests that sticking to one's guns despite potential rejection is crucial for achieving success.

💡Desperation

Desperation is a state of extreme hopelessness or need. The speaker describes a period in his life when he was in his mid to late 30s, with no real success or money, which created a sense of desperation. This feeling, however, did not deter him from pursuing his work, illustrating the video's theme of perseverance.

💡Boldness

Boldness is the quality of being brave and willing to take risks. The speaker discusses the importance of being bold in life and in his writing, as it is a key component of success. He uses the example of his book's unique structure and content, which he believed in and defended, demonstrating boldness in action.

💡Confidence

Confidence is a feeling or belief in one's abilities or qualities. The speaker mentions that confidence in oneself and one's ideas is essential. He draws from his own experience, stating that his confidence stemmed from his skills and knowledge, which allowed him to be bold in his writing.

💡Trends

Trends refer to the general direction in which something is developing or changing. The speaker warns against following trends for the sake of fitting in, suggesting that it can lead to mediocrity. Instead, he advocates for creating something unique and impactful, which is a central message of the video.

💡Impact

Impact refers to the effect or influence of one's actions or work. The speaker contrasts those who follow trends with those who have impact, implying that the latter is more desirable. He believes that being bold and different can lead to a greater impact, as evidenced by the success of his book.

💡Rebelliousness

Rebelliousness is the quality of resisting authority or control. The speaker acknowledges that his rebelliousness has both led to trouble and success in his life. He suggests that being rebellious can be a path to originality and success, as long as it is informed by skill and knowledge.

💡Weirdness

Weirdness refers to the quality of being strange or unusual. The speaker mentions his own 'weirdness' as a source of both non-success and eventual success. He uses the term to describe the unique approach he took in writing his book, which set it apart from others and contributed to its success.

💡Skill

Skill is the ability to do something well, usually gained through training or experience. The speaker emphasizes the importance of having skill as a foundation for boldness. He believes that his years of experience and learning gave him the confidence to take risks in his writing.

💡Mastery

Mastery is the state of being an expert in a particular field or activity. The speaker mentions 'Mastery' as a key component of success, suggesting that it is not just about being bold but also about having a deep understanding and proficiency in one's work.

Highlights

Don't be afraid of failure, rejection, or losing.

Author was in a low moment in life with no success or money when writing '48 Laws of Power'.

Yoastelfers, the packager of '48 Laws of Power', played a crucial role in the book's creation.

One of the laws of power is to interact with boldness.

Successful people stand out, are bold, and have confidence.

Following trends may sell a book or movie but lacks impact.

Author felt boldness and excitement while writing '48 Laws of Power'.

The unique structure and form of '48 Laws of Power' set it apart from other books.

Author's girlfriend doubted the book's success, but was proven wrong.

Penguin's editor suggested changes, but the author remained true to his vision.

Author and partner considered returning the advance to maintain the book's integrity.

Being bold can lead to either failure or great success.

Author emphasizes the importance of being bold and sticking to your guns.

Fear of fitting in or rejection withers the soul and leads to mediocrity.

Author encourages being yourself, focusing on what makes you different, and being bold.

Confidence in one's skills and ideas is crucial for boldness.

Author had 20 years of experience and skills to back up his boldness in writing the book.

Having the skill and a great idea, along with energy and excitement, is key to success.

Author advises to ignore voices trying to make you fit in or be like others.

Transcripts

don't be afraid of failure don't be

afraid of losing don't be afraid of

people rejecting you stick to your guns

at the time I wrote the 48 Laws of Power

I was at a very low moment in my life

I've talked about it before I was in my

mid to late 30s I had no real success in

life and I was I didn't really have I

had no money I was living in a small

little apartment in Santa Monica

and so there was a bit of desperation

there but when it came to writing this

book and I I had a partner who saved my

life basically yoastelfers who was the

packager of the 48 Laws of Power a

brilliant man a great designer when I

pitched the book to him he got very

excited

but I had learned in life

you know one of the laws of power is

interaction with boldness right

that I had Learned in Life in my

experiences in Hollywood and all the 80

different jobs that people who really

succeed stand out they're bold they have

cojones to use an expression there you

know what I mean yeah right they you

know and it applies to women too

um you know they they they're confident

they feel strong about themselves they

have a point to reach those who are

trying to follow all the Trends they

might sell a book they might make a

movie but they don't have impact right

so I started writing the 48 Laws of

Power and I know power is power is that

boldness itself right and I'm feeling it

as I'm riding and I'm doing all these

research and I'm getting very excited

and I'm kind of creating

what turns out to be a very weird book

and the structure and the form there's

no other book out there like that for

better or worse the way it looks

literally on a page but I'm doing it

it's just who I am right and at a point

is reached

where my girlfriend at the time was

looking at it and she was going you know

Robert I don't know if this is going to

sell really I don't know if people

they're going no she's usually always

right and I trust her opinion but she

was wrong that one time no it's gonna

work

if it doesn't work I don't care I tried

I did my best and then when we turned

the book in to the publisher of the

penguin the editor who's a very smart

woman she's saying Robert this book is a

little bit strange I think what you need

to do is I think you need to get rid of

all of those sections that you have and

make it just kind of one continuous

narrative I go no way that's not the

book I've written right yeah and it

restructure is your signature yeah yeah

and we've been given a very large

Advance at the time you know after the

name numbers but for me it was huge

amount and so I talked to yoast my

partner who as I said was extremely

helpful wonderful man I said look

if they don't want this book we'll

return the advance we'll find somebody

else who buys it the way it is wow which

was a very bold act on our part right

and we said that to them and they backed

down

right so for better or worse because

it's gotten me a lot of trouble in life

I'm not trying to say I'm some Paragon

that everyone should follow me my

rebelliousness and my weirdness has

gotten me in a lot of trouble before it

led to a lot of non-success but I

understood that if you're going to make

something and you want to reach the

Stars you want to hit the gold you know

get the pot of gold at the end you want

to really strike it rich you have to be

bold you have to so that book could

either be an abysmal failure which is

very likely could have been or it will

be a great success and

um I tell people this all the time I

think it's a very important lesson to

have

don't be afraid of failure don't be

afraid of losing don't be afraid of

people rejecting you right stick to your

guns if your motivation is always

crammed and oh I want to fit in oh they

might not like me oh this book this

might be too different oh my podcast

might not be like other people that fear

it just Withers the soul it makes what

you create just like everything else out

there it leads to all the kind of boring

crap that's out that's populating yeah

our media right but when you think no

I'm gonna be myself I'm gonna mind

what's different about me I'm going to

be bold and confident I'm going to be

very I'm going to put a lot of work into

it it's not going to be like I'm going

to do anything but it worked very hard

but I I feel confident about this if you

bold Mastery the book Mastery is a key

component of that

so it's not just so when I wrote the 48

Laws of Power I had 20 years of

experience behind me with all kinds of

jobs Bad Bosses

I took I was a journalist for many years

I learned how to write I developed real

skill so I could be bold because I felt

confident I knew I had real skill I knew

I had learned a lot about history and

life that I could do this if I was just

23 or 24 thinking wow I'm the greatest

piece of that ever thing that ever would

walk the planet Earth I can write this

book it would have failed I had the

boldness because I knew I had the skill

so if you know you have the skill you

know you have a great idea just fill

yourself up with energy and excitement

about it and stop listening to so many

Piggly little petty voices around you

trying to tell you to fit in and be like

other people