By Jeffrey A. Rendall
Donald Trump has already displayed greatness in his presidency. What keeps him going?
“Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
This paraphrased quote comes from several sources and is a slight deviation from one of Mark Twain’s famous and insightful pearls of wisdom, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Whatever its origin, the statement deals with the internal motivation – or lack thereof — each of us feels upon starting a new day, be it the inspiration to do something great… or simply survive until tomorrow.
Much has been written over the past ten years about the once-in-a-lifetime positive outlook of Donald J. Trump, a man who doesn’t run low on energy, reportedly needs very little sleep and never seems bothered by opposition or antagonism. At least not in public. Trump appears to have ingrained the “Never let them see you sweat” lesson offered by the old Dry Idea deodorant commercial. The grander the occasion, the more Trump is ready for it.
Trump is a natural frontman. If it could be said that leaders are born and not made, then the career real estate developer, tabloid celebrity and reality TV star-turned first-time politician-turned president of the United States owes a lot to his bloodlines. While it’s always fascinating to study the early childhood lives of great people (men and women both), it usually becomes clear from such searching that greatness itself just develops naturally in some fortunate individuals.
Even so, like everyone else, great people need a reason to carry on. One great man, who just happens to be the number one ranked professional golfer in the world at current, recently clarified his thoughts on what makes him tick.
In an article titled, “Scottie Scheffler’s take on success in golf: ‘What’s the point?’”, Paolo Ugetti reported at ESPN.com:
“On the brink of a tournament that could get Scottie Scheffler to four major wins and three of the four legs of the career Grand Slam at age 29, the unquestioned best player in the world said [last week] that he doesn’t find true fulfillment in winning.
“’This is not a fulfilling life,’ Scheffler said. ‘It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.’
“Scheffler has won two Masters, added a third major when he won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow this year and has 16 career wins since turning professional. He has, in the past, talked at length about not rooting his identity in golf despite acknowledging how badly he wants to win every time he tees it up. ‘That’s something that I wrestle with on a daily basis,’ Scheffler said at Royal Portrush, where the Open Championship [was played last weekend].”
One wonders whether Scheffler’s attitude changed as a result of the tournament itself, where America’s best golfer steamrolled the field to win The Open by four shots. He now has won three of the game’s four majors and looks practically unstoppable. Few players outside of game legends like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer or Tiger Woods reach a point where they expect to win every time they play. No one ever gets there, of course, but part of being “great” includes developing and nurturing a sense of invincibility that carries them through the disappointments and heartaches that competition at the highest level will inevitably bring.
No one is perfect. Isn’t there a famous saying that goes along with that, too? “You can’t win ‘em all”?
Yet despite his long exposure to different types of competitions, like Scottie Scheffler, it seems like Donald Trump expects to win every time, and he possesses the self-assurance to approach each new challenge or trial as though he’s got what it takes to emerge victorious regardless of the impediments. Observers might suggest the recent passage and signing of the president’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act is a prime example of Trump’s faith and dogged determination coming through once again.
In Trump’s mind, he’s never lost – at anything. If you need a primer on why Trump never conceded defeat in the 2020 election, look no further than the basic fact he assumes he won’t lose if the contest is fair and the playing field isn’t tilted by sinister actors to cook the result in their favor.
Greatness begets greatness, as do other character traits that born leaders embody. General-turned-first-president George Washington somehow commanded his badly untrained and undermanned army and led them to victory against the greatest empire of its time, a force that was practically unstoppable the world over.
Then Washington was elected the new nation’s first president and set precedents that still survive to this day, the most important of which was the willingness to voluntarily surrender power when the greatest Founder could’ve easily been elected for life at the mere posing of the question.
Washington isn’t around to ask, and he left few writings to help contemporary Americans understand what made him “tick”, but golfer Scottie Scheffler offered clues as to his own internal guide. Again, from Ugetti’s report, Scheffler said of winning:
“You win it, you celebrate, get to hug my family, my sister’s there, it’s such an amazing moment. Then it’s like, OK, what are we going to eat for dinner? Life goes on… It feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes….
“If I come in second this week or if I finish dead last, no matter what happens, we’re always on to the next week. That’s one of the beautiful things about golf, and it’s also one of the frustrating things, because you can have such great accomplishments, but the show goes on. That’s just how it is.”
This is where sports differ from real life and the surreal near-fantasy existence of American politics. Trump views politics almost like a proverbial zero-sum game, where losing could mean destruction and an end to something important, the American way of life. Trump has used the unchecked illegal immigration emergency under his predecessor as an example of how America was being transformed by invaders who’d overwhelmed the borders.
Golfers, even the great ones, do experience a feeling of “what’s the point?” when going from tournament to tournament. Tiger Woods won four major championships in a row over the course of two seasons (2000-2001), but a quarter-century later, does anyone dwell on it? Serbian Tennis legend Novak Djokovic took over the career lead in majors won in his sport… but near the twilight of his career now… will he ever capture another one?
Scheffler was clearly saying that he plays golf because that’s what he’s worked hard to do his whole life – and he participates to win — but he derives satisfaction from being with his family. His sentiment is not alone among his playing contemporaries, either. Golf’s career majors record holder, Jack Nicklaus, said many times that he tried to work his schedule around his family requirements. Family is where the satisfaction is.
This is a healthy perspective in life. President Trump clearly values his family time as well, but it also seems like he views the presidency as a means to change or improve government policies so all Americans can lead a better existence free of government interference. Trump’s trade and tax positions are geared towards ensuring that hard-working Americans can enjoy the fruit of their labor.
An elected official isn’t like an athlete – it can’t be all about collecting trophies and enjoying the moment and then just moving on to the next challenge.
“Loving what he does” – and not working a day in his life – is part of Donald Trump’s daily approach. A good portion of what makes Trump successful is the fact that representing the American people is what he enjoys doing. The endless days, the constant demands, the petty bickering among friends and foes alike… it’s got to be exhausting.
Yet the tasks and duties and challenge is what Trump appears to enjoy the most from his job, which, by the way, he performs for free. I doubt Trump would describe being president as “fun” at all times, but it’s not arduous, either. He even appears to relish meeting with the media and answering their questions. Why make the daily routine a drag?
Both athletes and politicians seem to love their professions, and the completion of one tournament or political issue invariably leads to another one. It’s not work to them. The moral of the story? Enjoy the moment – the victories and the triumphs and everything else. But derive satisfaction from the things that touch the deepest recesses of your heart.
Scottie Scheffler interview: