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AUTHOR ROBERT GREENE’s books on power and influence, 48 Laws of Power and 33 Strategies of War, have been bestsellers.

Another, The 50th Law, which he co-authored with rapper 50 Cent, focuses on fear.

Greene and Fifty say that conquering fear ultimately has to do with reversal — turning the tables and deliberately putting yourself into difficult situations. In fact a brush of death can even have a “positive, therapeutic effect” — something that 50 Cent knows a lot about.

Robert Greene gave us permission to re-publish the key points from The 50th Law.

1. See things for what they are – intense realism.

Reality can be rather harsh. Your days are numbered. It takes constant effort to carve a place for yourself in this ruthlessly competitive world and hold on to it. People can be treacherous. They bring endless battles into your life. Your task is to resist the temptation to wish it were all different; instead you must fearlessly accept these circumstances, even embrace them.

By focusing your attention on what is going on around you, you will gain a sharp appreciation for what makes some people advance and others fall behind. By seeing through people’s manipulations, you can turn them around. The firmer your grasp on reality, the more power you will have to alter it for your purposes.

2. Make everything your own.

When you work for others, you are at their mercy. They own your work; they own you. Your creative spirit is squashed. What keeps you in such positions is a fear of having to sink or swim on your own. Instead you should have a greater fear of what will happen to you if you remain dependent on others for power.

Your goal in every manoeuvre in life must be ownership, working the corner for yourself. When it is yours, it is yours to lose — you are more motivated, more creative, more alive. The ultimate power in life is to be completely self-reliant, completely yourself.

3. Opportunism.

Every negative situation contains the possibility for something positive, an opportunity. It is how you look at it that matters. Our lack of resources can be an advantage, forcing you to be more inventive with the little that you have. Losing a battle can allow you to frame yourself as the sympathetic underdog. Do not let fears make you wait for a better moment or become conservative. If there are circumstances you cannot control, make the best of them. It is the ultimate alchemy to transform all such negatives into advantages and power.

4. Keep moving – calculated momentum.

In the present there is constant change and so much we cannot control. If you try to micromanage it all, you lose even greater control in the long run. The answer is to let go and move with the chaos that presents itself to you — from within it, you will find endless opportunities that elude most people. Don’t give others the chance to pin you down; keep moving and changing your appearances to fit the environment. If you encounter walls or boundaries, slip around them. Do not let anything disrupt your flow.

5. Know when to be bad – aggression.

You will always find yourself among the aggressive and the passive aggressive who seek to harm you in some way. You must get over any general fears you have of confronting people or you will find it extremely difficult to assert yourself in the face of those who are more cunning and ruthless.

Before it is too late you must master the art of knowing when and how to be bad — using deception, manipulation, and outright force at the appropriate moments. Everyone operates with a flexible morality when it comes to their self-interest — you are simply making this more conscious and effective.

6. Lead from the front – authority.

In any group, the person on top conspicuously or inconspicuously sets the tone. If leaders are fearful, hesitant to take any risks, or overly concerned for their ego and reputation, then this invariably filters its way through the entire group and makes effective action impossible.

Complaining and haranguing people to work harder has a counterproductive effect. You must adopt the opposite style; imbue your troops with the proper spirit through your actions, not words. They see you working harder than anyone, holding yourself to the highest standards, taking risks with confidence, and making tough decisions. This inspires and binds this group together. In these democratic times, you must practice what you preach.

7. Know your environment from the inside out – connection.

Most people think first of what they want to express or make, then find the audience for their idea. You must work the opposite angle, thinking first of the public. You need to keep your focus on their changing needs, the trends that are washing through them. Beginning with their demand, you create the appropriate supply.

Do not be afraid of people’s criticisms— without such feedback your work will be too personal and delusional. You must maintain as close a relationship to your environment as possible, getting an inside ‘feel’ for what is happening around you. Never lose touch with your base.

8. Respect the process – mastery.

The fools in life want things fast and easy — money, success, attention. Boredom is their great enemy and fear. Whatever they manage to get slips through their hands as fast as it comes in. You, on the other hand, want to outlast your rivals. You are building the foundation for something that can continue to expand.

To make this happen, you will have to serve an apprenticeship. You must learn early on to endure the hours of practice and drudgery, knowing that in the end all of that time will translate into a higher pleasure — mastery of a craft and of yourself. Your goal is to reach the ultimate skill level — an intuitive feel for what must come next.

9. Push beyond your limits – self-belief.

Your sense of who you are will determine your actions and what you end up getting in life. If you see your reach as limited, that you are mostly helpless in the face of so many difficulties, that it is best to keep your ambitions low, then you will receive the little that you expect. Knowing this dynamic, you must train yourself for the opposite — ask for more, aim high, and believe that you are destined for something great.

Your sense of self-worth comes from you alone — never the opinion of others. With a rising confidence in your abilities, you will take risks that will increase your chances of success. People follow those who know where they are going, so cultivate an air of certainty and boldness.

10. Confront your mortality – the sublime.

In the face of our inevitable mortality we can do one of two things. We can attempt to avoid the thought at all costs, clinging to the illusion that we have all the time in the world. Or we can confront this reality, accept and even embrace it, converting our consciousness of death into something positive and active.

In adopting such a fearless philosophy, we gain a sense of proportion, become able to separate what is truly important. Knowing our days are numbered, we have a sense of urgency and mission. We can appreciate life all the more for its impermanence. If we can overcome the fear of Death, then there is nothing left to fear.

Did you find any particular one of the above tips helpful/inspiring? Let us know in the comments below…