“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so you shall become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.”

James Allen

Photo by matthewvenn

We all have our own opinions on George W. Bush and his presidency. Whether you like him or can’t stand him, you have to give the man some credit because there are plenty of lessons he has indirectly taught the world. All of these life lessons are positive and can help you succeed in life. If you’re open-minded you may have already picked up on some of these.

1. Choose the right people

Many in Washington have criticized President Bush for the people he has recommended for positions such as Secretary of State and who he chose to be his running mate in his campaign. Mostly because of the people he chose have brought more problems than they’ve fixed.

Make sure you do the opposite of President Bush. Whether you’re in the business world or any other part of the world, choose and surround yourself with people that will only bring you positivity. You’ll become like the people you hang around with, so choose wisely.

2. Get the facts first

President Bush jumped the gun with Iraq. He and his administration thought that there was WMD’s hidden somewhere in Iraq. They should have got all the facts and information that they possibly could before declaring war.

Before you plunge into a new business, career, or goal, gather information to help you better plan your actions and plan for the future.

3. Stand your ground

Even when people are totally against him and his ideas, President Bush rarely backs down. Whether he’s stubborn and whether it’s been a good thing is another story.

When your dreams and goals are criticized by naysayers don’t let that stop you. You will always get naysayers so matter what. Stand your ground, trust your gut, and believe in your dreams.

4. Don’t always be serious

Maybe it’s not always appropriate but during press conferences President Bush sometimes cracks jokes to lighten the mood.

There’s time for seriousness but there’s even more time to be lighthearted.

5. Deliver

This is a lesson that many politicians have indirectly taught. Politicians are a lot of talk but very few “walk the walk”.

When you promise something to someone you must follow through. If you don’t, that person won’t trust you in the future.

6. Fake it till you make it

President Bush isn’t the greatest at giving speeches or at grammar. But he tries to make it seem like he can articulate his ideas and opinions effectively.

You may not be the best in your business or field right now but present yourself as if you are.

7. You can’t please everyone

President Bush has a lot of supporters but he also has a lot of people who don’t support him or any of his ideas.

You will get the same. You’ll have a lot of people who will support your ideas, dreams, actions, and goals. But you’ll get a lot of people who won’t support you. As long as you believe in your dreams, that’s all that matters.

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“Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”

Joshua J. Marine

Photo by James Jordan

You may think you have a lot of ambition and you probably do. But how strong is that ambition? How much success you achieve in life will eventually reveal that to you. If you want to find the intensity of your ambition sooner, you can do it tomorrow morning.

This may sound strange and may not be for everyone, but where you sleep can be a great test of your ambition. Plan one night to set up a makeshift bed and sleep on your floor. When you wake up in the morning it’ll be more difficult to get going when you’re on the floor than if you were in bed. Everyone rolls off the edge of their bed and stands up, but when you’re on the floor you have to stand up without any aid.

How quickly you can get up from the floor will show how much you want to seize everyday and how much ambition lies within yourself.

If you’re able-bodied and don’t have any back problems, give this test a try.

Photo by hlkljgk

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”

Walt Disney

Photo by cat’s_101