Let’s take a minute…  I want you to write down your dream.  What are you dreaming of?  What are you striving for?  Is it your dream job?  Is it your dream house?  What do you want for your future?  And I want you to aim high!  If you aim for the sky and only make it 80% of the way, it will still be a lot higher than if you started by aiming for mediocrity.

I'll wait while you write down your dream…  Read it 5 times – read it out loud.  Then, close your eyes for 5 minutes and think about it.  Visualize it!

Now, I’m going to tell you how you can get it.  (By the way, if you’re thinking, “Hey, this isn’t talking about algebra.”  Yes, it is!  Just wait.)

Let’s look at each one.

Creativity:

When most people think of creativity, they think of artists, dancers and writers…  But, the most successful people in business, engineering, science and medicine are highly creative!  When Donald Trump is putting together a deal, he’s got to be able to think out of the box.  He even wrote a book called "The Art of the Deal."  What does it take to create something new in science?  Creativity! 

The ability to think and figure things out:

Thinking and figuring things out isn’t just for science and business.  Working out a dance routine requires planning and thinking.  Writing takes a LOT of thinking.  In fact, everything that you would consider an “art” takes thinking.

Whether it be a science, an art or business, having both creativity and the ability to think and figure things out makes for a killer combination.  But, this isn’t all that’s needed to be successful…

The ability to self-teach:

When you’re close to the top or at the top, there’s no longer anyone around to teach you what you need to know next.  Those who make it to the top and stay there are the ones who figure out what they need to learn next and learn it on their own.  This is especially true for someone setting out to create something that’s never been done before!

Also, it will be very important, no matter what your first “real” job ends up being, that you be able to learn things quickly and, yes, even on your own.  Suppose two people are hired at the same time for the same type of job.  Both are supplied with the same introductory information to perform his/her job.  Person #1 keeps bothering the boss asking question after question.  Person #2, carefully reviews the materials provided and starts working - perhaps just asking a couple of thoughtful and intelligent questions.  If you were the boss, which new employee would impress you the most? 

Of course, asking questions is often very necessary, but you’ll want to try to find the answer on your own before asking.  The last thing you want your boss to say is, “That’s on page 2 of your instruction package.”  Then you look like a dufus – something to be always avoided at a new job.  Don’t say I never gave you any good advice.

Confidence:

You may have it or you may not.  You may have it in some areas and not in others.  It sure seems like some people were just born confident.  You see them walking around school acting like they've got it all together.  In reality, they're probably just better at ACTING confident and, on the inside, they may feel differently.  The great thing is that confidence can be built from items 1, 2 and 3 above! 

A positive attitude:

Have you ever heard the phrase “Bloom where you are planted?”  Pretend that you're a little flower seed getting blown down a cracked, paved road...  You fall in a crack.  Well, dang it, BLOOM ANYWAY!  Of course, it would have been nice to have been planted in a nice pot with nutritious soil just the right amount of water...  But, you got  a crack in the road, so make the most of it! 

I’m sure that a math class is not where you’d like to be spending your time.  But, you don’t have much of a choice in the matter, do you?  You may really like the idea of being in school and learning…  But not THIS stuff! 

There comes a time in life when you have to decide what kind of person you are going to be.   Are you the type that will gripe and complain the whole time?  Or are you the type that will make the best of the situation and find a way to use it to your benefit?

Successful people are always the ones to look at a seemingly unpleasant situation or a bad turn of events and say, “How am I going to use this to my advantage?”  They will always find a way to make the most out of everything.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade – AND SELL IT!

Drive:

Highly successful people set their goals… and they aim high.  They know what they want and they go after it.  They want it badly and are willing to work very hard to get it!

Six things…  That’s it.