Many people seem to hate our President-Elect. Equally as many love him. The business mogul’s political rhetoric over the past year has been controversial from the day he declared his candidacy. Many people found his speech deplorable, and believed that those loyal to him belonged in a basket under the same label. Despite what many detractors think of the way he communicates, everything he says is rooted in truth. At times, this truth might be hidden under the bravado and exaggeration of a showman who has lived most of his adult life in the public eye. Looking back, he had what turned out to be an incredible sense of the nation’s mindset and he capitalized on his opportunity to rise to the most powerful position on the planet.

I supported Donald Trump, and I feel confident that I can defend most of the largely unjust attacks that are hurled at him through cyberspace and in the media on a regular basis. But I don’t want to focus on the controversies, rather unpack the primary reason I voted for him; his incredible ambition, self belief, and proven reputation as a do-er.

My fascination with Donald Trump began towards the end of my time in college when I read an old paperback copy of The Art of the Deal. Studying business and in search of inspiration, I picked up the book, given to me by grandmother. It was old and beat up, a former possession of my grandfather who passed away some time ago. In it, I uncovered the story of a man who desired glamor, money, fame, and power. And he acquired it. All of it.

I finished the book shortly after graduation from University. I remember as I put the book down, I thought to myself that this was the man our country needed to run the show. About a month later, my wish came true and Trump was in the race. With my own personal insight into Donald Trump the person, I felt as though I had a unique understanding of Donald Trump the candidate. He is undeniably goal oriented. He sets his eye on a prize and goes after it with ferocity, powering through obstacles using his self belief as his shield. More times than not, he gets the prize he seeks. As I watched his entry into the arena of politics, it was clear that most people couldn’t see what I saw.

He was laughed at, mocked, written off as a clown, yet he refused to back down. The odds of achieving the Republican nomination were slim to none. Yet he endured and he achieved it. His odds to win the presidency were far slimmer, yet here I sit as an American awaiting inauguration day, when Donald Trump will take the oath of office as President of the United States.

Like a lot of people, I love to root for the underdog; the guy who everyone gives no chance to win, yet he rises to the challenge, refuses to back down in the face of adversity, and vanquishes his opponent. Trump faced down the media, the leaders of his own party, and the anointed one, Hillary Clinton. Despite his heavy opposition, he accomplished his goal. He adjusted along the way, plugging new people into management roles throughout the campaign before finally settling on the first woman to ever run a winning campaign for the presidency in Kellyanne Conway.

Donald Trump is the very definition of the American Dream. Despite his infamously “small” loan of a million dollars he used to kick start his rise to success and stardom, his accomplishments are difficult to argue with, even with this head start. His business failures, though they are few, also came under scrutiny during his campaign. Isn’t this ridiculous when every professor of business in universities across the country encourage risk as a part of being successful in business or even in life? A fairly universal truth is that a person can often be defined by how they respond to failure, failure that is inevitable to someone with huge ambition. Trump takes the calculated risks, and he reaps the rewards far more than he takes his lumps.

Donald Trump’s resume speaks for itself. Regardless of your own feelings on the man who polarized the electorate more than any other politician in memory, you should be inspired by what Donald Trump proved was possible. He took on a monumental task that very few thought he could accomplish and proved the world wrong. Love him or hate him, that should inspire you to think about the possibilities in your own life. If Donald Trump can be elected president, against all odds, it should be clear that the only person standing in the way of your goals is the person that lives in the mirror. No matter the odds, no matter the challenges, a person of clear mind with a vision of where he or she wants to go can accomplish anything they believe is possible. Stand for what you believe in, never back down, and find a way to get the job done. Because it can be done. That’s what I’ll think about when I see our president address the nation, and I hope you do too.