Theodore Roosevelt Brands Himself a Rugged Cowboy

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On June 3, 1880, polished and city-dwelling aristocrat, Theodore Roosevelt, graduated from Harvard with honors, and was getting ready to attend Columbia Law School. This seemed logical as he grew up both wealthy and sickly,  and was advised since he was a child that he shouldn't plan on living a full or active life.

It's easy to see how a person with medical afflictions would avoid strenuous physical activity, and instead resign themselves to a life of intellectual pursuits, especially already being rich.

Not Teddy....

From the time he was a child, he began vigorously working out. He battled his asthma with consistent running, push-ups, sit-ups and weight lifting.

He went from being a frail, weak little nerd, into a big masculine imposing figure.

The sheer will and hard work he put into defeating his physical weakness may have been the inspiration that allowed him to imagine the life he wanted, and how to get it.

This began with overcompensating for his physical weakness, and then led him to overcome another aspect of his life he considered a weakness: His wealth and easy living.

Theodore Roosevelt dropped out of the opulent lifestyle he was raised in, and surrounded himself in danger and adventure.

In 1883, Roosevelt moved into a filthy Midwest saloon occupied by cowboys, drunks, lowlife's and bed bugs. This was the culture Roosevelt immersed himself in to remove himself from his bed-ridden, privileged past, and transmute his passion and energy into becoming a tough, buffalo shooting, Mexican shooting, cowboy politician.

He had professional photographs taken of himself in a Manhattan picture studio that made him appear to be in the rough Midwest. He wore an expensive carved silver knife from Tiffany while holding a rifle.

Next he enlisted in the Army, and even saw close combat in the Spanish-American War. In fact, he was nominated for the military's highest decoration, The Medal of Honor.

Roosevelt's rough and rugged persona became public knowledge which greatly contributed to his success in in future endeavors.

After the war, Roosevelt returned to New York and became Governor. On March 4th, 1901, Roosevelt was elected Vice President of the United States until President McKinley was assassinated, and Roosevelt took his place.

Roosevelt always ensured his political campaigns focused on the fact he came up as a rugged cowboy, combat veteran, intellectual and man of the people. This was reflected by his harsh persecution of companies who had industry monopolies which infringed on people's rights in the workforce, and the market.

Roosevelt is the perfect example that you can be whatever you want to be, as long as you can prove it.

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