Living The American Dream is perhaps the most widely discussed national ethos in the world, with people from all over the world landing here in order to achieve it. We hear about overnight rags to riches stories such as that of taxi driver turned billionaire Tamir Sapir and think to ourselves; wow, this really is the place to make dreams come true, the land of the free and the home of the brave. But what exactly is the dream?

Living The American Dream

Yes, it is the most famous ideal in the world, which makes it all the more ironic that no one really knows what it is. There’s no fixed definition for Living the American Dream, as it varies from person to person and time to time. See, in the nineteenth century, the Dream was seen as the freedom to do as one pleases, regardless of gender, race or other means. In the 20^th century, this was changed to having a job, a car and an upper middle class life. Today, the American dream is turning into a millionaire overnight, like the example I mentioned above. Preconceptions of what the American Dream can create for you is often what attracts people from all across the world. It has been fantasized about for generations and envied by many, who want what they believe it can offer. Even if you have come here as a cleaner, a Cultural Care Au Pair or a mechanic, often the dream remains the same.

The definition may have deviated from time to time, but there’s one thing that has remained consistent through the years; the American dream is centered on the idea of freedom. In the 19^th century, it was freedom and equality for the African Americans, who were working as slaves. In the 20^th century, it was freedom to afford a higher standard of living, and today, it is freedom from the financial constraints that the current economy and recession has brought on us.

Our fascination with freedom and gaining control is understandable, since our motherland was basically a British colony in the beginning. But we need to ask ourselves this; are we really free?

Well Are We?

A majority of you will answer in an overwhelmingly positive tone, as you are no longer tied to answer to anyone and have the freedom to buy anything you want. Have a desire to get the latest smart phone? Just type your credit card digits online and get your new iPhone in a day! Don’t have the greens? No problem, simply pay for it later… at a 1% interest rate! And if you don’t pay up, the credit card companies will come after you like rabid dogs, eventually foreclosing your house and the so called American Dream.

What else? Ah yes, your midlevel managerial job. Happy with those four digit salary figures aren’t you? Good! Now get back to work and finish it all before the boss comes back, or he may have to give you a good old yelling session; can’t talk back to him either, since he’s the one paying your salary, running your American dream.

So are you really free when you are always answerable to someone above you? When you are constantly spending money that you don’t have, paying a higher amount later on? If you owned your own business, you would achieve some level of freedom in the professional level, which is why I always stress the importance of entrepreneurship. I believe that the American Dream itself is a flawed logic, as nobody is really ever free; there’s always someone you have to answer to. But with a self owned business, you at least get close to this utopian ideal.

Are you tired of being average? Are you willing to do Whatever it Takes?

If you Enjoyed this Article Click Here for more Free Content