Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. - (Edison)
What is the American Dream?
There are many times we hear about what the American Dream is, and the opportunity this country creates for success but we never take a minute to define what it all really means and to what degree is the dream is a reality.
Having lived in this country as well as Europe and the Middle East, I will give you my point of view on this very interesting topic and define what is the American Dream.
Freedom is the larger picture of things here, with freedom comes ability and opportunity, which are the main driving factors of the American Dream. The lack of restrictions simply means that more people have the ability to attempt to reach for their goals and dreams. Many factors come into play when we think of our abilities, we can think as simple as going to college, or starting our own restaurant or buying a franchise. The difference remains that we have ways to attain our goals, unlike many other countries. We have grants and financial aid to help us go to school, we have SBA and other entry loan programs to help us build a restaurant and we have franchising financing to help us buy a McDonalds.
We also have a simpler and cost free solution that we often take for granted, the ability to move up within Corporate America and do so quickly, without any expenses. Many organizations encourage internal growth and even enable your rights to further your education on their dime. This might be a more time consuming process as you must work full time while going to school but it is a possibility that remains, just not an easy one. As you can see , the ability is in our hands and the opportunities exist, because of the laws that govern this country. Freedom creates opportunities and gives us the ability to help ourselves but also in some cases creates jobs (like the war).
We call America the “country of opportunity”, but do we fully utilize this opportunity or did we simply give up on the American Dream because it just seems like its regular work? As in the quote above by Edison, do we all miss the opportunities that lie ahead simply because we believe the American Dream to be a get rich quick system? Could it be that we want to believe we can get wealthy without working hard and that our entire perception of the American Dream is nothing more than what a pyramid scheme promises to do?
The reality remains as Edison said it best: “Most people miss it, because it looks like work.” It exists and it’s there staring at you everyday. Your regular job is the American Dream. Taking a trip to Europe would show you how valuable working at a restaurant can be. It would show you how people with PhD work as waiters because no other employment opportunities exist, and yet a 16 year old high school student holds that same power in their hand everyday while going to college and has the opportunity to act on their degree after they graduate, even in the middle of a recession. So next time you believe that the American Dream is a get rich quick scheme, think twice and remember that those that founded multi-million dollar companies and empires that you rely on today, did not do so overnight and did not do so in ease, it was years of hard work, common sense, seizing the right opportunities but more importantly taking a risk, a simple risk that involved investing their time in their dreams and letting nothing come between them and success. That’s what I think when asked “What is the American Dream?”
