Post-Mortem Report On The American Dream

The American Dream has attracted people to our country for centuries as they seek a better life for themselves and their families. But have seen the end of the American Dream once and for all? In this article I want to explore the American Dream,

The American Dream — it’s the idea that someone could rise to any level they desire simply by taking initiative and working hard. It’s the hope inside each one of us that we can have more and be more than now, but it simply depends on our own personal motivation and work ethic to see that dream become reality.

Indeed, Americans can boast a long list of people who did just that — elevating themselves beyond their lowly beginnings to become wealthy and successful.

But things seem to be changing.

Is The American Dream Dead?

I used to be concerned that the American Dream was dead… that I was one of only a few people who actually desired to rise to new heights.

Frankly, I think we’ve become a nation of zombies — people who shuffle through their lives content to remain at the level they’re currently at, too busy doing the routine of life — fighting traffic to get to work, plodding through an unloved job, watching TV in the evenings; saddled by debt and a lack of desire.

Is this the NEW American Dream???

Education doesn’t help: We’ve come to put a lot of reliance on becoming educated. The more education you have, the better… or so we’re told. So people will pile debt upon debt to add book-smart credentials to their resumes. And in the process, we give up some of the other street-smart skills required to make it in this life — like sales, risk-taking, and entrepreneurship.

Our financial system hasn’t helped the cause: Wall Street brokerages have positioned themselves as the go-to source for prosperity so regular folks can buy stocks to secure their retirement. But most people don’t know how to do that and we saw what happened to people’s portfolios during the market decline of 2007/2008.

Worse yet, people are fixated on the quick buck. They want to make a lot of money fast without a lot of effort. Celebrities skyrocket to the top of our attention and Americans want that success without the hard work required, which means many people rely on lotteries and my-shot-at-fame like American Idol to try and accelerate themselves. Yet lottery wealth and TV fame are nothing more than rare lightning strikes.

So what does this new reality look like? It looks like this: we rely on the government for jobs and handouts; we end up settling for low-paying jobs and wonder why the big corporations are outsourcing jobs offshore; we want more for ourselves and our families but we are too afraid to take a chance because we’re dragged down by debt.

I’ve come to realize that the American Dream isn’t dead: people still want more for themselves. However, they end up in the rut of routine (unable to break out) or they end up putting all their hope in a ridiculous lightning strike of instant wealth. The American dream has been damped by get-rich-quick laziness and a sense of entitlement. Americans want success without sacrifice… and that just doesn’t happen.

The American Dream isn’t dead. We can have more. We’ve just forgotten how to do it.

How To Resurrect The American Dream

The American Dream — it’s the ability that any single one of us has to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, achieve any goal, dream, or desire we want, and forge a new, more successful reality for ourselves and our families. That’s inspiring.

So how do we do it?

There is hope!

I would first suggest that it can’t be mandated into existence. It’s not going to happen at the national level until it happens at the individual level. When we each do the following, we’ll see it in our own lives, and then we’ll start to see it in the lives of those around us, and we may someday see it as part of the national fabric once again.

  1. Take responsibility. Americans need to shed our lazy entitlement and take responsibility for ourselves. This country was formed because we didn’t want a lot of government intervention in our lives, and now we’ve allowed it to happen.
  2. Reignite our dream. Instead of allowing mindless low-paying jobs to fill our days, and television to fill our evenings, we should reignite the dream we have for a better life for ourselves and our families. We need to dream vividly about a better life, and believe that this new dream could be ours.
  3. Make a plan. Forget the lottery and American Idol. The only surefire way to see your dream come true is to go out and do something. Create something. Build value. Serve others and get paid well to do it. The American Dream is all wrapped up in the concept of entrepreneurship.
  4. Take action. We need to get off of our butts and start working. We need to work tirelessly toward a life and lifestyle we want to enjoy and understand that there will be some sweat and sacrifice before we get what we want.

The American Dream still flickers inside Americans. But it has lost its potency as Americans have forgotten what makes this country great and they’ve rested too long in front of their televisions. And making the change sounds easy but few know how.

Here’s what I think is the best way forward…

The Most Straightforward Way to Get What You Want And Start Living The American Dream

There are many paths to achieving the American Dream. I want to share with you the path that I feel is the simplest, most straightforward path to achieving it.

I believe real estate investing is a powerful way to build the life and lifestyle you want. Here’s why:

  • Entrepreneurial. You do this yourself. You don’t rely on the government or your employer to do it for you. You create your own path and your success is determined only by your own persistence.
  • Easy to get started. You don’t need a lot to get started. You don’t need a lot of high-priced education or experience to get started. You just need the desire. You can start small and learn as you go. And contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a lot of money to invest in real estate. (There are plenty of ways to do no money down deals).
  • Options. There are so many different ways to build a real estate investing business. You can flip, buy-and-hold, wholesale; you can bird dog, be a contractor or property manager; you can deal in notes and private lending; you can do residential, commercial, or land investing — it’s entirely up to you.
  • Control. This is an often overlooked reason that real estate is such a powerful strategy to use: Unlike the stock investments of Wall Street, you have so much more control over your investments, giving you more exit strategies and more ways to force an increase in value.
  • Multiple exit strategies. With real estate investing, you get the choice of many different exit strategies — you can sell or rent or rent-to-own and so much more.

There are some serious opportunities in real estate investing and now is the perfect time to get involved. Of course real estate investing might not be right for everyone and it might not be right for you but I’m presenting it here as the option that I believe is the simplest and most straightforward way to achieve YOUR American Dream… whatever that looks like for you. If you’re not sure or if you want to know more, I share a lot of free information on my radio show, TheFlipKing Real Estate Radio.

Friends, the flame of the American Dream still flickers in most of us but many people are allowing external forces to control their lives. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can rise above and start enjoying the life you dream of living by simply taking initiative and working hard.

You can read and hear more of my thoughts about success and about real estate investing strategies in the following places:

In the comments below, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

  • Do you agree that the American Dream seems to have nearly flamed out?
  • What are we risking as a nation by allowing the American Dream to die?
  • In your opinion, what is the best way to resolve the problem? (I’ve suggested that we need to take individual responsibility).
  • What is holding you back (if anything) from investing in real estate to create the lifestyle you desire?