What is the American Dream?

We often refer to a concept of “The American dream” when we talk about goals or dreams or things we want to have in life. No matter what you think it is, it is something a lot of people believe in. The American dream has obviously changed drastically over the years since the term was first coined. It is not only a symbol of completeness for Americans, it can be considered gospel or a belief system.

So, the question is: What is the American dream and how can I achieve it? It’s something that at some point, we’ve all thought about. Millennials and soon Gen Z’ers will soon be thinking about the American Dream. They will be making businesses, pursuing their careers, making families and buying properties sooner, rather then later. Is the American dream a white picket fence in a suburb with wife and kids? Is it being an executive in a fortune 500 company or is it running a small mom and pop shop with people you love being around?

It’s no question that the American dream is under siege by people who are cynical and those who have no ambitions in life. The fact of the matter is, the American dream is whatever you want it to be. For me, it is independence. It is not having to rely on any one person or system for me to live my life and accomplish my goals. As an engineering student the ultimate goal for me is to run my own business and settle down in a small town in the southwest of the US. Independence, freedom and liberty are things I value and that’s why I believe.

Whatever your version of the American dream may be, it’s up to you and only you to achieve it. It doesn’t matter who the President is, it doesn’t matter whether or not the GOP controls our Government, it doesn’t matter whether or not you are educated, it doesn’t matter whether you are Black, White, Asian or Arab, the American dream is achievable. We the people must be vigilant on accomplishing our goals or else the cynical will take over and the American dream will not be the envy of the world.