I love the phrase "American Dream". It sounds so clean, fresh, motivating...and all of these great positive words that a single Webster Dictionary can hold. What I love about the phrase is that many politicians and corporations try to make the phrase a category. Meaning that most or "all" Americans have the same dreams, or try to attain the same goals. Maybe, just maybe, that is a tad bit true.
Most of us want a nice income, a beautiful house, great family relationships, smoking hot husband or wife, and the most beautiful and talented children on the planet.... or do we? Maybe the American Dream of having all of these things or criteria have brain washed us, conditioned us to want those same things. In the event we don't have these very same things we feel odd or different. We compensate our bad relationships with great work ethics. We compensate for living an average life with getting the car or truck of our dreams; hence being a Mid Life Crisis. Compensation just goes on...and on.... and on......
What if we sat down and really thought about the "American Dream" as not being a category, but an idea. "The American Dream" describes our freedoms, our hopes, our dreams, our goals, and our achievements. We are so much more than stuff, things, possessions. A lot of people are realizing that just living in a house that meets their basic needs of shelter, but traveling to see the country, spending time in their gardens, spending time with their children, cuddling up to a good book, or trying new things (foods, workouts, fun free clinics) is more important than paying for non necessity items like cable.
People are learning to live on adjusted incomes with fewer hours so they can actually have a day off to enjoy things they never have! Things like time with family. It's amazing. The crunch that the categorized "American Dream" makes us unhealthy. It's when you realize the "American Dream is an idea that you can truly wake up and think about the necessities, and achieve the freedoms you want!
Responsibilities over power the need to be a consumer! Once a free rationality is attained your thinking changes and becomes more communicable! Think about it! If you are stuck at an office or a machine for 12 hours a day, in an environment where you are only exposed to thinking about your work, and responsible for your work alone, you are being programed to only think about yourself. You are being mentally and physically wiped out! All these days and hours of robot thinking and doing takes a toll, so when you do have a day off your mind and body has to recuperate. Making you almost incapacitated and lethargic. How can you enjoy that big house you bought, put together the antique car, or even play ball with your kids when your mind wants you to rest? Are you really living the "American Dream"? No your living in a category.
Now say you work 8 hours a day, down grade/ get rid of the unnecessary things that you are paying extra for, and missing out on anyways, and actually go out to a town fair, a men's or woman's group you start to socialize. From there you build relationships, and you begin being part of a bigger community of people. Once relationships are established you take an interest in others lives and see causes left and right. You no longer think of yourself, and you no longer have that robot mentality! You are now communicable! Now your living in an idea!
The idea aspect of the American dream gives you freedom to think for yourself. Remember an idea is not confined! It is free to grow! A category is a bubble or a box, used to separate items for organization and control! A category can grow yes, but there is never freedom. Someone above you decides the criteria and controls what category the item goes into; making you a possession.
The saying goes "The stuff you own ends up owning you".
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