The "American Dream" Is Not A "Dream" At All

Straying Away From The Dream To Follow Your Dream

Today, I'm going to write about something we all learned about during our younger years. I'm going to write about what I've learned about that particular something as I've grown older. That something is the "American dream."I've always been a self-starter. I've worked in restaurants for about seven years where the schedule I was given each week was dependent upon my own hours and availability. I eventually started up a web development, marketing, and branding business. After this, I freelanced -- once again on my own terms in regard to both workload and hours.Then November rolled around.This past November, I started working full-time as a content writer living the 40-hour-workweek, Monday through Friday, 9-5 lifestyle at a digital marketing agency.I made it! Hired to do what I love and went to school for in a time when there are minimal open jobs in general, let alone in the field of writing -- what could be better?It felt really cool to be a "part of society" in the working world like millions of others are doing and have done before me. Throughout history and still today, people have come to America to live out their dreams. That's essentially what I was doing -- I was following suit of the "American dream."Here I am, six months and two promotions down the line, things are all different. I worked my last shift on Friday."What? You left?! But it sounded like you were set!"At 23, I had a full-time job as the head of a department with job security, health benefits, a 401k plan, a biweekly paycheck, and room for growth both professionally and monetarily... but I wasn't happy. I wasn't living my dream.Although I may have lost all of the above, I gained experience, knowledge, and some really great friends. Most importantly of all, I gained back my happiness.I can't stress enough how important it is to be happy where you are not only in your career but also with your life. Far too often, I talk to others and they vent about their current position and how unhappy they are, whether it's about their job, their relationship, their eating habits, their mindset...If you're not happy, you can change that. It's all in your power, and in your power only. It's all in your being to make things happen and to change things accordingly.If you're not happy, become happy.If you're stressed, de-stress.If you can't stand the way things are going, change.Devote your energy to the things in life that lift you up rather than drag you down. Work toward your goals, but never settle for less than what will make you happy in the short or long-term.  Find what makes your heart sing, and pursue that career, relationship, and/or lifestyle wholeheartedly.I promise that you will adapt, and you'll see that things will all work out the way they're meant to. It'll all get better, and you'll wonder why you ever let yourself dwell in a situation you weren't happy in to begin with. You just have to be willing to sacrifice a little to get a lot in the long run in order to truly achieve the "dream" you are so desperately seeking.[do_widget id=blog_subscription-2]