The Evolution of the American Dream

There’s no denying the fact that we Americans love a celebration! A day or month is dedicated to every food, relationship, or pastime you can think of. This month just so happens to be National Hot Dog Month, and I can't think of anything more American than that. But we all have much more to celebrate this month than our favorite frankfurters. It's the month we celebrate the birth of our nation and the uniquely American freedoms we enjoy.

July is summer personified. And aside from the blazing heat, it's a time of gatherings, celebrations, and extended outdoor days. It's a time to remember the many incredible blessings that come with living where we do. One phenomenon that is uniquely American is the concept of the American Dream. People immigrate from all over the world to have their chance at building a life they can be proud of. Our system is known for facilitating upward momentum that isn't found in other places. The idea of the American Dream is that we all have equality of opportunity, no matter where we start out in life.

If you want an image of the American Dream, there are examples around us daily. But one of the most prominent historical examples is John D. Rockefeller. John and his six siblings were raised primarily by their devout mother, while their father worked as a traveling salesman and maintained another wife on the side. His family of origin was far from wealthy, but his mother taught him essential values he carried with him throughout his life. After graduating from high school and leaving his family home, John D. Rockefeller entered the business world first as a bookkeeper. Then at the age of 31, he, along with some associates, including his brother, founded Standard Oil, the dominant oil refining and sales company in the United States. His monopoly on the industry made him the richest American in history. This is a very short synopsis of a fascinating life. To many people, John D. Rockefeller is the epitome of the American Dream. He came from nothing yet accomplished what many people consider the pinnacle of success.

While John D. Rockefeller achieved more than most people will, his story is not entirely unique. There are plenty of contemporary business leaders who have built something out of nothing. Howard Schultz founded Starbucks, one of the largest coffee companies in the world, after selling his own blood to pay for his college education. Oprah Winfrey grew up in poverty on a small farm in Mississippi and has since grown her own media empire worth billions of dollars. These are not the stories of nepotism that we sometimes expect from the richest of the rich. They're stories of people who found a profitable way to marry talent, luck, and a lot of hard work and are reaping the rewards for it.

We could go on for days with other incredible stories of people who have climbed their way out of difficult situations to the top of their industries. The fact that such upward mobility occurs gives people hope that the American Dream is possible in their lives. It keeps so many people striving for their own version of that picture-perfect story.

But it's important to remember that the American Dream is subjective, and our hopes for the future are as individual as we are. The billionaire success stories are rare, and you and I will likely never reach John D. Rockefeller's "Titan of Industry" status. Instead, most people hope and dream of success on a micro-level. To operate successful small businesses, climb the corporate ladder, and raise happy, healthy, successful children.

People come from all over the world to taste the American Dream. Consider the generations of immigrants who built our country from the ground up. Risking everything to go to a new world in hopes of a chance to make a better life for themselves at their families. Most of our ancestors were those hopeful immigrants, and when you think about it, that makes us a product of their American Dream.

Recently my husband and I ate at a restaurant that serves delicious, traditional Ethiopian dishes. It's a family-owned and operated establishment. The owners and staff are Ethiopian immigrants striving to reach for more while still holding onto the delicious cultural traditions that connect them to their homeland. That's the American Dream. In communities all over the country, and even here in Central Florida, we live amongst families who come to America to do hard, manual jobs at local farms to earn enough money to send their children to college. That's the American Dream. It tells us that when you're willing to work hard and make sacrifices, you can have the opportunity to better your life and the lives of people you love. And while the immigrant working at your local grocery store may never become a billionaire, they're building a foundation for future generations of their family members.

When I think of the American Dream, I'm struck by the fact that each of our dreams is unique. Owning a multi-billion dollar coffee corporation is not a dream of mine. Nor is hosting a namesake talk show. In a way, I'm living my own version of the American Dream right now. For years I had a high-pressure job that paid well but was ultimately unsatisfying. If my dream had been to make the most money possible, I would have stayed in positions like that forever. But my dream was different. I wanted to build something of my own, even if it didn't pay as much. Today, I work at home as a writer while caring for my soon-to-be two children. My dream is to build wealth doing what I love, have the freedom to work and be home with my kids, and grow a business (however small. that contributes to my family. My American Dream may change over time, but the concept's brilliance is that it doesn't have to look or feel anything like yours.

I realize that most people reading this magazine are beyond child-rearing years, making me wonder how the American Dream evolves as we age. Thankfully, it's not just a concept for the young. Adults entering retirement, traveling, golfing, and playing with their grandkids are soaking up a new dream. We can't go back and earn more money or spend more time pursuing our hobbies, but we can at any stage determine what dreams we want to fulfill with the years we have left and set about doing it.

I once worked with a woman who set goals that, to many people, may sound silly. One year her New Year's resolution was to eat more cheese; another, it was to drink more cocktails. The point wasn't to set strenuous goals or strive for bigger and better things than she already had but to find little moments of fun and joy in her already happy life. That's the kind of American Dream I want to pursue when I retire. Perhaps one July, several decades from now, I'll celebrate National Hotdog Month with the vigor it deserves, and my American Dream will be topped with a healthy amount of ketchup and mustard.

Are you living your American Dream?

Adrienne Freeland is a freelance writer who specializes in helping business owners communicate more clearly. Using skills developed in her former career as a professional fundraiser, Adrienne collaborates with her clients to craft engaging, targeted content.