I can dream, can't I?

It’s not about that white picket fence with the painted red door or those blue shutters…well, not anymore. The ideals are still there, but it’s what the people want that has changed. Sure, there are people that just want a “better life,” and there are those who are never satisfied with what they have achieved. Then you have people that feel greater opportunities and living conditions are better elsewhere and they usually find it in another country. So, they migrate to countries that have more to offer, like America, because they still believe in the illustrious American Dream. And what of those ideals? No longer is it the dream just to own land, live prosperously, and find happiness. Now that’s not enough, people want to “succeed” in what they do, be the best and have the most to show for it. That “success” is almost always measured in money and possessions.

Who wants to be a millionaire? Everyone. The only difference between those who are and those who aren’t is the road not yet traveled. That road is what leads to money. The people who take it are the ones who want it, no matter what. So they will do anything to get there, even if it means leaving their comfort zone (home, country, you get the point), and there is nothing wrong with that. As long as that road is taken for a noble reason…right? See, what really should matter is if money brings the people what they really want: happiness (or, in other words, the other road traveled). True, it is the same metaphorical road, but the outcomes are different. One leads to money which, in turn, can easily bring greed. The other brings prosperity, or happiness that doesn’t necessarily require money. It’s up to the person who takes that road. I’m sure that money can’t buy happiness per se, but arguably so, it’s a great substitute.

Those who still believe in the “American Dream” are the ones who aren’t even American. They are the ones who will risk their lives and their livelihood to come to America for that "better life" and better opportunities to reach that American Dream. It doesn’t matter what country they are from, they all want the same thing: to be happy. They get what they want since they paved their own road to go down. And there is nothing wrong with wanting to be greater because the dream that helped build America is still alive in them today.

So maybe what people should actually look at is if that road they want to take is what they really want. I would much rather be happy than be stuck in some dead-end job that pays well, but that is only my view on what being successful really is.

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