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” Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.” Albert Einstein

We all as Americans have been living in a sort of rat race environment where being successful in the business community or the political arena were on the social agenda of being a part of the great society. Whether working as a shipping clerk and working our way up the corporate ladder to salesperson, then manager, to vice president and president.

Oh yes many Americans have worked hard for the positions they hold in society. To some being successful and holding prominent positions mean so much to them they would even use illegal methods to obtain their status.

Going back in time to the late 60s with the generation gap, many of the young political activists of that time were dissenting from their parent’s ideals many of them were rebelling against our capitalistic establishment.

“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.” Edward R. Murrow

The quote from Albert Einstein above truly dictates the importance of becoming a man or woman of value rather than success. To be valuable to society is so much more important than becoming a successful individual in either the corporate jungle or the political arena.

For the contribution made by responsible citizens the giving of themselves to better the community and country such as teachers, doctors, nurses, clergy, only to mention a few of the vast professions which are so valuable we could not survive without them.

In general, the American Dream ( This excerpt taken from wikipedia encyclopedia) can be defined as having the opportunity and freedom that allows all citizens to achieve their goals in life through hard work and determination alone. Today, it generally refers to the idea that one’s prosperity depends upon one’s own abilities and hard work, not on a rigid class structure, though the meaning of the phrase has changed over America’s history. For some, it is the opportunity to achieve more prosperity than they could in their countries of origin; for others, it is the opportunity for their children to grow up with an education and career opportunities; for others, it is the opportunity to be an individual without the constraints imposed by class, caste, race, or ethnicity .

The definition of the American Dream is now under constant discussion and debate. Also, “The package of beliefs, assumptions, and action patterns that social scientists have labeled the American Dream has always been a fragile agglomeration of (1) individual freedom of choice, (2) equal access to economic abundance, and (3) the pursuit of shared objectives mutually advantageous to the individual in society.

While the term “American Dream” today is often associated with immigrants, native-born Americans can also be described as “pursuing the American Dream” or “living the American Dream”.

The American Dream still lives and is an important factor in all of our lives today. However, when we use our freedom avariciously to obtain our goals it can become a disease in our lives more than a blessing and ruin the lives of many.

We can be extremely grateful that here in America we can follow our own calling and we can separate ourselves from all of the confusion to find an inner peace.

We are fortunate enough and free enough to carry out the deeds of our Lord within our constitutional guidelines and within the law of the land.

In my title, I ask the question: “What does the American dream mean to you?” to me it simply means it gave me the freedom and the means to find “Peace of Mind”.