You Have Achieved Your American Dream. What Now?

One dream I have always had is to play in the National Basketball League (NBA). I didn't care too much on what team I'd play on or my salary, because being able to play basketball was my dream. To go farther, a goal to have after achieving this dream is to win the NBA Finals. So this post is an example of myself at the peak of my dream; being a champion in the most competitive basketball league on the planet.

 

Right now, I am in the moment of my dream. I have just one the NBA Finals. My reactions are speechless. I would definitely be crying tears of joy, and would be filled with an immense sense of gratitude, accomplishment and happiness. To me, the reaction would be amazing only for a short period of time. It won't be long until another there is another season of basketball. It is almost like even the greatest things don't always fulfill us.

 

In one of my previous posts, I talked about a group called Younglife. Every Monday we go to a friend’s house and talk about how our lives are and learn about new things. On one of these days, our leader talked to us about how to "fill ourselves up" with good things. He used a story about the New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, to really help us understand our lesson. In an interview two weeks after Brady had won the Superbowl, he was talking about how he had already accomplished his biggest goal (a Super Bowl). Many of his teammates went to doctors for depression because they didn't know what else to do with their life. I feel that this could have happened to me too, knowing that I had nothing else to fight for and work hard for in my job.

 

I honestly think I would be extremely happy and joyous for my accomplishment. But I might feel what they feel too. This is because you in a sense of no other goal to achieve at that point. It is strange to think that the one thing you strive to have is not something that will keep you happy for too long.

The American Dream - When I was Little...

When I was little, I went through phases of what profession I wanted to be, what house I wanted to live in, and where I wanted to live. For a long time, I wanted to be racecar driver. Hot wheels were the one thing I always liked in my childhood days. I wanted to live right next door to my parents because I was afraid I would never see them again and I had a common theme to live in a huge mansion. I wanted a basketball court in my house, a whole floor be made just for a playroom (Example Picture) and secret slides that would take me all around my house. For the most part, picking both the dream house and where I wanted to live mostly remained constant, although I would change some details. For example, I might want to live in a house in the same neighborhood, and I might possibly add a swimming pool to the house. My dream job always changed. For a time I wanted to be an astronaut, because the moon "looked cool". As my interest in basketball increased, becoming a professional basketball player became a lot fonder to me. These three examples all have excitement and danger in them.

 

As I got older, my mind started to switch the reality button. None of the occupations said are realistically who I want to be. I could have been a professional basketball player, astronaut or a racecar driver, but that is not where my life has taken me. It definitely seems so silly to have a floor in my house to look like sky zone, but at the time that is what fascinated me. When I was little I wanted to do something that not very many people got to do. It is amazing that I have learned something from my childhood dreams. I learned that my American Dream is going to be something that I see or hear and would immediately say, "Wow!”. I have learned the basic things about life since my childhood dreams. Even though my dreams and lifestyle have evolved over time, I know that I will always be a Christian. I know his plan for me is glorious and I know that plan, whatever it may be, is my American Dream.

Top Ten Ways To Achieve Your American Dream

1.)    School: Without education, there is a very small chance that you can achieve your American Dream. Your years in high school and college are some of greatest of your life. Not only do you have great experiences, but you also find out who you are. In a sense, you are configuring your American Dream during your time in school.

 

2.)    Money: Obviously money is going to be on this list. Whatever your dream is, it is something that can most likely be achieved through money. However in the book, "The Great Gatsby" F. Scott Fitzgerald tells a story of how one man tried to achieve his dream through money. Sadly, this man fell short of his dream.

3.)    Confidence: Many movies, books, and other cultural things talk about how a dream can be achieved as long as you believe. Without confidence in achieving your dream, you are already setting yourself up for failure. But if you believe, who's going to stop you?

4.)    Perseverance: In no way will any dream have a clear and easy path to follow. There will be many hardships throughout your journey. Perseverance is key if you want to achieve your American dream. With an attitude to never give up, the sky is the limit.

 

5.)    Willingness: There is a quote that originated from the ancient Romans that pertains very well to this subject: "No sacrifice, no victory". Your dream is something special. You have to be willing to do anything to achieve it. You might have to give up something or someone; you might even have to take in or go through something difficult too. One of the most important things to have to be able to do anything efficiently is a strong, focused mentality.

 

6.)    Love: Love is something everyone has talked about at least once. Marriage is something in our culture that brings people together. Some say that it is the greatest thing that has ever happened to them. Some think otherwise; but that is beside the point. This love can be the love from your family, or a friend too. For me, the comfort and unending love of Jesus Christ fills my heart and keeps me going.

7.)    Home: When I say home, I don't necessarily mean a house, mansion, apartment, etc. I am thinking about the big picture. Your home should include your environment. It should be about who you surround yourself with, who you enjoy being with and where you feel comfortable. It is hard to work towards a goal when your environmental foundation is not steady.

 

8.)    Joy: To me, happiness is feeling good temporarily. But joy is a constant happiness. We all know that realistically no one is happy all of the time. But if you strive toward that kind of mindset, you will naturally feel happier more. Finding the joy in everything you do will help you not only bring others up, but will make you feel more confident and motivated for anything and everything.

9.)    Being Selfless: One of the best things you can do to achieve your dream is, strangely enough, to put others in front of yourself. Everyone else is achieving their dream as well. I am sure that you know what it is like to struggle in something. Why not bring others up; because really, it will bring you up too.

 

10.) Purpose: "Everything happens for a reason" is a very important quote that defines the journey to the American Dream. Every moment in your life was supposed to happen. There is a purpose to why the good and even the bad things happen. Not always are these things going to be clear. But your dream has a purpose, and your life has a purpose. It is your job to find out why those happen, because that path that you take will lead you to your American Dream.

One Dream I Have Accomplished

When I was little, I had a dream to fly. Flight to me was something so extraordinary that I had to explore it further. One Christmas morning, I received a remote control airplane. It had a 69 inch wingspan and with its gas powered engine, it could fly at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Even with those incredible attributes, this aircraft is recommended for beginners! It is called the “NexSTAR”. After my first flight, I knew that this was something super special. I now have become really good at remote control (RC) flight. I can fly planes that take off on water, trick planes, twin prop planes, you name it. After many years of RC flight under my belt, I began to wonder, ‘What is it like to fly real airplanes’.

            My parents never knew that I wanted to become a pilot until the eighth grade. Since then I had a growing desire to fly real planes. Last year, as a Christmas present, my parents bought me a “discovery flight”. On this flight I would go up in a plane and fly with an instructor. When my parents informed me about what they did, I immediately felt this warm exhilarating feeling in my heart. But there was a problem that had come about. I never had time to do this flight. School is a huge priority in my life right now. I also play on the school basketball team and a travel team that plays all around Indiana. This means that my time during the week and on the weekends is limited. This was a huge obstacle for me because it felt like I had a choice. You can either play the sport you love, or fly planes (also something I loved). I still to this day do not know whether I want to play basketball in college or not. But I do know that I want to major in aviation in college.

Not until two weeks ago did I get to fly a Cessna 172 with an instructor. Although it was a long time being away from flight, I absolutely loved it. I felt like I knew what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be for the rest of my life. Flying brought out the other side of me. Before the flight, my life was consumed by basketball, school and Christianity. Flight is now a new chapter in my life which has just begun. I will never forget how this chapter started: with a dream.

Who Has Achieved the American Dream?

            As I said in my previous post called, The American Dream, I said that the American Dream is specialized by each individual. I also talked about a Christian organization called “Young Life” that tries to help others learn more about Jesus Christ (Carmel Young Life). One of the leaders of the organization in Carmel, Mark Spiegal, is who I think has achieved the American Dream. This is why.

            Mark is someone who radiates joy. I have always had an amazing time doing something when he is around. He’s a very humble man, who can also deal with so many different situations. Mark always has a smile on his face; if he doesn’t, he is helping someone with their problems and trying to get them to smile. The craziest thing about him is that before he worked for Young Life, he was almost at his American Dream. When he was in high school, he was a very good soccer player. He said one time that he did so well in high school that he was offered to play on a professional soccer team in the MLS. But the doctors said he had too many concussions from bumping heads with other players. He is now not allowed to play soccer competitively. Not only was he devastated that couldn’t play the sport he loved, but he also had constant headaches and migraines every day. Almost everything he had planned for his future was crushed. Yet he found his true calling; his real American Dream.

            After he had told me his story, I didn’t know what to say. After a few moments he then told me and a few others that this was one of the greatest things that happened to him. He told us all about how he doesn’t care about the migraines. When I heard this, my jaws dropped. First of all, how does someone so joyful have such a terrible thing occurring every single day?! This absolutely makes my head spin. Mark Spiegal has achieved the American Dream because he is doing what he loves, and serving others.

The American Dream

By definition, the "American Dream" is a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. A typical American’s dream is to become rich, popular/famous, intelligent and many more things. I guess that this means I am not a typical American.

The "American Dream" first derived from the Declaration of Independence saying "all men are created equal" with rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". I feel every person has their own pursuit of happiness. One website I read (click here for website) said that in various polls people said that they strived for joy through religion instead of through material items. Although, almost all of the people agreed that working hard was very important. This is similar to my personalized American Dream; yet mine has some differences.

I am currently in an organization called "Young life". It is a Christian group whose primary goal is to bring as many people to Christ as possible. We do the craziest things that many never do. For example, this summer, the group of kids I went to a camp with decided to do something insanely cool. We dressed up in costumes and bought a bunch of $5 pizzas. We then went to a busy intersection and started to give out the pizzas for free. So many people asked us, "Why are you doing this". Many of us would not know what to answer, saying things like: "I'm not sure" and "We're just trying to be nice". In reality, serving others fulfills you. This aspect is part of my American Dream.

I am a Christian, student, athlete, and soon to be pilot. I love to get out and do things that normally people wouldn't do. I see the American Dream as doing the things I love to do and things I am passionate about. Yes, I want a nice car, money, and all of the other things that typical people want these days. But those things are not what I need. One of the biggest things about my dream is to have a family. I have always dreamed about that since I was a little kid. I love playing basketball, flying planes and serving others. Serving Jesus Christ and trusting in what his plan is for me is also a huge part of my life. I asked my dad about his American Dream and he said, "Mine is being lived every second of every day". My American Dream will be achieved through hard work and patience. I know I can reach the goals I have set, as long as I keep my head up and continue in my faith. God is always watching over me, and he is never going to leave me. I try to live my life to the fullest; fulfilling my heart with things that really do give me joy. Because that is the real American Dream.