The American Dream defined by dictionary.com is a noun that states “the ideals of freedom, equality and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American”

Most people tend to look at the American Dream as a beacon of hope. A way of chasing their dreams with no regrets. In today’s society, it's more like the American Dream we all once knew has been stolen and replaced. Unable to reach in our grasps we give up on that beacon of hope that we once had and that passion we once held close to our hearts is now gone. We live in fear as we struggle to survive. The worry of having enough if any food on our tables has become too real, counting our miles, afraid they won't last until the end of the work week while others struggle to walk and even catch the bus to commute to a job they really don’t even like just to try and make ends meet. Struggle has become the new version of the American Dream, surviving has become the alternative to actually living. Dreams become fairy tales and settling with the mediocre, paycheck to paycheck lifestyle has become the norm.

When did we start telling ourselves it was okay to give up on what it is we really wanted to do? We give excuses to ourselves instead of results. “well life’s too hard” or “life just got in the way." People used to get a chilling excitement when they talked about their future. Coming from a small town it was pretty normal for kids my age to talk about leaving and never looking back. Leave the country and travel to the city. Venture out, experience new things all while finding yourself. Striving for a better you use to mean that you were striving for a better country as well. Where are the Rosa Parks of this generation? The Martin Luther King's? The Abraham Lincoln’s? Some of the many people that made an impact on this country and that I believe truly got to live the American dream. They weren’t caught up in their cell phones or what was trending. Instead, they fought for what they believed in, lived life to the fullest and truly found ways to leave their mark on this world forever.

No, not everyone will become president and the struggles we face today may differ from the ones they faced but the principle is still the same. There is a dream out there for you to catch and there is a world out there waiting for you to catch it. So stop making up excuses on why you can't travel, why you can't record a song or try out for that play, on why you can't go back to school or write a book. Would you rather be the guy sitting at home on your computer reading about what others have accomplished and how they are changing the world or would you rather they be the one they are reading about? How you didn't take no for an answer. How you stepped out from the normal struggle and found a way to embrace you and make your mark on this world. The American Dream is what you make it to be, don't let it pass you by. Make today that day you're going to make a difference for yourself and for your country. Stand out and do what it is that you've always wanted to do. I know I am with my writing, what are you going to do?