IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE ALL ABOUT YOU AND ME

Do situations dictate character or should our character remain constant no matter what circumstances may bring? Has the meltdown in our economy changed the way we think and act? Once there was a dream and they called it the “American Dream.” Most of us who formed this nation came from humble beginnings and made dreams come true through our bravery, vision, hard work and education.

The characters that formed this nation put the idea of the American Dream in motion, and the power of that dream distinguished us from all other nations. We rose from nothing – from a land of dirt farmers and laborers to become the most powerful Country in the world.

Now the Dream is clouded; distorted and dying. The ideal to make a better place for the next generation has been replaced by marketing and advertisers selling everything from soap and houses that lose their value in a New York minute.. Owning your own home was once the centerpiece of the Dream. The Housing Bubble Burst and washed those dreams away. In places like Las Vegas 85% of homeowners have lost all their equity and are left with a toxic asset that can’t be sold or traded.

The character of the American people has been changed by circumstance. Most of us no longer look to build a future for the next generation. We have become a selfish people with a insatiable desire for instant gratification. We want everything now and the future, well that will just have to take care of itself. Let the government worry about the future – meanwhile give me a bigger house and a bigger car. Sit my ass in front of the tube and I’ll watch cable all day and buy more stuff on the Home Shopping Channel.

What's happened to the American Dream? We have turned into a society of over consumers instead of overachievers. We have allowed the Dream to turn on us and opportunity has turned into catch phrases and sound bites like “He who dies with the most toys wins.”

It is time to take back control of our own destiny. We believed that dreams can come true and they did – so we allowed ourselves to get lazy and fat. But a lot of us aren’t so fat any longer. The time to change has come. The government isn’t going to help you. It is up to us to make changes in order to recapture the American Dream which was rooted in faith and destiny.

Our drive and our purpose allowed us to achieve more than anyone. All of the things that we need and want need to be redefined. We have to reassess achievement as it pertains to lifestyle, social status, ownership and equality. We still have a chance to reclaim what we once had. We still live in a land of abundance. There are enough resources here for everyone to find opportunities for wealth and prosperity.