The American dream: at what price?

When people are asked, “How many of you are content and happy with what you have?” the answer of an overwhelming majority of people is “I don’t”. And when asked what they want most from life, the typical response is “I want to be happy,” as if happiness is some kind of place, like Disneyland or Happy Land. But happiness is not a destination. it’s a process. In fact, happiness isn’t even so much a feeling (contrary to popular culture reinforced by the media) but rather a state of being and an attitude, so to speak. It comes from feeling connected to everything and everyone. It is the level of our consciousness that makes the difference between living “happily” or unhappily.

Living in an increasingly artificial world, it is easy to forget our spiritual roots, and very difficult not to live the illusion of life instead of life itself. When we live by the motto: “He who has the most toys lives”, instead of “He who has the most joy lives”, we invariably experience an artificial joy that prevents us from living fully in the here and now while connecting with real people, people real. life and have true joy. Perhaps it’s because, knowingly or unknowingly, so many of us fell victim to the illusion of the American Dream and its promise of sweet success based on a materialistic value system.

So before you rush to say, “I want more money,” confusing material success with experiencing more love and joy, ask yourself, “at what cost? strictly THE AMERICAN DREAM?” and the great sacrifice? In the pursuit of the AMERICAN DREAM it is easy to lose sight of what is really important and to overlook the many pitfalls of success. You can sacrifice so much just “to get there” only to discover that there is no “there” there. There is more to life than material success and living by the external and superficial code of values ​​that really do not serve our highest good and purpose. Then you become disillusioned and life easily becomes an empty, meaningless and real experience. joy or purpose.

This is not to say that you shouldn’t strive for excellence or even material success. After all, there is nothing virtuous about being poor. How can you help your neighbor when you yourself suffer from lack? It’s unfortunate that money has such a bad name (“money is the root of all evil”). In fact, it is the love of money – greed – that drives some to commit crimes that is the root of all evil.) When used correctly with the charitable element that is incorporated, money can be a very useful tool in making a difference.

It is more spiritual to live well for oneself so that you can give yourself for the benefit of others. You are an expression of life itself and that requires your active participation in the life process through creativity and prosperity. However, it is essential that you make informed decisions based on the awareness that the promise of the AMERICAN DREAM that is based on a superficial, materialistic value system (have it all and enjoy it all and live happily ever after) is just an illusion that you may not believe. be in your best interest and may actually cause you more harm than good. Success has its own trappings. It demands a very high price that may not be worth it.

But if you still insist on knowing whether or not you have arrived at the “Happy Land”, in the end you will know when you live your life consciously. That means you practice the attitude of gratitude for all the blessings in your life (remember that it could always be worse). Your joy of living does not depend on external values ​​such as the accumulation of possessions that produce an artificial joy as fleeting as it is cruel. You stop defining yourself based on someone else’s narrow definition of who you are and should be. After all, its true essence, which is constantly changing and expanding, is beyond any man-made definition. Now that’s something to get excited about.