Many are fretting over a perceived loss of the American Dream and wondering what they can do about it. Due to the higher cost of living, more regulations, and too much domination by government or large businesses people feel stripped of their freedoms. While there may be truth to these concerns, they are not the only cause of this perceived loss. And perhaps they are the result of all of us forgetting or giving up on the American Dream. What we must recognize is that the American Dream is not the responsibility of government, politicians, or large companies. It’s your responsibility and my responsibility. The American Dream depends on the American culture promoting and rewarding independence, risk-taking, and hard work, among other virtues. When you promote these virtues, you enable the American Dream by empowering others. So today I’d like to present 5 things you can do to keep the American Dream alive.

1.  Shop local

The first on our list is to make a commitment to shop at small and local businesses. When you buy from small businesses, they celebrate your patronage. They likely value your money more than you do because every sale keeps their dream alive. They may even go home and tell their family and friends about it. Every new order or purchase is a shot of adrenaline because it’s a verification of their hopes and dreams. You may have to sacrifice a little to shop at small businesses. You may not get the highest level of convenience or the lowest cost but if you count the benefit to the culture you live in as part of your equation, you’ll come out on top every time. More to the point, every dollar you spend with people trying to live the American Dream is a dollar spent keeping the dream alive.

2. Promote youth activities

Attending and celebrating youth activities such as sports, arts, and other events geared towards giving children positive social experiences grooms better citizens. These activities are where young people learn how to socialize, play fair, and learn the benefits of exercise and creativity. However, it seems fewer children are engaging in prosocial behavior and opt instead for video games, streaming entertainment, and social media. If adults don’t get involved in youth activities these young people get the message that they are not important. This makes quitting these activities easier. But when adults make it a big deal of youth activities and celebrate them, young people get a different message. You don’t need to be the parent of a child participating in the activities to support them. In fact, instead of getting excited about some college or pro sports team, you have no real tie to, try getting involved in the local schools and youth recreational leagues. Let the local kids feel like a celebrity when you congratulate them walking down the street or at the local diner. It’s this type of recognition that makes people feel like they belong. Maybe they’ll even stay in their hometown and make it better when they grow up.

3. Volunteer

America was made great by its generosity. When you volunteer at the local church, school, hospital, nursing home, or anywhere else in your community you make the fabric of the community stronger. We don’t need the government to solve our societal problems, but we do need each other. Volunteering means you’re willing to put yourself out or even make yourself uncomfortable for the sake of others. This willingness to suffer from others has a magical impact. When two or more people are willing to suffer together the willingness converts the suffering into a form of happiness through comradery. Relationships are also strengthened when we willingly tackle hard times together. There is an old physics experiment that illustrates the point. When you try to snap a single small stick, it easily breaks, but if you hold 3 or 4 small sticks together and try to snap them it’s almost impossible. We, humans, are the same. The American tradition is a tradition of resiliency through togetherness.

4. Donate $20 to a worthy charity

There are many great people in every community running non-profits and charities worthy of honor and support, but these organizations are all in need of funding. If you think the small business owner rejoices when you purchase from them, it only pales in comparison to the gratitude and excitement a non-profit feels when they receive a donation. America was founded on charities and non-profits, it’s more a part of our culture than any other. Without charities, we become a nation dependent on hamstrung bureaucrats or profit-seeking corporations. The non-profits bring a passion to the equation that bureaucrats and businesses cannot, which makes them far more efficient, and each dollar is spent far more effectively. So, give up a coffee once a week or skip one lunch out a month in order to send a supportive message to people who really need it.

5. Become a Mentor

A recent Wharton School of Business study determined that the number one factor in a person’s success is whether they have a mentor or not. Life is tough and none of us get through this alone. Very few achieve high levels of success without significant support from others who have more knowledge and experience. Most of us have already figured out that success depends on relationships so it should not be a surprise that people without mentors don’t do as well as people with them. Be bold and go out of your way to insert yourself into someone’s life who needs it. Tell them you want to help them succeed and you may have some ideas they can benefit from. I have done this many times and have never had someone turn down my offer. In fact, most remain close friends and associates. Every individual success is part of America’s success, and only when many are strong can we as a country be strong. That’s just how it works.  If you are interested in mentoring or want to establish a formal program in your organization visit LifeTrec.com.

Well, there you have it. 5 ways you can personally help keep the American Dream alive. This, however, is just the beginning. There are clearly many more ways, and I would love to hear from you about those, so please share in the comments below.

P.S.

Hi, this is the author.  If you like this article please read a bit further.  We are living in a time where many are experiencing a crisis of the soul. They have either forgotten or have never learned important life lessons and they may be isolated and alone getting the vast majority of their interaction through the internet and social media. Social media is a powerful way of communicating but unfortunately, we tend to show only the sensational stuff, pictures of good times and successes.  I like to see these too but when all we see is people living the high life we can’t help but compare ourselves to them, or at least, what we see of them. Our mundane and problematic life seems inferior and even pathetic. For some, especially young people, this is very dangerous and can contribute to serious depression.  I believe we can help change this.

Like you, I have learned a lot of hard lessons in life and paid a lot in stupid tax. Some people say they have no regrets. Not me, I have plenty. I don’t want to repeat them or have others make the same mistakes. As humans we are social creatures, we are meant to sit by the fire and share stories of our triumphs and failures as a way of passing down our lessons learned to make the next generation smarter and more prepared. As we get older we have an obligation to pass down our stories to the next generation and they have an obligation to learn from them. This is the fundamental foundation of all human societies since the first campfire.

By sharing our stories we can do something to help those who are in crisis, perhaps it’s a small thing, but for the one person that needs to hear that story, it can have a huge impact. Through a real story, from a real person, they can know they’re not alone and they can learn from our mistakes. It is through these stories we make meaningful connections to other people.

If you agree with the last few paragraphs and would like to see more stories like this please like this story and follow LifeTrec on Facebook and share it with your friends. Make sure to add your comments and share similar lessons learned this story may have inspired you to remember. But don’t stop there, please consider telling your own story. The first step in telling your story is to define who you are.  If you have ever tried this then you know it’s hard. To help you we have provided a free Know Thyself Activity Book which is both fun and revealing.  Click here to download.

For more stories like this please visit lifetrec.com/articles. For more information please contact us via email at info@lifetrec.com. We’re waiting to hear your story.