Reliving the American dream

For the vast majority of Americans, living the American dream resonates a successful life. This concept, introduced by historian John Truslow Adams, has inspired people to reach for their destiny through hard work and freedom of choice. However, with a whopping $130,000 a year, the estimated annual cost for the average family of four according to USA Today, is the American dream a dying platitude?

Several middle-class Americans today think that living the American dream is getting harder each day. CNNMoney's American Dream Poll and ORC International showed that six in 10 respondents said that the dream is unreachable. They have every reason to despair since they have gone through one of the worst recessions in recent history. And while most Americans are on the rebound, many are still suffering the recession aftermath. For them, the struggle to return to their normal lives continues.

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Yet, difficult as it sounds, there is still much to do to recapture the dream. According to a TIME Magazine article entitled “How to restore the American dream,” there are ways to do this, but they involve arduous adjustments. One of which is embracing globalization and technology now more than ever. Another key path is moving up from doing mere consumption to making profitable investments. A third solution is having better education and training for the workforce, including job retraining and employee development.

It is time ordinary Americans rethink their perception of what the American dream is today because the notion has evolved with time since its conceptualization. Americans have to navigate through painful changes, just like what the corporate world has done.

Restoring the American dream is not easy, but there is always a way to start and sustain it in the long run. Find more related stories by visiting this Pete Scamardo blog/a>.

Gift cards: Too impersonal or most appreciated?

According to a survey by BankRate, 84 percent of Americans have received a gift card and 72 percent have given a gift card to someone. At the end of 2014, about $124 billion have been loaded onto gift cards.

Despite the growing sales of gift cards, many are still against their use. The holidays, they say, are all about “showing family and friends that you care for them.” There is value in the effort made to look for a gift and in the thoughts put into giving it to someone. Instead of saying “here’s $25 you can spend on WalMart,” the giver can instead be saying “I remembered how you’ve been collecting trinkets like this so I decided to add another one to your collection.” This is also like saying that the giver keeps the receiver in their thoughts and cares a lot about them.

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On the other hand, gift cards are still appealing to others. Adults who want something particular are often too shy to ask someone else to purchase it for them. Gift cards, meanwhile, allow friends and family members to contribute to their budget for that item and ease the guilt of spending too much. Additionally, many people (three out of four, according to online retailer Rakuten) confess to disliking or not being able to use the gifts that they received.

Gift-giving is an activity with no guarantees. Sometimes all the effort put in by the giver isn’t appreciated by the recipient. Other times, even the simplest of gifts could mean a lot to someone. All of this highlight the importance of sharing feelings outright. For at least once every year, people have the opportunity to say “I love you, I appreciate you, I’m thankful that you’re with me.” The gift is merely the icebreaker.

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Why it's better to live in American than anywhere else

A lot of folks across the globe do not view America with favor. But no matter how much disfavor they show, their hunger for everything American never really subsides. Their secret love for America lives on and they keep coming back to this land for a staggering number of reasons.

This is where the good grub is.

From curated cupcakes and unlimited refills to finger-lickin’ supersized burgers, American food spells B-I-G, affordable, and fast. The nation is also the home of varieties of culinary experimentation, like the world-famous cronut. All-you-can eat buffets proliferate in every street corner, which are uncommon in many countries.

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There’s endless freedom everywhere.

“Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better,” Albert Camus once said. He proved his words right because so much about America is a result of the fight for freedom. There’s freedom of speech to freedom of religion. Not to mention the sheer number of what is legal in many states, which are unthinkable in several countries.

Things work based on convenience.

Having 24/7 pharmacies and drive-through fast food outlets is the standard in America. In other countries, this is impossible to have.

There’s unity in diversity.

America is a lodestone of different races, nationalities, religions, and genders. It attracts different people who, together, recognize various skills sets, orientation, backgrounds, and attitudes. This very same diversity encourages people to recognize things other than what they consider normal and usual. Putting one thing and another together, can create, generate, and innovate for the common good.
Once in a while, it’s nice to sit back and take pride in America and everything it offers. This veers the mind from inimical forces to focus on the good, instead.

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