What is the American Dream?

In today’s America, politics have driven people into corners. Volatile rhetoric has pitted us against each other and reduced conversations to 280-character-or-less sound bites. This isn’t how it should be. It isn’t what our Founding Fathers intended. It isn’t the America our grandparents knew. If we step back, most Americans may say it isn’t what they want, either.  

And yet there is hope. Americans have solutions. We always have. Families and communities have tackled some of the world’s most complex issues. We’ve put people on the moon and cured diseases thought incurable. We’ve built a nation based on each person’s freedom to worship how they want, voice their opinion, and create a better life for themselves and their children.  

This is the American Dream.  

In our country, anyone can make it. Our potential is limited only by our own imagination and our own work ethic. It is up to us to keep it that way. We need Americans from all walks of life to come together, lift each other up, and defend the things that matter most: freedom, family, opportunity, and hope. That is what LEAD is all about.  

At LEAD, we recognize that the goals, aspirations, and definitions of success look different for everyone. While one person’s ideal career might be becoming a mail carrier, another’s might be becoming a small business owner. One child’s dream could be becoming President of the United States, while another’s is climbing the corporate ladder and becoming the CEO of a major company. One individual’s American Dream might be staying at home with their kids, while another’s goal is building a career in education. The American Dream isn’t a guarantee for success, but the guarantee of opportunity for each person; an opportunity to become whom they want to be and achieve their goals, regardless of the zip code where they grew, the country listed on their first passport, or the family model into which they were born and/or raised.  

At LEAD, we don’t believe the American Dream has a simple 1-2-3 step formula. Instead, our mission is to share inspiration and resources to help discover what that means for you. We’re committed to fostering conversations that work toward solutions for complex issues that could prevent some people from opportunities to create a better future. We hope these stories and resources pave your path for success and achievement, based on your own vision for your future. 

Join the conversation to create a space that equips you with the tools you need to lead yourself, your community, and your country toward greater success and prosperity.  

Together, we can protect the American Dream for generations to come.