The New American Dream
It's time for this country to stop believing the lies and chasing the consumerist dream.
Ever since I was a child, the ideal of the American Dream has been sold to me, one way or the other, by those who believed this was the only way to live your life.
Get your education.
Work a job.
Raise a family.
Own a home.
Love your country.
Pay your taxes.
Retire at 72.
Travel the world.
It was a perfect lifestyle created by the marketing machine after our victory in World War II, one that shifted from the dream of equality to the dream of consumerism.
We were taught if we just worked hard enough, we could have a slice of the American Pie, one that would satisfy our deepest hunger and fill our belly with happiness until the day we would peacefully pass from this earth.
And this country ate it up!
A new awakening.
Thankfully, some of us finally started to see just how sickening this abusive and overindulgent behavior from the 1950s mindset really was.
We discovered everything we’d been sold was nothing more than ingenious lies created to get our money and shackle us to a life we never really wanted, one that imprisoned us instead of giving us the freedom we so desperately dreamed of.
We learned we had traded a sense of adventure for a sense of false security, the open roads for concrete jungles, and the ability to live comfortably for overwhelming debt, all because Americans deserved to have the “best” this country could offer.
We realized just how unhealthy our lifestyle had become and how miserable we were, simply because we believed there was a better life waiting for us.
But not anymore!
An awakening has been happening and it’s about time.
A new dream.
Years ago I had a discussion with my son Tyler, and I remember him telling me how younger people were fed up with the American Dream, as well as the outdated ideologies older generations had indoctrinated them to believe.
Millennials were seeking a different life, one that had nothing to do with lasting careers, property ownership, blind patriotism, or an expensive education — all meaningless values according to today’s culture.
Rather than selling their souls to buy things they didn’t need or want, they were choosing to invest their money into experiences.
Instead of wasting their time on worthless pursuits or socially defined lifestyles, they were pursuing activities and jobs that brought them happiness.
These youthful visionaries decided it was time for change, opting out of the bullshit sold to them by greedy capitalists and their aging grandparents, and created a new and more meaningful dream to begin chasing after.
On that day, I also realized the seemingly delicious slice of American Pie I’d slowly been eating for years, was poisoning me and killing my soul, and in my heart I knew it was time to break free of this unhealthy bondage.
I’m not the only one to feel this way though.
On my adventures across the United States, I’ve met lots of people who have also decided the American Dream is something they no longer want or need, and they have redefined what it means to actually be happy and content in this country today.
Your own definition matters.
Personally, I think we’ve wasted too much time allowing other people to convince us the standard definition of success in America is what we truly desired.
Not to mention, the wealth and health industry, along with the advertising industry, have duped us for so long now, humans seem largely incapable of achieving any form of happiness because the ideals we’ve been sold will largely never be attainable.
And sadly, even Europeans have accepted our lifestyle as their new norm.
Therefore we must ask ourselves what really matters.
Is it endless debt, huge mortgages, high interest rates, shiny objects, prestigious titles, and being guilted into living how our parents lived?
Or is it endless freedom, cheaper living, beautiful memories, wonderful vacations, experiencing joy, and living how we want to live?
There’s nothing wrong with desiring a better life, but very few Americans could probably define exactly what that means because the great marketing machine has already defined that for them.
By the way, here’s a hint: It’s not your true happiness and success that matters, but your undying allegiance to consumerism and your money.
So it’s important for you to define it for yourself!
A different kind of life.
In the last four years, I’ve experienced a waaaay different kind of life because I changed my entire worldview about everything.
Now my definition of success and happiness isn’t rooted in what I do professionally or what I buy; it’s based on how I live and how I invest in rewarding experiences.
For example.
The personal contents of what I need to use each day fit neatly into a 17 gallon Commander tote and a backpack. The same goes for Donetta. We also have three more totes to store camping supplies, cooking items, and survival gear, own a BougeRV CR45 48 Quart Portable Fridge and Bluetti AC180 Solar Portable Power Station, possess a handful of other travel related items, and drive a 2023 Chevy Silverado pick up truck fitted with an Armadillo X2 roof top tent.
Aside from a 10 x 10 storage with sentimental items we wanted to keep and a closet of extra clothes, this is practically all we own.
And rather than pay for all the other stuff we’ve been told to buy, our income goes to an amazing full-time traveling experience and a handful of bills. Most of the time we wake up in the mountains or by the sea. We’re semi-retired, make money online, and are as happy as can be.
This is our American Dream.
Your version, of course, will and should be different.
I guess the gist of this article is helping people realize they don’t need to buy what America is selling in order to be content; they can create a new dream and follow that to a place of real happiness instead.
Define it.
Dream it.
Live it.
I just built out my RAV4 for solo car camping. I am a product of my upbringing but am discovering the pleasures of simple outdoor experiences.
I love it and applaud you! I've read some of your stories and am inspired. I hope to meet you on the road.