Last Saturday I was on the plane on the way to Cozumel, Mexico for our family vacation and as the plane took off and the sunrise was in the horizon, I was thanking God for my life. I then started to ponder on the “American dream.” I asked myself, “What is truly the American dream? Is it having money? Is it being educated? Is it owning a home, being married with a couple of kids, two cars, and a dog? Is it having a job or high paying occupation? Is it being an entrepreneur and thus being your own boss?
The answer could be all of the above or any of the above but I think it’s none of the above… The American dream is to have Freedom! The freedom to choose what to do with your life. It’s the freedom to pursue happiness—whichever way you choose to do it.
The first settlers came to America because they wanted to be free. Freedom is an innate desire of all human beings. God created us to be free with a will to choose. Having lived through a revolution in my country of origin, Nicaragua, where the people lost their freedom to a communist regime, makes me appreciate the freedom I have by being now an American.
Those of you who had the privilege of being born in this nation, always remember there is a price to pay for freedom. Those of you who came to this nation as an immigrant and chose to become an American, don’t forget what it took to accomplish it and obtain that gift.
Either way, all the people who live in this country enjoy the freedom to choose what to do with their lives. America is still the land of opportunity. It doesn’t matter so much what you choose to pursue, what matters is that you have the choice to pursue happiness.
It doesn’t matter, really, what your background is, or where you came from. What matters is your desire to pursue happiness. What matters is your passion and enthusiasm for life and the realization that you are able to succeed if you choose to.
There is one choice I hope you make during the course of your life and that is the choice to pursue God above all. Once you do that, He will ensure the rest is taken care of. When you choose to have God in your life then He will be there for you and with you through all your hurts and tribulations as well as all your successes. Then you can share Him with others throughout your journey.
Enjoy your freedom and thank God every day for it!