09/14/2024
I asked my colleague and fellow innovator, Mark Tang, to the Challenge by +More Perfect Union to talk about what the American Dream means to each of us – so we can better understand each other and rediscover what unites us as Americans.
I came from modest beginnings and always aspired to create a better life for myself. I believed that with hard work and determination, I could achieve my version of the American Dream. As a child, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would often say, “The first female President of the United States.” No one ever suggested that this was out of reach or unlikely; instead, people would smile and say, “Good for you!” While becoming President is no longer a goal of mine, I still feel that I embody the essence of the American Dream. To me, this dream represents the idea that regardless of the circumstances we are born into—be it wealth or poverty, our race, gender, or sexual orientation, which are beyond our control—or the choices we make in life, such as our religion, careers, political views, or social affiliations, which we can control, we all have the freedom and opportunity to work hard and create lives that are meaningful to us.
Mark agreed but offered a slightly different perspective. To him, the American dream involves allowing people to pursue their own vision of happiness, as long as it's within reasonable bounds. He pointed out that individuals have varying levels of talent and that the American dream should recognize and reward a blend of talent, hard work, and luck. He mentioned, and I concurred, that achieving the American dream is possible if, as a nation, we maintain a realistic understanding of what "pursuing happiness" entails. This realistic understanding should consider a balanced mix of talent, hard work, and the advantages or disadvantages one starts with in life.
It's time for our country to reunite under these shared American values. No matter where you come from or who you vote for, we're all Americans and we need to remember that there is far more that unites us than divide us.
I want to encourage all of you to have by doing the following:
1. have a cup of coffee with someone from a different political persuasion to talk about the American Dream
2. record a 30s – 1 min video that shares what you learned from each other (or a photo discussing it)
3. post the video/photo online and challenge three people in your network to do the same!
Specifically, I’d like to challenge Liz Costanzo Morrison, Terron Sims II, Jamen Adamson, and Iliana Kline to have
Check out some of our other challenge-takers like Van Jones and David Urban: https://lnkd.in/g73u4w4y
Learn more about +More Perfect Union here: https://www.mpu.us/
