I’m a patriot. A red-blooded American. And I always will be. I love the country that gave me the opportunity for my family to prosper and the freedom for me to leave it.
See, the American Dream is different for all of us.
If you’re born in the United States, your perspective of America is different from everyone else’s. You may think your country is the land of opportunity. You may doubt why anyone would want to live elsewhere.
In many ways, you’re right.
The United States is top dog in terms of earning a living. There’s no better way to earn boatloads of money than working in America. I 100% agree with that.
But what is “America”? Well, her boundaries have changed. And so has my stance on the American Dream.
Here’s how:
You No Longer Need to Be in America to Live the American Dream
The daily grind looks different in 2023. You don’t have to work in an artificially-lit, cubicle-crammed dungeon for someone else anymore.
The internet has flipped work on its head.
You can earn a good, no, great, living online from wherever you want on the planet. And it’s easier than ever to launch your own business, even if you don’t consider yourself entrepreneurial.
Picture yourself here: Your toes dug into a soft, sandy beach watching the sun set on the horizon and waves crash on the jetty as you close your laptop for the day.
Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
(In truth I hate working from the beach. Sand in my keyboard. Reeks of seaweed. Drunk degenerates playing volleyball. But most people love it 🤣 So it’s a great example.)
If you work for someone else, can’t work remotely and this isn’t yet a reality, look at all the upside internet business affords you:
- Uncapped salary
- Flexible schedule
- Global remote work
So even if you work from your happy place in the remote mountains of Siberia, you can yet earn American dollars (one of the strongest currencies available today) and thrive.
The digital American Dream is here to stay. With a stable internet connection, your life, liberty and pursuit of happiness is no longer confined to American borders.
The boundaries have blurred. The dream has not.
The American Dream Is the Freedom to Live Life on Your Own Terms
English pilgrims sailed the Atlantic Ocean in the 1490s in search of opportunity. Those pioneers weren’t satisfied with the status quo. The sought unchartered territory to create their vision of a new society.
That’s the American Dream. The pursuit of your goals despite the uncertainty, despite society’s expectations, despite the risk.
Today, the frontiersmen’s spirit is yet alive. It just looks different.
Two years ago, I left the United States after starting my own marketing business 6 months prior. I sought a lower cost of living as I grew my company from zero. But surprisingly, I found a better life down here in my new frontier of South America.
What was originally going to be a 3-month trip has turned into a 2-year adventure and complete mindset shift.
The new American Dream challenges the normal. Life doesn’t have to be a predetermined sequence of school, college, job, marriage, kids, retirement and death all in the same place.
Learn. Spend a year in Bali. Explore. Grow. Another in São Paulo. Meet incredible people from around the globe. Build. Settle somewhere other than where you were born.
This is the redefined American Dream, a free life lived on your own terms, wherever you may be.
I adore the stars and stripes. But to live the American Dream, I don’t need to be within her borders anymore.
