The American Dream is Back
The American Dream Is Back
SNIPPET #51
The American Dream is making a comeback.
Once revered, then stashed away as unachievable for most, it is returning to the spotlight with a growing brightness. But beyond the pretty picture it paints and the clever little tagline it provides – what really is the American Dream? Why does it matter and is it really possible for anyone other than the elite to achieve it?
We’ve thought long and hard about this. We’ve lived different stages of that dream. We’ve lost our grasp on it, and now have it clutched tightly to our hearts. It is through our own experiences that we’ve learned the nuances of the American Dream.
We’ve experienced the swell of hope when we recognize its potential, and we’ve felt the crushing weight of disappointment when we fell short of achieving it, or when it was ripped away from us. Now we are sharing these lessons with you.
The first thing to understand is that anyone, regardless of where they are born or what they are born into, has the ability to create a life of their own design.
The American dream offers the freedom of choice and the freedom to live in accordance with one’s values.
This concept is not something we created; It is woven into the tapestry of this country’s history and offered in our Declaration of Independence as the three unalienable rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
The American Dream imposes no limits to those committed to its pursuit, and demands that those who achieve it extend themselves to help others do the same.
Millions of men and women have fought to defend these rights in this country. They have served and sacrificed to ensure these rights remain available to the people they love, and to billions of others they never knew. It is this aspect of the American Dream we remember each day, and call upon our community to do as well.
With these rights – with the opportunity for all of us to achieve the American Dream – comes a responsibility.
We owe it to the men and women who have borne the true cost of our freedom and all the opportunities we have today to use this gift with mindfulness, tenacity, and gratitude.
We built American Snippets to serve as a platform and conduit for positivity, possibility, and patriotism. This mission is achieved via our podcasts and feature articles on extraordinary people across this country, our personal coaching and speaking, our American Snippets Facebook Community and low cost membership to our Inner Circle.
Each guest featured on American Snippets personifies the fulfillment of the American Dream.
Many of them have endured and overcome horrific traumas, significant personal or professional setbacks, or life-threatening illnesses or injuries. Every single one of them has risen above those events to meet and exceed their once seemingly unachievable goals. Most of them are now committed to helping others forge their own paths through adversity.
The lessons learned from each of our guests can be carried into your own lives and your own fulfillment of the American Dream. Their messages and examples of resilience, strength, courage, perseverance, patriotism and compassion are undeniable evidence of the potential within each of us, and the extraordinary events that happen when we maximize that potential.
There is immense power in proximity. Who you surround yourself with matters. We know we’re lucky to meet so many extraordinary people. Getting to know them enhances our own lives and strengthens our own mindsets every day. It brings us much happiness to share their stories with you so that you, too, can fuel your mind and feed your spirits with their inspiration, insight, and encouragement.
These guests spotlight precisely what it is about the American Dream, that make it so meaningful and so achievable.
They demonstrate the extraordinary efforts people across this country are taking to help others make their American dream a reality. Here’s a sample of some of our interviews.
Dmitriy Kozlov
After leaving Soviet Russia and moving to America at just 7 years old, Dmitriy Kozlov was stuck in the middle ground of greatness and self-destruction.
His initial wonder at the enormous blessings this country has were turned to massive disappointment as he endured childhood bullying he resolved by joining a gang. When that escape nearly killed him and the rest of the world seemed to have given up on him, Dmitriy turned his rebellious nature toward turning his life around and proving everyone who believed he’d fail, wrong.
Today he’s a successful and inspirational entrepreneur who’s built several companies. He’s also a catalyst for giving back, determined to do his part to enhance as many lives as he can.
Eddie Pinero is a 29 year old entrepreneur, Speaker, Author and YouTuber from Miami Florida. His YouTube Channel has over 18 Million viewers and it all started with an idea that grew into a decision. For a year and a half, Eddie quietly went about his corporate work while steadfastly building a foundation for him to leap on to. He blogged. He returned to writing music and he started making videos. Eddie followed through on his plan for a new path and he changed the trajectory of his own life by doing so.
A lot of people walk through life picking up a lesson here, and a lesson there, grasping some and forgetting most. But Eddie Pinero collects life lessons and nurtures each one. He pulls them close. He lives them, and he shares them with the world via his videos and his YouTube Channel “Your World Within.”
Eddie Pinero
Micah Fink
He may have left the battlefield, but this Navy Seal has never stopped fighting. Micah Fink first waged his own inner battle to adjust to civilian life after combat, then turned his sights to helping others.
Who doesn’t love cowboys? What’s not to love about wild horses? In Micah’s interview, he tells us about his organization Heroes and Horses, where wild mustangs become battle buddies for combat veterans in the vast Montana wilderness.
The three-phased reintegration process of the Heroes and Horses Program is intense, demanding, difficult, and beautiful. Its holy trinity of beliefs is: People change only two ways: pressure and time. It’s purpose that allows you to overcome your external circumstances. It’s the struggle that gives things value.
Elena Cardone is known to many as the Queen of the Cardone Empire. She and her husband Grant have the kind of success some people dream of for themselves while others view as impossible. They are both respected and envied – sought after by those who understand the possibility and potential they represent and offer, while frowned upon by those who misunderstand the purpose behind their massive success. The Cardones have expanded their empire by teaching others how to emulate their success, both personally and professionally. Still, there are sides to this power couple that can be overlooked.
Elena shared the very personal side of their purpose and the enormous struggles she and her husband faced along their paths. From childhood traumas to costly mistakes, it is a testament to them both that they persevered and achieved what they have. Deeply patriotic and equally charitable, Elena Cardone is a force in her own right.
Elena Cardone
Sean Stephenson
Sean Stephenson was born to die – at least that’s what the doctors told his parents immediately after he was born.
But decades later, he’s inspired millions of people around the globe as a doctor, best-selling author, and international speaker.
Sean is living proof that the mind is a powerful weapon against adversity. The Biography Channel even did an hour feature on his life called “The Three Foot Giant”.
Anyone who has ever struggled with doubt, pain, insecurity, and seemingly insurmountable setbacks will want to hear this extraordinary man’s story and follow the example he’s set.
If you feel like your patriotism has been held hostage by all the divisiveness and controversy we’ve seen in the past few years, Daniel Alarik has your back.
Daniel is a Drill Sergeant -turned-entrepreneur on a mission to bring patriotism to every home in this country.
Daniel Alarik had an idea – to create and sell patriotic apparel he was certain like-minded Americans would snatch up.
His company, Grunt Style, is an unapologetically patriotic-packed buffet of products designed to display American pride. But Grunt Style is not just about products and sales. It’s about a culture that inspires patriotism and defends the rights of every American.
Daniel Alarik
Max Martini
Max Martini is a Hollywood veteran committed to showing his thanks to military veterans.
It was his role in Saving Private Ryan that changed his life both on and off screen, introducing him to the military world. Since then, he’s often cast in the role of military characters, including the movie 13 Hours and the TV show The Unit. But it’s what he does off-screen that caught our attention.
His career allows him to meet the real-life men and women who serve in our military, and he now calls several veterans his friend. Max has grown into a staunch supporter and advocate for veterans and is personally involved with three non-profits dedicated to their support. But that was still not enough for him.
When he met an Army Ranger who shared his story with him, Max decided it was time to kick it up. For seven years he dedicated himself to creating a film depicting his friend’s experiences, and he is preparing for its release.
Dee Willard-Ruffin is a living example of what is possible with perseverance, grit, and graciousness. First, she fought her way up the corporate ladder to become the first African American female Postmaster in Bethesda, Maryland. Next, she pushed through the pain of her husband’s death to make a comeback in life, starting over and creating a highly successful real estate investment company.
And when we interviewed her, Dee shared another, incredible, and seldom shared story of survival she faced first.
If you’ve ever doubted in your own ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable setbacks, wondered how you can create the life you want even if you are starting with nothing, or faced with racial or gender barriers, Dee’s story has the answers.
Dee Willard Ruffin
We’re going to say it again; There is immense power in proximity. Who do you surround yourself with? Is it people like Micah, or Dee? Or is it people who settle in to their unhappiness and unfulfillment, never daring to push beyond their own pain or setbacks, to achieve their own goals or help others?
We realized how our own lives changed via the impact of people in our personal and professional circles. New opportunities and new joy found us through lessons learned and mindsets shifted as a result of refining the circle of people we surround ourselves with.
We knew the same results could happen for everyone who is committed to realizing their own American Dream, and decided to help you out by sharing stories of people you can draw inspiration and insight from.
Every person we feature has faced at least one moment in life that felt unsurvivable or unable to overcome. They know what it’s like to feel as if their dreams are out of reach. If you struggle with that feeling, if you are about to give up on your dreams, maybe it’s time to look at things differently.
The truth is that dreams are something you wish for. Let our stories and the stories of our guests teach you how to stop simply wishing and start setting an intention to go after what you want in life.
If you really want to start living a fuller, more successful life and become the best version of you, it’s time to start setting clear goals on what you want and who want to be. You may believe you are less capable than others, but that is not true. It’s a lie your subconscious is telling you to protect you from the perceived threat of struggle. It’s a lie reinforced by others seeking to validate their own fears.
You are just as capable as anyone. You have the power to live a life by design.
The only difference between the people we feature here on American Snippets and you is insight, commitment, and mindset. They know this, too. This is why they share their stories – so they can help others understand the potential in all of our lives.
You are no less capable than anyone who has achieved their goals and continues moving forward in life. Everyone who achieves great success started with a dream. What allowed them to realize those dreams is the actions they took. First, they converted those dreams into goals. Next, they committed to learning what needed to be done to achieve those goals, and finally, they executed those actions – without wavering – until they succeeded. Today they continue setting new goals even as they help others do the same.
We know how hard things can be and what it feels like to want to give up, but anything worth pursuing and doing is going to be challenging. Are you up for the challenge? Are you ready to claim the life you deserve?
Let’s make your American Dream a reality, let’s start with you – right here, right now.
American Snippets Is More Than A Podcast
It is a community of people from all walks of life coming together to build positivity, pursue possibilities, and promote the values of patriotism.
Barb Allen
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