MY GENERATION…

(According to researchers, 47% of Americans, age 25-34, are unhappy in their professional lives)

Has the modern American dream, diluted with the new age advice of “DO WHAT YOU LOVE” left us professionally unhappy and altogether dissatisfied?

The American dream at its core meant being able to provide your family with the basics (i.e. a decent size home, food, and education). 

But with the passage of time, the dream, like most modern economies, has now been inflated, dot.com bubble style, to include dreams of attaining a home modeled after one seen on MTV’s Cribs, driving around in the new “IT” luxury car, taking vacations- in the royal family manner of course, filling all aspects of your life with state of the art technology and so forth... I ask you— since when is a yearly skiing trip mandatory for a person living on a Bartender’s salary?  I am not making this up.

As if this now inflated, strictly materialistic “American dream” is not demoralizing enough, thanks to the Oprahs (whom I adore) and the Bill Gates’ of the world, we are now suppose to be immensely satisfied with whatever career path we chose in helping us achieve the Fabulous life of *** insert name here *** The concept of doing what you love is an admirable and fulfilling one if you realize that doing what you love will probably leave you off the Forbes list.  I will admit, there is a select few that get to experience the nirvana of a dream career producing riches, but due to the trajectory nature of modern information, we have fallen prey to believing the world is made up of such people and that it will soon be our turn.  

This new way of thinking could be blamed for the statistic quoted above.  Since we are being groomed for the impossible—achieving material excess in a “Kumbaya” manner—one is no longer satisfied with showing up to a routine job, day-in, day-out, for countless hours, reporting to someone they probably think they are smarter than; when it is possible—according to modern day doctrine— to tap into your inner jokester, your flair for the dramatics, your love for athletics and beautiful things, or your bubbly nature to make a fabulous living.  

Please remember, this is all my lowly opinion... but sadly, we cannot all possibly have Mark Zuckerberg’s brain nor can we all be highly successful Reality TV /Personality stars; so for the sake of your sanity, pick one. 
Get the glamorous job (I use the term glamorous here loosely as your dream job might be climbing a mountain in an area without indoor plumbing…) or get the job that will allow American Express to name you as the Godfather to one of its offspring.  Don't expect to get the benefits of both.  And if you do, please see yourself as one in a million and do not write a self-help book advising others to do what they love in order to be rich like you.  These concepts are not interchangeable but rather damning.

I for one am just ready to let it all go and move to Bali ala Eat, Pray, Love style.  I find that my favorite thing to do, lying around, will be most welcome there.

Until next time, 

XOXO

Ava