What The American Creed Taught Me

What The American Creed taught me

The American dream vs. the American reality. What are the differences? What do we wish to accomplish and what are we able to accomplish? Most of the time we take decisions and act based on what we have been influenced throughout our lives. Growing up, I have always been told that education is the only way I can be someone successful in life. Coming to the United States is like an open entrance not just for me, but also for many people where we can find our own way through life. But why do some people have more privilege than others? You have more opportunities based on who you are, where you are born, and where you currently live. It is more hard for others to achieve their goals because they were not given an advanced privilege; they have to work from the very beginning to get to where they want to be. Trying to accomplish our dreams is like running in a race for the golden medal. The process of winning that golden medal can take time and come with obstacles along the way. But is the golden medal we win at the end the only thing that will really prove our achievements? We need to think about the people around us too. We learned everything not just from school but also from the community that surrounds us. The people we see everyday, who we interact with, and who we live with are important too. It is possible that we might forget about those people along the way. But having a good education, going to college and developing our careers is not the gift of success that will make us who we really are. It is the hard work we put in and the people that support us during the process. That is success.

We all can experience many situations that can teach us the value of success. Achieving your goals is not just about having an education and making a lot of money, it is more about finding your true self and what makes you happy. An interview that was done with Zunita Cummins for the article “Living a Life with No Limitations” proves this point. Zunita Cummins, a Panamanian woman who immigrated to the United States after applying for a tourist visa that flipped a page in the book of her life, came to the USA to learn English because in her country, Panama, a person who speaks fluent English gets higher paying jobs in the tourist industry. She completed four English classes as a second language at Richland College in Dallas, Texas. Then she got married and received her residency visa and started working as a nanny for many families that encouraged her a lot. Zunnita Cummins worked for many wonderful people that even one of her employers decided to help her go back to school and become a preschool teacher. She received so much help along the way that gave her the opportunity to remain in the United States and become a citizen. She is a preschool teacher who later founded her own company called “Dallas Baby Whisperer.” Zunita Cummins’s gifts of success are not only her achievements but the help she received from good people that saw her as a hard working woman who was looking for a better future. It is amazing how the people around us give us so much support that leads the way for the accomplishments of our dreams. Many others would not agree with Zunnita Cummins’s experience because according to the article “Most think the ‘American dream’ is within reach for them” say, “Far Fewer Americans say ‘becoming wealthy’ is essential to the American dream than say the same about personal freedom and a good family life.” They prefer being rich and having all the money they want, instead of having freedom and family. Someone can have all the money in the world, however they might forget who they are and where they come from. They will only think about themselves and will forget the people who were there along the process.

I have learned to believe that success is not just about the outcome and winning a golden medal. It is about the work and effort we put during the process. It is about all the time we spend on doing what we need to do to accomplish our dreams. We should be proud of ourselves and be grateful for what we are given. Even the small things matter because like the butterfly effect, a butterfly flapping its wings can make the world turn upside down. It is important that we appreciate every single opportunity and the people that are with us on the way to our success. Condoleezza Rice, the 66 secretary of the USA even said “You can be and do anything you want but you can’t leave others behind.”