The American dream. What is it? Is it real? How can I achieve it and be happy? These are the questions we have came to ask ourselves and we aren't the blame. Ever since I was old enough to read and understand what laws were I was already a child with a "guaranteed bright future ahead." Now I question that with some integrity. We are all taught that the way of life is 8 simple steps. Go to school, get your high school diploma, go to college, choose the most honorable major, get your college diploma, go out and find a job with that diploma, live the dream, retire, live the retirement and pass away in peace. Is that really the route we want to go down.
Who are we?
Right now in today's society, i don't believe that "The American Dream" is possible. I don't believe that chasing your dream is possible by just a piece of paper saying you have succeeded in spending 2-8 years studying, slaving, and being intelligent. People like Maya Angelou, Oprah, Robert De Niro, multi-millionaires if not billionaires didn't have a college diploma at the start of their successes. Did they get their royalties from textbooks and homework? If they can live The American Dream without any of the steps, why can't I? What if I want to become a singer or fashion designer or author? Why can't I live The American Dream in my way?
Who are we?
As a girl born that was born into a less fortunate family, am I really that lucky? Could i really succeed by just a piece of paper. The American Dream that politics and the media has washed up isn't real in my opinion. It was just a gimmick back in the day when no one had a slight idea of what it was. Even if it was a such thing as The American Dream, are we all guaranteed that right of being happy? Is every single 300 to 400 million people. .guaranteed anything? Are we really the America that has promised: "the land of the free and home of the brave"?
Who are we?
Are we guaranteed life in general. Kids are being killed in schools, regular US citizens killed at their favorite pass-times. Schools, Movie Theaters, Churches, and Grocery Stores. Are we safe at all. As a student, I am worried deeply about how this upcoming school year will go? Will I go to see another day? Am I really achieving that American Dream we were all taught as children? How are we suppose to learn and feel safe knowing that one day I could be sitting right next to a school shooter who does it the next day? Kids forced to throw things at doors, hide and hope for the best. Five year old's forced to deal with the trauma from the sound of a single gun. 16 year old's traumatized from seeing their best friend on the classroom floor.
Who are we?
Women slaving trying to live that promised American Dream just so that they have basic human rights taken away from them. Women forced to carry babies that they cannot afford. Women forced to have those babies just so that they can starve when formula isn't available. Women forced to have that special and bright child just so that they are taken away from her. Women forced to endure the pain of losing a baby while the main culprit sends condolences and prayers instead of taking action.
Who am I?
Am I an American or am I an American't.
Do I matter?
Is The American Dream worth it?
Who Have We Become?
About the Creator
Dez
A girl writing and inspiring one letter at a time.
Keep reading
More stories from writers in Motivation and other communities.
One Hard Thing
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: You have the number, you know your schedule- you’ve even picked out the perfect day and time to make this appointment. Shoot, you’ve even picked out alternative days and times just in case their schedules can’t accommodate you!
By Taylor Rigsby7 days ago in Motivation
The Architecture of the Unstoppable Mind: Why 99% of People Fail and How to Be the 1%
Failure Is Not Random Most people believe failure happens because of bad luck, lack of talent, or unfair circumstances. That belief alone guarantees they will remain stuck. Failure is not accidental. It is architectural. The way your mind is built—your habits, thought loops, emotional responses, and tolerance for discomfort—determines whether you rise or collapse when pressure arrives. The difference between the 99% and the 1% is not intelligence. It is not privilege. It is not motivation. It is mental design. This article explores the architecture of an unstoppable mind: why most people fail repeatedly, and how the top 1% construct an internal system that makes quitting nearly impossible. The Comfort Trap: Where the 99% Disappear The human brain evolved to seek comfort, not greatness. Comfort feels safe. Comfort feels logical. Comfort feels justified. But comfort is where ambition goes to die. The 99%: Avoid discomfort Delay hard decisions Choose short-term relief over long-term growth Confuse being busy with being effective They wait to “feel ready.” They wait for confidence. They wait for perfect conditions. The 1% understands a brutal truth: Readiness is built after action, not before it. The Unstoppable Mind Is Built, Not Born No one is born mentally unstoppable. The 1% constructs their mindset intentionally, brick by brick. They design: How they respond to stress How they interpret failure How they speak to themselves How they handle boredom, rejection, and delay Most people let their environment design their mind. The 1% designs their environment around their mind. Why Motivation Is a Lie Motivation is emotional. Emotion is unreliable. The 99% waits for motivation and collapses when it disappears. The 1% builds systems that function without motivation. They rely on: Discipline over desire Structure over emotion Identity over willpower They don’t ask, “Do I feel like it?” They ask, “Is this who I am?” When action becomes identity, resistance weakens. Failure Is Feedback—But Only If You’re Listening The 99% takes failure personally. The 1% takes failure informationally. Most people see failure as: Proof they are not good enough A reason to stop A confirmation of fear The unstoppable mind sees failure as: A diagnostic tool A training signal A data point They adjust, not retreat. Failure does not damage them—it sharpens them. The Discipline Gap Discipline is not punishment. It is self-respect in action. The 99% treats discipline like suffering. The 1% treats discipline like freedom. Why? Because discipline removes decision fatigue. It removes chaos. It removes negotiation with weakness. The unstoppable mind does not debate with itself every morning. It follows pre-decided rules. Rules beat willpower every time. Emotional Control: The Hidden Divider Most people are ruled by their emotions. Anger controls action. Fear controls silence. Comfort controls consistency. The 1% feels emotions—but does not obey them. They understand: Emotions are signals, not commands Feelings pass; standards remain Reactivity destroys momentum The unstoppable mind delays reaction and chooses response. That pause is power. Why Most People Quit at the Boring Stage Everyone is excited at the beginning. Almost no one survives the middle. The middle is where: Results are invisible Progress is slow Praise disappears Doubt becomes loud The 99% quits here. The 1% understands something critical: Boredom is the entry price of mastery. They continue when nothing feels rewarding. That is where separation happens. Identity Engineering: Becoming the 1% The unstoppable mind is identity-driven. Instead of saying: “I’m trying to be disciplined” They say: “I am disciplined” Instead of: “I want success” They say: “I operate like successful people” Behavior follows identity—not goals. If your identity is weak, your habits will be fragile. Mental Toughness Is Trained, Not Imagined Mental toughness is not shouting affirmations. It is built through: Consistent discomfort Delayed gratification Repetition under resistance Showing up without applause The unstoppable mind trains under conditions where quitting is tempting. That training compounds quietly. Focus Is the New Superpower The 99% is distracted. The 1% is deliberate. Constant notifications, endless scrolling, shallow consumption—these fracture attention. The unstoppable mind protects focus aggressively. They understand: Focus multiplies effort Distraction dissolves potential Attention is finite and valuable What you give attention to builds you—or breaks you. Why the 1% Is Comfortable Being Misunderstood The 99% needs approval. The 1% needs alignment. They are willing to: Look obsessive Appear boring Be called extreme Because they are not building a popular life. They are building a meaningful one. The unstoppable mind values results over recognition. Pain, Pressure, and Psychological Growth Avoiding pain creates fragility. The 1% leans into controlled pressure. They understand: Pressure reveals weakness Weakness guides improvement Comfort creates stagnation They do not seek suffering—but they do not run from it. They use it. Consistency Beats Intensity The 99% operates in bursts. The 1% operates in rhythms. Small actions repeated daily outperform dramatic effort done rarely. The unstoppable mind respects consistency more than enthusiasm. Intensity impresses. Consistency transforms. How to Start Building an Unstoppable Mind You don’t need a complete overhaul. Start with: One non-negotiable daily habit One discomfort you stop avoiding One excuse you eliminate One standard you refuse to lower Momentum follows clarity. Conclusion: Becoming the 1% Is a Decision, Not a Destiny The gap between the 99% and the 1% is not talent. It is tolerance—for discomfort, boredom, discipline, and delayed reward. An unstoppable mind is not loud. It is not dramatic. It is quiet, structured, and relentless. You don’t rise to your goals. You fall to your systems. Build the architecture wisely.
By Zahid Hussain7 days ago in Motivation
Trouble at the Tea Leafing Café
The rain had started right around the time that Annie was buttering her second thick slice of homemade toast for breakfast, and hadn’t paused since. Not that anyone could tell. The windows of the café were fogged over, and with every seat filled with happy customers munching on fresh baked pastries or steaming bowls of the delicious soup of the day, it was hardly surprising. Annie looked around the room, finally taking a moment to breathe after the lunch time rush. Her old life already felt like a bad memory, a part of her history, always, but just that. History.
By Hannah Moore2 days ago in Fiction
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.