I recently read the cover story of USA Today. It says 14 million Americans are struggling according to a study by Gallup and Healthways, a Tennessee based health management company. It also says that “the concept of the American dream reflects aspirations for the long term that have endured through good times and bad, but not indestructible.” The findings also “underscores the task of maintaining the sense of possibility that has marked the Nation since it’s founding.” I have been a single mother for 13 years.
For me, pursuing the American Dream means that I believe in the possibility of achieving something. If someone’s heart has been struck by Cupid’s arrow, that person will pursue the other until he or she gets its heart’s desire. The heart’s love is providing the fuel to passionately pursue. I luckily have always been an optimistic person even when obstacles come to greet me.
My income as a real estate broker has dropped dramatically in the past two years. I am one of those 14 million Americans struggling right now. But I refuse, at 48 years old, to give up on my dreams and future possibilities. An arrow once drawn goes only in one direction. when it comes to a dream for a better life, that arrow better be filled with the right fuel. That fuel is love of what you are doing. I always have loved the real estate business. I have sold commercial and residential properties.
Because of my finance education, I love the number crunching when it comes to analyzing buildings. On the other hand, when it comes to helping someone find their dream home, it gives me great satisfaction of seeing a family settle into their home. Home after all is where the heart should be and the safe haven of nurturing the people we love the most- our family. I still have my 16 year old son at home with me. It has been difficult to juggle the two roles of breadwinner and nurturer. I always chose nurturer over breadwinner.
So, I may have given up pursuing certain real estate deals or creative projects because my arrow was mainly pointed at raising my son. The good thing is that income always flowed even through a divorce and a subsequent car accident that left me unable to walk for almost a year. My current struggle due to my profession as a real estate broker has not stopped the arrow pointed in my home. My son needs me less since he is now a teen and in just a few years, he will be off to college. Now, my arrow can be pointed in a new direction. I feel the struggle of homeowners because I myself, don’t know if I can stay in my home.
So instead of shutting down my heart and spiraling into depression, I am now asking Cupid to lift me and awaken my heart to pursue all my dreams that may have been temporarily put aside because I chose to nurture my son over being a breadwinner. I am so happy I made this choice because my son is the greatest blessing in my life. Hopefully now, as Cupid helps me to awaken the dreams hidden in the recesses of my heart, the arrow will lead me to the right place. I know then that soon enough, the income will follow. The love I have for my son and the future generation provides me the fuel.