Christmas Reflections: The New American Dream

For many generations, the image of the American dream has been to own a home. 

While the increased cost of housing, living, and other economic pressures weigh heavily on the younger generations today, I still believe this plays a part in the American dream.

I also believe we are all searching for more. The new American Dream has evolved into pursuing and creating a legacy of Time Freedom.

Working hard is admirable and necessary to achieve any dream. Being a rugged individualist has its perks, and sometimes, we equate it with living the American dream of freedom and creating our own future.

But how do we do that today?

Is it really just sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice, and then maybe someday in the future, you can retire and actually live your dreams?

The Cost of Living For “Someday”

Working hard solely for someday in the future is backwards logic. If you only live for the future, you never enjoy the present.

The younger generations today are discovering this sooner than my own generation. They're seeing the imbalance of many who thought working hard and sacrificing decade after decade was the “right” thing to do.

The key principle is balance. We must be cautious about how society defines success and whether we want to adhere to it. The pressure from society and their definitions are what lead most of us to do what we do.

Yes, we learn discipline and how to work hard. Both are good things. I went through school, earned the education, worked hard, and took on the risk to create the income by sweat and toil, just like you.

But I realized I was missing out on some key components of my life that I might never get back.

My daughter had health crises of cancer (leukemia), epileptic seizures, and then, at age 12, a liver transplant.

I was confronted with a decision that would change my life.

Do I keep trying to build a legacy of financial security when I may lose the very person for whom I’m doing this?

I decided then and there that my time and freedom were more important.

Financial Security vs Freedom

Most people (even the supposed experts) don't understand that you must focus on both. There are seasons where you may prioritize one over the other, but you never completely abandon the other.

The goal is to obtain replacement income to support your freedom as soon as possible. Use your wealth to produce cash flow, irrespective of whether you go to work. That's what I call creating time freedom.

This can be done in anyone's life much earlier in your career than society deems possible. Society aims to get you to retire at 62, 65, or 70. As long as they can because society considers your life to be theirs.

My friends, that's too late. Don’t let someone else determine your future or your worth. If you retire at the average retirement age for dentists (69), you may be dealing with potential health issues, and you may have already lost many of the friends and family you care to enjoy your time with. 

Your time today is worth more than a future that is not guaranteed.

Financial Principles to Creating Time Freedom Today

Learning to live below one's means is a critical aspect of creating time freedom that our society does not talk about.

Society advocates for immediate gratification. “You can have anything you want right now. You can even use money you don’t have for it.”

This is one of the major reasons for the increasing debt problem among most Americans. Debt steals from your future. It steals from this country's future. If you incur debt, you use your future dollars to pay for today. 

Living below your means and learning how to put that discretionary capital (what you’ve saved) to work is critical to creating the replacement income for your freedom. Learning how to invest has never been more paramount.

Many don't understand or don’t think they can understand how to invest successfully, which involves discipline and sound fundamentals that don’t change. 

They think it’s too hard, so they abdicate their responsibility to others. This often does not produce the results they desire. This is how people realize too late in life that they never created the time and freedom they were promised. 

Your Actions Determine Your Future

Many today are lost in the chase for status, the need to keep up with the Joneses. That’s why some forsake living below their means and incur debt relentlessly.

If anything should be viewed as a status symbol it should be your choices and options in life. Increasing your optionality and making the right decisions for you and your family can not happen without diligence, discernment, and creating your own blueprint.

I love helping others do this today. I had to do it myself with the help of others 20+ years ago when I wanted more time with my daughter, and it worked.

But you must have a blueprint both you and your spouse can get on board with. You must be able to drive your vision for your lives forward together.

There's no time like the present. Waiting for the “perfect” time or when you have “more” time to devote to investing for replacement income will never happen. Every day you wait is one day less that you have to prioritize your time.

Especially as we are now in the Christmas season. We get to experience more time off with family and friends. We slow down enough to experience what is important to us. Let’s not just do this on the holidays only, but throughout 2025 and all the years ahead.

If you push this off because your life is too busy, you will never obtain the Time Freedom, and options to pursue the meaningful relationships you desire.

I have a new book coming out soon, where I discuss in depth how to make these decisions and begin now with investing for replacement income. It’s called Scaling Time vs Wealth.

You can preorder a copy of my book for free right now by clicking on this link.

I encourage you to read it with your spouse. Discuss the concepts and lessons I’ve discovered in my life and through the hundreds of other couples lives I’ve been blessed to help along the way.

These concepts have helped and worked for hundreds of business owners and practitioners. It can work for you, too, but you must prioritize them.

Make the decision to live your life differently today. You can get off the treadmill and stop the endless grind that gets you nowhere and leaves you burned out. Turn the page and focus on your time.

If you’re interested in doing this with other people just like you, my team would love to talk with you and see if you’d be a good fit for the Freedom Founders community. Schedule your discovery call here. I’d love to work alongside you to create the freedom you desire.

Have a wonderful Christmas season and a fantastic New Year!