The American dream....

In so many ways, today is just like every other day. Some people who have set out to achieve something will be successful, while others may be disappointed in their quests. Depending upon fate, we can probably expect those in either of those groups to find, soon enough, that their journeys continue... that another day will come when they'll have another chance at victory. At the same time, there's a good reason why, in 2008, so many people are still familiar with a phrase written more than 2,000 years ago by the Roman poet known as Horace: carpe diem... seize the day. To me, the American dream is about individuals being free -- and having equal rights and opportunities to pursue their own ideals. On this historic day when Americans will choose their new president, I am contemplating the respective dreams of every being on our planet. Today is yours, and in the words of Fred Corbett, "...this very minute, you are heir to more accumulated wisdom, knowledge, and experience than man has ever before possessed. You could be a giant, if you knew and could apply this wisdom." What can you dream and achieve today?


The Universal Declaration of Human Rights from Seth Brau on Vimeo.

Personally, I am beginning with being thankful. Among my own dreams and ideals, going back about 14 years to a time when I was updating my company's marketing plan, I identified the following mission: Implicit goals include the creation of original materials which fathom art through the improvement of existence and the preservation of the earth's natural resources. I recall that this statement surprised my wife when she first saw it... she hadn't been aware of the depth my environmental consciousness up to that point. However, over the years, this is a value that has come to represent some key aspects of our home life. Professionally, until now, my green ideals have only factored in in subtle ways... but that has changed recently. Over the past few weeks, the story of Shai Agassi and his remarkable "Better Place" vision for making electric cars a practical reality has been a great inspiration to my wife and me. I also have discovered Addis Creson, the Berkeley, California-based strategic brand design company that is integrally involved in shaping and executing Agassi's plans. Addis Creson's positioning tells the world that they are committed to working with companies with whom they can create positive change. As meaningful as that is to me on the surface, when I learned that their roster also includes Kashi, a unique food maker which has been inspiring my family for the past several years with their truly healthy products and the inviting, educational and just plain smart packaging they use to earn each purchase, I experienced something of an epiphany. My family was already emotionally connected to Kashi well before I ever learned about Better Place or Addis Creson, and having discovered the common connections, I am seizing this day to take the lessons to heart. Creating positive change is something I too can achieve, and today, I will. How about you?