How I Kept The American Dream Alive

By: Lilly Bojic, DPT, CEO

The American Dream-“ the dream of a land in which life should be better of richer or fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” James Truslow Adams.

Today is the 4^th of July and most Americans will be watching fireworks, traveling, firing up their grills, and spending time together. It is a day to remember to be thankful for  freedom, celebrate independence, and cherish The American Dream opportunities. There is so much to celebrate yet for some, worry about the economy, stagnating incomes, finances, the growing cost of living and jobs going overseas is casting a shadow on The American Dream. According to a survey, two out of three people will question the possibility of the American Dream since obstacles look far too great, work appears much too hard and success seems to be impossible.

While the hardships we face today are realistic and complex, it is still important to recognize opportunities and learn to view situations from a different perspective. This hope and glass half full view ultimately paves the road to the true American Dream journey. I am someone who was lucky enough to be apart of the optimistic group. I have been blessed with the opportunities to make my own choices and have the freedom to succeed on my chosen path with hard work, dedication and perseverance. I have paved my own road to the American Dream and I will tell you how.

Many consider my story very unique and my success quite uncommon. Many of them asked me to share my story to rekindle the spirit of The American Dream.  They asked me to give others hope and direction, and I promised I would.

So, I will share my recipe for nurturing, growing, and living The American Dream. It is very simple and easy to follow. There is nothing complicated about it. You just need to find your passion, persevere, work hard, and do things in a certain way to make that dream come true.

So, here it goes; follow these simple steps and success will come.

First, you find your purpose: My purpose and dream is to do as much good, for as many people as I can before my time on this planet is up. I have a passion for helping people and making a difference.

Second, choose your vehicle: My vehicle is the medical profession. I love Physical Therapy and I am good at it. Healing people from injury and pain and helping them live the life they love makes my heart sing.

Third, discover your passion: Nobody can succeed in a line of work which he or she does not like. Choose what you are passionate about, it will pay forward. My passion is helping people and making a difference. This driving force is propelling me forward. I learn more, give more, and grow more every single day.  This is making me unstoppable.

Four, take your chances. Don’t be afraid of trying new things, taking chances, making risks and getting uncomfortable in the process.  I left a great job, took a loan against my home, and made myself very uncomfortable in the process to open my own practice and create a unique place for patients to heal.

Fifth, work hard. Nothing beats hard work. Invest your time, energy, and effort in making it happen. It is not easy but the dream is worth the effort. I moved to the USA as a refugee, had to learn a foreign language, and attended the graduate program at the University of Washington while raising twin daughters. I had to work very hard to get to where I am today.

Six, never give up. Perseverance is very important. It does not matter how many times you fall down, it only matters how many times you choose to get back up. Fall down seven times but get back up eight. Continue moving forward no matter what. I learned very many lessons in my life by facing “failures”. Today, I consider mistakes as opportunities to learn.

Seven, be disciplined and dedicated. I learned the importance of both from an early age. My patients know how my dedication and drive keep me up at night to research and find solutions for their problems. They appreciate my dedication, and love the results they get. In return, they bring me their friends and family; helping me make more of a difference in their lives while making my company grow and thrive.

Eight, be thankful. Be thankful for what you have and you will get more. I am thankful for all my blessings including my supportive family, loving friends, dedicated team and loyal patients. I am thankful for being healthy and having the gift to help others get healthy. I am thankful for abundance in my life.

This is my simple recipe on how to live The American Dream. As you can see you have to do it in a certain order: Find your purpose, take opportunities to grow and learn, and do it with passion, dedication, and hard work. Finally, don’t forget to be thankful. This will help you become a successful person and material abundance of success will simply and naturally follow.