What Would You Do?
Yesterday, I was in a convenience store and heard a customer ask the young male cashier, “How’s it goin’?”
The cashier responded in a mundane voice, “Ah, ya know, livin’ the dream.”
I’ve heard that expression before, and I never liked it. Doesn’t it imply that you’re not happy with your life? What about when you wish you could win the lottery? That used to be me. I thought all I had to do was win the lottery, and everything would be great! I’ve since changed my tune because wishing for that is thinking I don’t have control over my life to change the circumstances.
It got me thinking about the idea for this blog. What would you do if you bought a lottery ticket and won a large sum, say $2,000,000.00? Think about this for a moment. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “I need to win big on the lottery, and then I could quit my job and move to a remote island in the Caribbean and live my days lounging around.” I’ve heard different versions of it.
So, you win the lottery big! What would you do? Quit your job? Plan to hit the road, find an island to buy, and live out your days in a tropical paradise? But wait, you have a winning ticket and don’t know what to do with it. You have to get it to the lottery office in Middletown, PA, in person. That means driving there with a piece of paper in your pocket or purse worth two million dollars. In all the excitement, you told some people, they told some people because that’s a big deal, right? You’re so high on elation, knowing you’re set for the rest of your life, that you don’t think about what you’re doing or have a plan. The phone calls pour in. You’re popular and respected now! The peace you believed you’d have isn’t happening the way you thought.
What you thought would change your life did, but only to the extent that you’re financially okay. The other parts of your life remain unchanged and are there with you whether you have two million or two hundred dollars.
Last night, I had a dream that I won $202,000,000.00. In reality, I don’t play the lottery. But in the dream, I won big! Weird stuff happened where strange people came after me wanting the ticket. I was afraid to drive to cash it in. I was followed. It was scary. I don’t remember the details, only a child saying, “You can trust me, I’m a kid.” I woke, and the scary feelings stayed with me. And I thought, what would I do if that happened?
Giving it some thought, I realized it wouldn’t be worth the hassle to win that much because I’d think there would always be someone there waiting for a handout, and I’d have to live a life of seclusion, protected by security and unable to trust people. It’s funny that when you win money, people view it as everyone’s money. You didn’t earn it, so share it. I know I would share it if I won that much. Animal shelters will be well off to do more and protect domestic animals better (pets that people don’t care for.)
It wouldn’t make me happier, even though I could help so many people and animals. The only thing that can make us truly happy is taking back control of our lives. When we control our time, desires, and how we live, we give ourselves permission to be happy.
To do this, all we have to do is answer five simple questions:
- What do I like?
- What makes me – me?
- What do I want in my life?
- Who do I want in my life?
- What do I want to do for a living?
The answers will give you more peace of mind than winning a large sum of money in the lottery. We can “live the dream” every day if we choose to. Being grateful for what we already have is a way to live with abundance, starting right now.
Thank you for reading this, and I hope I’ve offered more food for thought. It’s my wish that we are all happy people walking around this life.
To Doing What’s Best For You,
Francesca