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PowerBall!

Well, it seems like a really good time to invite the universe to send me some money.  That Power Ball thing -- reaching a billion.



I guess the chink in that particular plan is that I would actually have to go out and purchase a ticket.  The universe will have to find another way to send me money because going out to buy a ticket, especially if it involves standing in a line, is not at all likely to happen.

I vaguely remember a TV show from when I was a kid about a man who randomly handed out checks for a million dollars to complete strangers.  Then the show went on to show what happened to the recipients.  As I recall, it was not always a happy ending.

This article lists seven stages of dealing with sudden wealth.  I will take the author's word for it.

  1. Disbelief  (makes sense)
  2. Generosity  (mmm, maybe for some)
  3. Puzzlement  (at lack of appreciation or sudden greedy streak in response to one's generosity)
  4. Defensiveness, fear,  and isolation (response to the puzzlement)
  5. Questioning and seeking (I like the part about wealth not changing who you really are--if you were a pill when you were poor, you will continue to be a pill as a rich person)
  6. Acceptance and gratitude
  7. A sense of purpose
I suspect that not everyone goes through all the steps or that they necessarily follow in order just as the stages of grief tumble over each other.  But I did like this from a sense of purpose:

People who don’t go through this final step often end up back at work right away because they don’t know what else to do with themselves. They say they miss the ‘game’, and maybe they do. But they may also be missing an important opportunity to live life with great intention, instead of reverting back to familiar patterns. It takes time to reflect and figure out exactly what you want to do. Take the time needed to make an honest personal assessment.

I am wondering what purpose I would discover for myself.  Maybe, just maybe, I should live the rest of my life as if I have won the lottery...live it with a sense of purpose.

Comments

  1. I don't know if I have a sense of purpose. Would I if I won millions of dollars? Maybe. I would at least have to have a purpose for what to do with the money!

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  2. I buy one ticket (no lines here) and then pray fiercely that I don't win the big one. I wouldn't mind any of the lesser prizes but the big one terrifies me. However should my prayers fail,I would hope not to get past step 2.

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  3. I think that is a good thing to do. You already seem to live with a sense of purpose. I'm not buying any tickets. I've never been into that. I know my life would change drastically if I won, but money can't buy those things I probably most desire in life. Money won't bring back lost time or opportunities. It seems it would complicate life a great deal. When I say that, I feel quite pessimistic, but the truth is, all that money would be a great big headache. I'll settle for a cool million. ;)

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  4. What a curse this money will be if 1 person wins it. I wish many could win and that it would be people that would do good things with it.

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  5. I certainly wouldn't want to win such a large jackpot. That much money would be as much of a headache as a blessing. Thankfully, our Canadian jackpots aren't quite so large, so I'll keep buying!

    I, like others, believe you do live with a sense of purpose. Whether it is in your volunteering or spending time with your grandkids, I sense the purpose, in your giving to others both time and energy.

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  6. I think you already do live with a sense of purpose. (Remember your good friend, Barb, in CO if you win the lottery...)

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  7. Well there are several ways to win a Powerball like scheme. You can stick money into a random lottery and hope or you can stick it into politics and make sure that the talking heads that you buy want to revise the tax code as a solution to all problems.

    Personally my self, I have a 1 dollar a day winnings from the lotteries. 365 a year, for (not counting leap years) for let's say 60 years (start gambling at 20 and leave for the giant casino in the sky at 80). That is a life time winnings of $21,900. But due to the fact that I intend to live to 100, my real life time winnings $29,200. For this winnings, I have spent zero time, burned zero gallons of gasoline to buy tickets, wasted zero effort on dreams of what I will do with all that money.

    As they say you have to play to win, but then again you have to play to lose.

    I pretty much believe that I hit the jackpot when I met my wife, and found a decent job. Let some other poor bastard figure out what to do with a billion dollars.

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  8. I did buy my Powerball tickets but, alas, didn't win. I didn't have to get in line to buy my ticket, but I did have to stand and wait because the ticket computer was tied up in the atmosphere somewhere trying to generate all the numbers that were being requested at the same time.

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  9. Since I am late to the party we now know there were 3 winning tickets and I don't think any of us were among those three! It should be interesting to see if any of the winners use their money for truly good causes.

    ReplyDelete

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