A Billion Dollar Lesson

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January 11, 2016

I just won the POWERBALL JACKPOT!

Okay, okay, that’s a lie. But now that I’ve got your attention, I’ve got a lesson I learned this weekend to share instead of a billion dollars.

Like everybody else, when the topic of the huge Powerball jackpot came up over the weekend, John and I started talking about what we’d do if we became billionaires overnight. Where would we travel? What would we buy? Who would we share our money with?? Would we still keep our jobs??

Rustic Blush Pink and Gold Barn Wedding Riverside at the Potomac_0031

The more I thought about that billion dollar prize, the more I realized, I’m not even sure if I even WANT to win a billion dollars. When I think about my life and all of the things I love best about it, not a single one of them is a material thing, and very few of them are things you can buy. And all of the things I have and experiences I’ve been through that DID cost money were that much sweeter because we actually worked really hard to be able to earn them. There’s something really awesome about being able to earn the things that you want through hard work and I think that winning the lottery would take that feeling away, for sure!

I also don’t think you can truly be happy by winning the lottery. A lot of people who bought tickets are chasing happiness for sure. I’ll admit that I’ve believed that not having to worry about money would bring me happiness, or at least help with it. I’m a big worrier and a planner and of course, as an adult, a lot of your worries are always about money. So, sure, it would be AMAZING to be so financially secure that you didn’t have to ever worry about your income again. But would it be the end of worrying about money? I doubt it. I think you’d worry even more about your money! I think you’d be so scared you were going to spend it all and end up like MC Hammer, completely broke because you blew it all on cars and gold pants (I’m just speculating here on what he blew his $$$ on…ha!!). Or, you’d constantly have to deal with people asking you to give them money, to donate to whatever cause, to fund their Kickstarter, or whatever. You’d have to think about where to invest all your extra cash, you’d be paying a crap ton more in taxes, and you’d constantly be worried that people might be trying to take advantage of you. I think winning the lottery would multiply your money worries by a lot.

I think, instead of talking so much about what we would do if we won a billion dollars, we should talk more about how to add richness to our lives without having to spend any (or at least not a lot of) money. Friendships, your love life/marriage, your relationships with your family, your health…those are all things that add so much more richness to a life well lived than material things do and we can all work on cultivating those every single day, no matter how much the lottery jackpot is at the time.

What do you guys think about the Powerball jackpot? Did you play? I did still buy two tickets despite all that I felt and still feel about the whole thing. I’m not sure if I want to win a billion dollars, but I wouldn’t say no to 50K and a chance to put a big down payment on a new home 😉

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  1. Darby Sinclair says:

    I agree, Katie!!! I mean…wouldn’t complain if I won 1 million or 50k, but winning a billion dollars would change your life so much, not always positively. I think Biggie said it best, “Mo’ money, mo’ problems”.

  2. Sarah Cambio says:

    Well said! It’s refreshing to see a different perspective on this popular topic.

    My husband kept asking me what it is I would buy, but I kept getting stuck and thinking there really isn’t anything. I love where we live, I love our home, I love our neighbors and friends.

    The next day he asked again and I finally said: A paid vacation to Disney for our family along with the Disney Cruise. The ultimate Disney adventure! That would bring me happiness 🙂 Although, I can’t lie and say putting money aside for our future ‘dream’ home would be a bad idea 😉

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