Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Jeff Goins of Goins Writer.
“We waste so many days waiting for the weekend. So many nights wanting morning. Our lust for future comfort is the biggest thief of life.” —Joshua Glenn Clark
There is this popular idea in our world today that the best thing to happen to you would be to win the lottery. Then, you could spend the remainder of your days on a beach somewhere, sipping cocktails and living the “good life.” But nothing could be further from the truth.
According to most studies, when you win the lottery, you are actually more prone to bankruptcy. One report said that 70% of lottery winners actually end up going broke in the first seven years. In fact, it seems the more money you win, the more likely you are to lose it all. So from a financial standpoint, winning the lottery just might be the worst thing to happen to you. But let’s not stop there.
We’ve all read the statistics about how getting rich doesn’t make you happy, but for some reason we need to find out for ourselves. Maybe winning the lottery for you, though, doesn’t look like buying a Powerball ticket. Maybe it means earning “passive income” or finding your dream job. At times we are all tempted to seek an escape.
When we envision the life we want, many of us treat work as the enemy, as an obligation to endure instead an adventure to embrace.
But what if the life you wanted was actually right in front of you?
After quitting my job and making the transition to become a full-time writer, I thought I had it made. Finally escaping the monotony of a day job, I could relax and enjoy life. But what I discovered was now that I didn’t have any reason to work, my sense of purpose disappeared. I became more confused than ever.
Around that time, I talked to my friend Stu who told me how he was able to find meaning in his work even while punching a clock for a paycheck. He told me about a trip he took to Africa where he saw how education could make a difference in the lives of people who weren’t born with the same opportunities he had. With his wife, Stu started a nonprofit to help build schools in rural Kenya. And when he returned from his trip, he went back to work with a renewed sense of purpose.
On a fundamental level, we all want to feel like what we do is a part of something bigger than us. And the truth is that can happen in any context, if you have the right mindset. What brought me out of my funk was not more leisure, but the realization that I needed to work. We all do. But it’s not just the work that fulfills us. It’s the way we work.
Acclaimed psychologist Viktor Frankl addresses this in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning. At a time when much of psychology said human motivation was about seeking pleasure, Frankl argued that what we really want is meaning. And the way we find it is not by numbing ourselves with substances or stuff but by doing something that matters.
For Frankl, this belief in the importance of meaning held tremendous personal significance. It is what had kept him alive while imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps during WWII. It was the book he was writing and the hope of seeing his wife that allowed him to endure.
When I quit my day job to chase my dream, I realized my life was not just about me. It couldn’t be. And if I went to work only for myself or in hopes of one day retiring so I could live the good life, then the work I did today would have no purpose. And honestly, I tried that. It didn’t work.
To paraphrase Frankl, we don’t want to be just happy. We want a reason to be happy.
The worst thing you could do with your life is waste it, believing the only reason you exist is to seek pleasure. (tweet that)
We all have a purpose, a task for which we were designed, and the goal of your life is to find it—not somewhere out there, but hidden in the life you’re already living.
And if you can embrace that truth, you’ve already won the lottery.
***
Jeff Goins is a writer who lives just outside of Nashville with his wife, son, and border collie. His book, The Art of Work, is all about finding your calling in work and life.
jade anderson says
I agree that people need purpose but I don’t think that necessarily has to be work. For me, happiness and fulfilment is having the freedom to choose and unfortunately that’s what money brings. Take my parents for example, they are on the cusp of retirement and are having to move abroad to France as property is so much cheaper there. There’s no way they could afford to retire in the UK and although France is by no means a booby prize I know that if they had more money they might not be uprooting so far away from their family, which I know will make my mum sad when she can’t see her grandkids that often…so sometimes unfortunately money does correspond to happiness.
Edward says
I loved your article well said.
I know first hand how it feels going from poor to rich when I was 9 me and my family did not have much but my father started to make some business deals and next thing I know we ended having all this wealth but to make my story short we lost it all in 25 years because my father got greedy and decided not to pay taxes so we lost it all that’s why now when I see people with fancy cars etc. It does not bother because I know first hand that all those rich folks are always worried that maybe someday they could lose it all and I know how that feels its like your worst nightmare I rather live a simple life and not worry that someday I could lose my fortune.
Pam says
I play the lottery on occasion. I love my job and work my tail off by frequently picking up extra overtime hours. I am in graduate school and hoping it will lead to a more financially lucrative job in the future. It would be nice to alleviate the daily financial stress that occurs in my life. I do not want a bigger house or a fancy car or exquisite vacations. We love our home and our neighborhood. We like to camp. We drive cars that are over 10 years old and over 100K miles. I cannot afford to donate money, so I donate time instead. Paying off the mortgage, eliminating some old credit debt, a new minivan, and not having to rely on others to help clothe my children would make me a happier momma. I worry frequently about which incidental expense (car repair, leaky roof, medical bill) is going to send us over the financial cliff that we are teetering on. We have already cut back on so many things but it is never enough.
I understand the point of your article and agree that as a society in general, we have our priorities mixed up. But some of us wish for a winning lotto ticket to help with much simpler things.
Vah says
Yep, your article did it for me. I’m going to live my life as a minimalist. Everything you stated made so much sense in my life. I want and need this change to be free and happy.
I was living the wrong way, it’s gotten me no where.
I need peace in my soul and happiness in my heart.
Kim says
What a great thread!! My neighbour won a million dollars through the Hospital Lottery, she was over 80 and her family quickly (within about 2 weeks) had her house up for sale and moved her into an “upscale” seniors condo. I visited her and she said she misses her house and she doesn’t like it there. She had a lot of complaints. I would love to hear some stories about what happens to people who do win the lottery.
It is so true that what is most important is relationships with others, health and peace within ourselves. Thank you
Kori says
Just what I needed to hear. Ty
Ronald@therichimmigrant says
How many wealthy people do you know that play the lottery?I would bet none does and if they did,they would buy thousands of tickets to increase their winning chances.Money without wisdom is easily lost, but with wisdom money is easily acquired.Find your purpose and focus on it and everything will fall into place.Great article.
Carina Spring says
I think this post makes an excellent point: Learn to live fully with what you have, to live well within your means, and to approach each day with gratitude and love. If you don’t have a positive frame of mind or healthy spending habits now, you are unlikely to develop them simply because you have won the lottery. However, having said that, I also believe that those people who have learned to live well (regardless of their current income) could do many great things if they won the lottery. I have hardly ever played the lottery, but I know that if I were to win, I would be able to help charities and causes that I deeply believe in. To be clear: I am already helping those charities, both with my own money and through fund-raising. If I had more money, I could help them MORE. Furthermore, winning the lottery would enable a person to follow all sorts of dreams and passions. I also think there are certain circumstances (For example, if you are below a certain level of income, or if there are health problems…) when winning the lottery could help a lot. However, winning is very unlikely, so I rather invest my energy on loving the life I have. In the end, minimalism is perhaps the best gift, because it is accessible to anyone who wants to reduce their stress and gain more financial independence. It may not solve everything, but it is a good place to start. And why not… go on and buy the odd lottery ticket! ;-) Fantastic post, I loved it.
Amy A says
If a person cannot manage their money before winning the lottery, winning the lottery won’t help them manage their money.
And feeling like a victim in life requires inner work to work through and past it–which has nothing to do with being handed a wad of cash. We need to save ourselves first so we can attract more good in our lives; and once we do, good comes in many forms, not just cash. Appreciation attracts goodness. I speak from experience.
I think that’s the jist of the message in this article.
Vojtech Bilek says
Thank you for these ideas you’re writing/sharing I’m very happy to read from you eventhough I need a vocabulary sometimes… ;D Best wishes from the Czech Rep. :)