Recently I read a news article about someone having won the largest lottery prize in USA history. Said to be a gross figure of $1.6 billion, it is expected to thoroughly change someone’s life. I spent the rest of that day musing about what I would do if I were to win such an entirely obnoxious amount of cash. This thought kept me entertained to the point that in bed that evening, I got out my computer and put together a spreadsheet setting out what I might spend all of that moolah on.
I decided that my first act would be to hire my accountant friend. Having been the Chief Financial Officer for a large business, I figured he would be good at helping me manage the subsequent spending, giving and investing I would do for years to come. Then, of course, I’d need a personal assistant to track all of the plans I’d be making to visit, meet with people, sign official looking documents and schmooze. Though I wasn’t sure exactly who, a few old acquaintances sprang to mind – one of whom has been a successful program manager for a major banking corporation. Then, recognising that I really love travel, I figured I’d need someone to help keep my travels under control. My current travel agent is really great, so I thought that perhaps I might try to put her on retainer in some kind of exclusive deal. Obviously if she were to be convinced, it would need to be an attractive package.
Once I had the first couple of people sorted, the real fun would begin. I got to dreaming about what it might look like to buy homes for my close family members…how might I structure that process so they would be empowered to achieve their goals in life? I thought about how I might spend my business dollars at various companies my friends run, and how it would look investing in their long term business goals. I imagined possibilities for building companies whose profits were good, and whose community and employee impacts were even better. I got thinking about all of the amazing charities I know and how I might help them to succeed in their fields of excellence, because while wealth might be fun for a few minutes, helping people make a positive difference in the world is where I really start to come alive.
Why would my passions change because of resources?
I must admit I was a bit dopey the next morning, having spent far too long awake thinking about what I might do if I won the lottery. I started my day the way I usually do: praying, and asking the Father what He wanted to say. We got to chatting about my previous night’s musings, and an important “ah-hah” moment occurred: the dreams we dream when we’re faced with the question of a windfall are really telling about our hopes and dreams. While we rarely slow down long enough, if we are honest with ourselves there is an awful lot we choose not to do by using the excuse of resources.
While I can’t personally hire my friends to work for me (and probably would be an awful boss if I did), that doesn’t mean I should sit back and do nothing as they excel in their chosen fields. What can I do today to be their biggest fans?
I often fail dismally at expressing love to my family; though if faced with a windfall, I’d want to be generous to them. What can I do to be generous and loving to them today, even by distance?
Perhaps it’s a product of my upbringing, or maybe the Scottish part of my heritage, that when buying whatever I’m buying, I often choose the cheapest product on the market giving little consideration for the supplier’s impact on their community. How can I adjust my spending to improve my impact today and tomorrow?
When booking travel, I usually question – again – whether the extra fee I pay to have a travel agent book my flights is worth it . Yet, in doing so I benefit from personalised attention while helping to support a whole family of excellent individuals who rely on that business being successful. Why would I stop doing that?
While I can’t provide windfalls of cash to the charities I love, giving a little toward their work is an important expression of my values. AND I can encourage others to get involved in these organisations which truly change lives. What could it look like to be even more intentional about this?
At the end of the day, I found myself thinking, “if I had more money I could do…and that would make a difference…”; it was fascinating to consider the contrast with a number of years ago when a similar thought process sounded like, “if I had more money I could do…and then I’d feel happier and less lonely…” Clearly I’ve changed – I’d like to think for the better. I’d like to think that in the last ten years I’ve learnt some lessons which mean I’d be more responsible if a windfall ever came along. But more importantly, I’ve begun to learn which things can be bought and which things need to be earned with patience, hard work, love and care regardless of the budget available.
The question of what do with absurdly large lottery winnings was an effective way to discover what my heart wants.
Now then…what can I do to live that life right now?
What do you think?