If you're like most of us in the US, you did not win the record-breaking Powerball Jackpot last month. The two people who did, have no time to read anything other than the terms of their new fortunes, so it's just you and me here.
For a minute, didn't you dream of what you'd do if you'd won?! Chances are we've all asked ourselves that question at one time or another.
"If I won the lottery, what would I do?"
As someone who listens to people for a living, I am often waiting to hear small truths in statements that could be written off as pipe dreams. In every big dream that is dependent on the lottery, there are little ones that need expressing right now. These wishes may very well be whispers from your soul trying to point you to things that would lighten your path right now.
Did you dream of giving money away to a cause or certain people? Even a small amount now could be an expression that counts for the recipient. If you can't give money, maybe it's time or attention to a person or a cause that is in order now.
Did you dream of funding travel or an opportunity to spend time on a hobby? You may not be able to invest in the full vision of your wish, but maybe there is a way to infuse a little of it into your life. If Italy isn't in the cards, maybe a day in the Little Italy in a city near you can deliver a little of the smell, sounds, tastes and sights that can nurture you.
If it was immersion in a craft or language study that called to you, a smaller investment of time, money and attention could still be enjoyable.
Maybe you dreamed of a bigger, better place to live. Who wouldn't just love to walk away from their adequate place and into a great one? If it wasn't in the cards, what's the message you could heed now? Maybe it's creating a personal space in your home that's just yours, or changing the function of one room from say, unused dining room to practical, extended entryway so the clutter would stop building up at your front door? Even a small improvement or solution could go a long way to destressing your life and making you happier.
I can hear you as I write this: "If we're just settling, what's the point?"
Here's the beautiful thing about settling. It allows for a work in progress. Giving up does not. Giving up is final. Settling -- or, as I'd rather see it, finding an interim plan -- allows for motion. When we are in motion, we often gather momentum. When we have momentum, we can be encouraged to keep going and create further fire under our dreams or desires. This leads to opportunity and seizing it when we see it.
Whatever you spent on scoring at Powerball, I hope you have no regrets. The only regret is not acting on the whispers the lottery stirred up. Let them allow you to live for now, not the lottery.
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