The Winning Ticket: An Invitation to Dream Bigger
Who knew that a lottery ticket could reveal so much…how big do you allow yourself to dream?
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Come on...who hasn’t fantasized about winning the lottery at one point or another?
The night before initially starting this blog, I received a text from my son...get lotto tickets! He was referring to the 1.2 billion...yes, that’s with a ‘b’, Powerball jackpot (only the 2nd time ever to be so large).
I was instantly a bit giddy as I called Bill, to stop and get us some tickets on his way home. And then it started — swept up in its wave, I started daydreaming.
Did it make any sense? Of course not, but so what...
1.2 billion? I can’t honestly even fathom that amount of money, but as I sat in my living room with a friend, we started to spew off all the things we would do. When Bill returned, he joined in the fun. We had all kinds of ideas being tossed about...
Pay off our family’s debts, mortgages, credit cards, loans, etc. Buy our kids homes. Renovate my own home (pool included), start a foundation, travel, buy a winter beach house to escape to...and honestly...get back to work. Personally, I’m not interested in purchasing a McMansion. No, instead, I’d renovate my modest house.
I don’t care how much money is involved, I’m really not interested in tons of ‘stuff’. I’ve had a lot of ‘stuff’ in my life and as cliché as it may sound, it never brought me a ton of happiness. I’m actually trying to declutter my life. Sure, I’d love to never have to worry about money again, but I’m not interested in things like private jets.
The funny thing is that I doubt I could spend 10 million with my list — let alone the 500 million lump sum payout this drawing could be.
I’m sharing this story with you, not so we could compare notes on what we would each do or not do with our winnings and not to vilify money or anyone else’s choices — but because I think we could all use a dose of dreaming bigger — in all aspects of our lives!
Sure, I know the chances of winning the Powerball are slim to nothing, but so what?! I suddenly felt playful and delighted thinking about it. For a moment, I stepped outside of my day-to-day reality and felt my inner child jumping about. This adulting and keeping it all together can be a buzz kill sometimes. I’m not betting the farm on my lotto winnings, but what’s wrong with a little fantasizing?
When we invoke curiosity and wonder, we allow ourselves to feel more expansive, less constricted...less fitting into boxes we don’t fit into. We shove ourselves into boxes to protect ourselves from failing, falling, faltering. And then we get used to it — and forget what it once felt like to believe, to imagine, to envision. What if instead, we lived in the ‘what if’? What if the Universe has my back? What if I should go for it and follow my heart? What if I am worthy of more than I can imagine? What if this desire is within me because I am meant to bring it forth in the world? Yes. Yes. Yes. And more Yes.
I realized that I would have to work really hard to spend my winnings. What a good problem to have, right? But it made me recognize that I may be putting limitations around how big I can dream, how big I can be, how much I can have, how far I can reach...
It’s easy to settle. And it’s easy to get stuck there.
There is a distinct difference between being able to be happy anywhere and appreciating what you already have — and playing small even with your dreams.
One thing I’m proud of is that I can declare that I love the life I’m living, what I’m doing and who I’m doing it with...and that’s huge. Is life perfect? Hell no. We’ve got many of the same ups and downs as the next house, but we’ve learned to dance with life differently — to trust in our resilience and intuition. And yes, even with the $500 M+ payout, I want to do the work I’m doing — writing, creating, coaching, growing, expanding, learning, becoming (repeat).
As, I regularly say, the more I learn, I realize the less I know. And may it always be so. What a wonderful state of being.
So, maybe that’s the winning ticket after all: Contentment.
Now, don’t get me wrong, contentment is not synonymous with settling. In fact, it’s anything but that. It’s about seeing life through a very different lens — one that allows you to have faith in life, where it is leading and everything in between while enjoying the ride. Yes, that takes some recalibration at times when you get thrown off track, but it’s about getting back up, dusting off and carrying on. It’s also allowing yourself to dream...and dream BIG.
What would you do with the 1.2 billion dollar winnings? How easy is it for you to figure out and spend that money? Go for it. Give this fun exercise a whirl. Grab a notebook and pen and let it rip. Perhaps it will reveal something about how you’ve been navigating this human experience.
Is there a place in your life where you are doing this...settling for less, not allowing yourself to dream, talking yourself out of your own hopes and visions, not believing something is possible or telling yourself it’s too late, that ship has passed, I’m not good enough?
Well, the harsh reality is that it will be a self-fulfilling prophesy if you don’t go for it. Don’t stand on the sidelines of your own life.
What’s holding you back from becoming more of your Best Self? Is there something calling to you from within that excites you (and may fill your belly with nervous butterflies)? Is it a project, a book to write, a class to take, a mountain to climb, a relationship to have, an adventure to be had, etc.?
Could you allow yourself to lean into that just a bit more, to explore your heart’s desire, to reclaim that playful self? No one states on their death bed, I wish I had become less of myself.
What are you waiting for...all the stars to align, some unicorns, an embossed invitation with a guarantee? What’s your winning ticket?
““Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.””
What’s your BIG dream? Have you ever considered that you might be holding yourself back? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below.