We all take for granted that having tons of money in our bank accounts would make us really happy and satisfied, and would solve many, if not all, of the problems we experience.
That’s the idea, and it’s part of the reason why we buy lottery tickets in the first place, look for Online Installment Loans in a pinch, and envy celebrities who are highly loaded.
But at the end of the day – would more money actually make your life better? Don’t just take the answer for granted — consider these questions, first. Because plenty of celebrities and lottery winners haven’t ended up doing so well.
1. Are your current habits tugging you in a positive direction, or a negative one?
There are apparently statistics that show that the majority of lottery winners end up flat broke within a few short years of their wins. That’s impressive when you consider just how ludicrously hefty some of those lottery jackpots are.
One reason why this happens is that people with bad financial habits carry those bad financial habits forward, even when their circumstances change completely.
To understand whether or not having a bunch of money would actually make your life better, you’ve first got to inspect your current habits. Specifically – are they tugging you in a positive direction, or in a negative one?
Maybe you already have a gambling problem, or can’t stick to a budget, or are a compulsive shopper. If so, why would you assume you wouldn’t just end up back where you are today, in a few short years?
2. When you imagine winning the lottery, what do you visualize yourself doing with the money?
People who are world-renowned for being savvy investors, sharp and effective businessmen and women, and great stewards of wealth, are almost always also known for being highly attentive to detail and thrifty, if not outright “stingy.”
If you look at Warren Buffett’s house, for example, you’ll notice that it’s not a diamond-encrusted palace. Because people who prioritize things like diamond-encrusted palaces tend not to do so well when they do eventually “make it”.
When you imagine yourself winning the lottery, what do you visualize yourself doing with your winnings? If you visualize yourself having a wild non-stop party, with yachts, mansions, and private jets all over the place, that’s likely a sign that your quality of life would stay pretty much stagnant, in all the deepest and most meaningful senses.
If, on the other hand, you visualize yourself pursuing your passion, helping out your family, and starting a business, it might be a different story.
3. Is there any area of your life where you’d be significantly more reckless or self-indulgent if you had more money?
It may be that one of the best ways to think of money is, first and foremost, as a “force multiplier.” In other words, money just amplifies the way you’re living now, and the person you already are – and allows you to go to greater excesses with everything you do.
Is there any area of your life where you’d be significantly more reckless or self-indulgent if you had more money? For many people, the answer is definitely “yes,” and it may even be that more money would kill them.
If you had a bad relationship with drugs and alcohol, but didn’t get to indulge to your heart’s content because of financial issues – who says becoming rich wouldn’t just make it easier for you to kill yourself in a hurry?
