Did you buy your Mega Millions ticket yet?
The jackpot is up to a staggering $355 million—-one of the largest jackpots in U.S. lottery history.
In just a few hours some lucky duck could be rolling in enough dollar bills to cover the surface of the Earth… or something like that.
Of course, the odds of winning are 1 in 176 million, but someone’s gotta win, right?
If you are a parent struggling to make ends meet, then there’s a very good chance that you have already dug deep to scrape up the dollar it takes to purchase a single chance at sudden riches.
Heck, if I were currently in one of the 41 states (or the District of Columbia) where Mega Millions tickets are sold, I would look in between couch cushions, under the seats of my car, on the pavement near ATM machines, in coat pockets, wherever, in order to collect a dollar’s worth of coins to buy a chance to become independently wealthy.
Why? Because unlike some, I firmly believe that money can buy happiness… or at least relief which begets peace which begets happiness, at least in my book.
My philosophy has little to do with an insatiable lust for material goods. Sure, I would love to own a Dyson, but that’s not the peace of mind I am referring to.
For most parents, their children’s health and well being are priority number one. The cliche that money can’t buy health is somewhat true; however, cold hard cash can afford you the luxury of having your sick child cared for by the top doctors in the world. And even if (God forbid) your child’s illness is incurable, at least you had the means to exhaust every effort possible to give him a fighting chance at life. The “what ifs” and the “could’ve,” “should’ve” and “would’ve” are what eat away at grieving parents hearts well after their son or daughter has passed. Knowing that you did everything possible to allow your child to live out her last days with grace and dignity is easier if you have an inexhaustible amount of money.
Conversely, I realize that a ton of money can also make people miserable. Some instant jackpot winners don’t live happily ever after. I am well aware of the so-called lottery curse, but there is something else called “exercising your free will prudently” that can actually help you avoid the curse.
If you win tonight’s Mega Millions jackpot and opt for the $224 million lump sum, I’m pretty sure happiness will overwhelm you. Knowing that you can pay off bills, fund your kids and grandkids’ college education and make lives better for millions of unfortunate individuals around the world is something you can’t put a price tag on, but it’s also something you can have well within your grasp with a couple hundred million dollars.
What would you do if you won the lottery?