The Lottery Mentality
Lotteries have become prevalent in many lands. This form of gambling generally consists of selling chances for a small sum of money. At a drawing, the holder of a winning lottery ticket receives some prize, often money in a far greater amount than what he spent in buying the ticket. Perhaps you have thought about “taking a chance” on the lottery. However, there are various factors to be aware of.
Since a lottery appeals to an individual’s hope of getting much for little, it can be a great lure, especially for poor people. Sadly though, it has actually made many of them poorer. To buy lottery tickets, some people spend money that they really need for food, clothing and other necessities. In India, for instance, some have spent a whole month’s wages and others have borrowed money at high interest rates so that they could participate in lotteries.
Wouldn’t it be great though, if a person wins the lottery? Not necessarily. One winner of $1,000,000 received letters from all over the world asking that he donate money to aid those writing to him. “I couldn’t distinguish between legitimate requests and fakery,” he said. Lotteries can encourage something else that is undesirable; laziness. Most individuals who participate in the lottery and other forms of gambling want to win such a large sum of money in order that they can ‘take life easy.’
Perhaps there are a minority of lottery winners who have indeed acted responsibly with their winnings. Perhaps they have invested wisely. The majority of lottery winners however, simply don’t know how to handle this amount of money. Statistically it’s been reported that the majority of winners have lost their money within 3-5 years of winning. This has either been down to greed or perhaps the fact that it was “all too easy”. The money seemed to drop into their laps as it were, and they were not prepared for the responsibility of managing and investing it. It could be that these people never knew the value of money in the first place. They may not value hard work and a true sense of accomplishment that comes through one’s own labour.
Being handed money on a platter doesn’t mean you’ll appreciate it or guarantee happiness. On the other hand, finding fulfillment from your work, enjoying why you do what you do, is far more rewarding and sustainable in the long term. Working for yourself from home, or choosing to become an entrepreneur working productively and progressively on your own business is especially rewarding. Despite obstacles that inevitably arise, self-employment is satisfying work. Choosing to view obstacles as challenges rather than problems moulds you into becoming a more desirable individual. Having the choice to be your own boss and designing your own lifestyle is priceless. Writing the numbers on your own pay cheque is an exhilarating feeling. This comes from knowing that you worked with drive and passion to accomplish your aspirations. An even more harmonious feeling abounds when you realise how you have inspired and empowered others to work towards a greater purpose and mentoring them to yield the fruits of their labour.
None of these truly rewarding or satisfying feelings arise from entering a lottery. The chances of winning are slim. The heartache that arises from ploughing thousands of hard earned monies into something where your odds aren’t that promising is simply worthless. That “hard earned money” could have been put into starting up your own business and the rewards would be far greater because genuine satisfaction comes from creating, from designing, from working to make something that you are truly passionate about. With all sincerity of heart…that blood, sweat and tears is ultimately worth it when you see how you have accomplished something worthy for your family and a lifestyle that any savvy individual would be proud of!
So which category do you fall into? The “get-rich-quick-mentality” in hot pursuit of winning it big in the lottery? Or are you a passionate individual seeking to design your own lifestyle and leave a legacy you’d be proud to leave to your family? For further information on working from home and online business go here Work At Home.
