We Have a Winner

There is a story I like to tell about a friend of mine who made some big changes in her life the day she and her husband decided that they were going to start winning as if they had won the lottery. They hadn’t won, mind you, and had fairly modest means. But they had big dreams and they decided that waiting for those dreams to come true was not something they were willing to do. And so, my lovely neighbors packed up their belongings and went on a big adventure to the place they had always wanted to live: Santa Cruz.

The story made such a big impression on me because this single brave action suddenly changed everything that these people stood for, and it certainly dramatically altered the course of their life.

I do my best to follow my neighbor’s example and seek out ways to “act as if” I’ve already won the lottery. I’ve filled my own life with so many gifts –  my family is amazing, I have created a home environment that is beautiful and peaceful, I travel and see friends. I work on my own projects, read and cook delicious healthy food. And yet, life is short and there is always room for improvement. And so, this morning I did something radical. Instead of getting into the office at 8:00 as I usually do I went over to the barn and spent a half hour riding my horse. I made it to the office by 9:30 and I was feeling both exhilarated and relaxed.

And guess what? The world didn’t stop just because I didn’t show up at 8. In fact, no harm was done at all, and my horse seemed to enjoy the morning jaunt. But perhaps most important of all, I felt like the luckiest person in the world, enjoying a beautiful morning in nature with the animals. It is a simple thing, but it changed the dynamic of my whole day.

And so, I ask you, what can you bring in your life today that is going to give you that feeling of winning at the game of life? If you know the answer, then I say go ahead and do it. If you don’t know yet, then you can start brainstorming some ideas and try one or two of them out. You’re here on earth today, and that means you get to enjoy life. And doesn’t that make you the biggest winner of them all?