What's On Your Dream Lottery List?

I have been spending money all day...... in my head. I bought a lottery ticket. The jackpot is 132 million dollars, and all I had to spend to have a chance to win it was $1.  I spent the money even though I felt guilty about gambling.  If I do not have a single number in the winning combination of digits, the money was well spent.  It helped me create a plan.

People who buy lottery tickets (and even those who don't) play a game where they spend the entire fortune in their heads.  We buy cars and houses and trips.  We donate thousands to charities.  We pay off the debts of our family members.  We settle our own finances, and we decide if we enjoy our jobs enough to keep working. Then, when we do not win, we go about our business.  If you are like me, this entire day of entertainment cost a dollar or absolutely nothing.  It's harmless fun. However, if you take the time to look at your dream list, you might have the same realization that I did today. I can do most of this without winning the lottery.

I want to go to Paris.  Since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of walking the streets of Paris, wandering in and out of the shops, sitting in a sidewalk cafe, standing in front of the Mona Lisa and Rodin's Thinker, and simply experiencing the culture.  This is my dream.  Why have I not been there yet?  Life.  Bills.  Work. If I won the lottery, I would immediately plan a trip there.  I realized today that I do not have to hit the jackpot to go. I need to save for it, to plan for it, to make my dream come true without a single stroke of luck.  I can do this for myself because when Taylor leaves for basics, I am responsible for only me.  I can make my dream come true.

That realization alone is powerful. It made me look closer at the other items on my list. I would buy a new car.  Start saving.  I would buy a beach house.  Renting one for a long weekend is more in my budget but I give myself permission to do this which makes me smile.  I should give more to charities based on my salary now. I should treat my parents to little things now to make their lives a little easier. I love my job and would do it even if I didn't need the money.  What a joy to know this. I do not need to win the lottery to make a difference.  I need to do the things on my list in moderation.

What would you do if you won the lottery? What is on your dream lottery list? How can you start moving toward those goals right now?  Get busy... I'm heading to Paris... as soon as I save the money.