How Would You Feel If You Won a Lottery Worth Millions?
How would you feel if you won a lottery worth millions?
An absurd query, right?
I mean, of course, you’d feel happy if you won a lottery. Anyone would.
After all, ‘Getting Rich Overnight’ is a fantasy that almost all of us have. Isn’t it?
The reason why it’s a common fantasy is because we believe that getting rich is the sure-shot way to be happy in life.
Here’s what our thoughts are like -
“There aren’t many problems that money can’t solve. I’m not happy because I don’t have enough money to do whatever I want.”
However, real-life data makes us realize how false our assumptions are.
Scientific research has shown that money might make life easier but after a certain threshold, it has no effect on our happiness.
Meaning -
Earning millions does not guarantee happiness.
To further this point, let’s look at some of the people who actually fulfilled this great fantasy.
Billie Bob Harrell, Margaret Loughrey, and Michael Carroll won lotteries and became millionaires overnight.
In a single day, they got enough money to last their lifetimes.
Therefore, in theory, they should be the happiest people in the world.
So, let’s look at where they are right now.
- Billie Bob Harrell Jr won $31 million in the lottery in 1997. Within 20 months, he took away his life.
- Margaret Loughrey won a £27 million jackpot in 2013. In 2021, she was found dead in her house. She once famously said — “Money has brought me nothing but grief.”
- Michael Carroll won £10 million in 2002 in a lottery when he was only 19. Now aged 38, he works at a coal merchant firm for £10 an hour.
And it’s not just these three people.
You’ll find so many similar examples. You’ll find so many people who aren’t happy even after being millionaires or billionaires.
So the lesson here? — Money is not the answer. If it was, then these people would have been living fulfilling lives today.
There’s a lot more to happiness than just money.
So, always remember this lesson. For sure, it’s important to make money.
But don’t chase money blindly. Don’t chase it in a way that leaves you unfulfilled. Don’t be distracted by the never-ending greed.
You need a lot less than you think.
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