I bought a lottery ticket today

I don't do this very often, practically never, but I figured yesterday was my birthday and graduation is next Friday so if Heaven wants to drop me one it's gotta be now right?!?! Damn I hope so :D!

Anyway, this got me thinking...

Everyone would be quite pleased with hitting the jackpot right? But in reality how many of us would actually do something useful with money? Or forget that, at a bare minimum how many of us could actually preserve this wealth so that our kids and grandkids could continue to enjoy the effects of our lucky day?

I think this was on an Oprah show not too long ago where various lottery winners came on and the majority of them had lost it all in a very short period of time.

"No fair" we think, "why did he/she have to win?", "I would have done so many great things with that money", or "I actually need it more than that person!".

Haha, yea, but life is not fair we know that. Money comes to many hard working good people, but also to others not so deserving nor kind at all.

But...and I get all excited and tingly thinking of this hehehe...IF I WERE TO WIN:

1) I would without any other thought crossing my head, take my mom for 2 weeks to one of the nation's best spas

2) I would give a large portion to my mom, nothing could ever repay what she's sacrificed for me but something's something.

3) I would put some away from my brother's education- the kid can swim but for D1 you never know :D

4) I would first consult with my step dad, but likely get a financial advisor. With their two heads together, and my mom's I would set some apart for some safe ROI stock

5) I would start a youth development center in Mexico, that would grow to become a staple in other Latin American countries too, for sports. namely for kids of very low income families. Too much talent is never discovered due to lack of money in third world countries.

6) I would purchse a modest (no MTV CRIBS style) house in North County San Diego...preferably more inland as Coast is more expensive and I like inland better (warmer!)

7)I would take the GMAT and get my Sports Management MBA in San Diego (they don't offer international student scholarships so the lottery is needed for this one)

8) Of course, I'm human so I'd buy my brother a sweet car (not something retarded that you can't drive in the US considering our pedestrian speed limits like a ferrari)...and him and I would deck out our triathlon equipment

9) The rest would go in the bank...probably overseas with our banker peeps here not doing so well

Would this change my or my family's happiness? Not really. I mean, and this is always the big money debate amongst people, we wouldn't love each other more or less..heck we could even turn greedy and end up in a horrible family fight! But sincerely, it would take 10 tons of stress off our backs and no one can argue that being stress free does not produce more content people. The way I like to explain it, and this is why people work their butt off throughout their life to attain a higher position in the company, start their own business, or "make it big" in whatever....money doesn't directly yield happiness it just makes things better. If one of my family members had a health condition and no health care, my family and I would be much better off with the financial ability to meet that situation.

Alright, a bit outside the topic of triathlon on this post....however, it does relate since I'd be able to train and race as much as my heart desired!

Wish me luck haha