How Would Your Life Be Different If You Won The Lottery?

“The good news is that you are living the dream life.  The bad news is the dream in question probably isn’t being had by you.”  William Irvine, PhD

I will never win the “Mega-millions” or “Powerball” lotteries.  Beyond the fact that the odds would not be in my favor to start with, the reason I will never win the lottery is because I don’t buy lottery tickets.  However, even for those who do play (and “win”), the vast majority will never receive a financial windfall from doing so.  But perhaps our good fortune has nothing to do with money.  As a 3rd year resident, I won the “perspective lottery” without ever buying a ticket. 

While working on the inpatient service during that time, I cared for a patient who had terminal cancer and who’s death was imminent.  Remarkably, if I hadn’t known his prognosis, I would have had no idea other than his significant physical wasting that he had at most weeks to live.  He was perpetually smiling, radiating love, and lifting up those around him. 

One day while rounding, I had some extra time and sat down at his bedside to see how he was really processing his illness, expecting that he had some unexpressed fear, doubt, or worry.  Perhaps a bit skeptically, I said to him, “I want to be sure you fully understand what is going on with your illness and what is likely to happen.  What questions or concerns do you have?”  He smiled broadly and replied, “Doc, I have none.  As I look back on it, I now understand I’ve had a blessed life.  Indeed, in my later years I realize that it’s like I won the lottery on the day I was born.  I only wish I hadn’t waited so long to live like it.  So now I want to live as fully as possible with whatever time I have.  And for me, living fully means lifting others up as much as I can.” 

It was the last time we spoke as he died soon after, and over the many years since, I’ve found myself often thinking about him and the impact he had on me, particularly when I have one of those “woe is me” days.  You likely have them as well.  

I received one final gift from him which arrived in the form of a thank you card on the day he died.  Inside, it said the following: “Hey Doc, Thanks so much for all you did for me.  When we last spoke, I forget to tell you something.  You also won the lottery on the day you were born.  You are so Blessed.  Please don’t wait like I did to live like it.  And remember, living fully means lifting others up as much as you can.  Pay it forward, Doc.”

With all we’ve been going through, it is understandable if you feel nothing like how you might imagine you’d feel if you were holding the winning Mega-Millions lottery ticket.  And yet, the odds of any of us being here are infinitesimally less than the odds of holding that ticket – kind of like holding the winning “Mega-Miracle” ticket.  That often provides me some much-needed perspective, such as right now.  Let’s not wait to live like it … and remember to pay it forward.