Powerball Mania

Well everyone is talking about it, the powerball mania. I don't care where you go lately, the talk is all about the powerball lottery and the growing pot which is now over 1.5 billion dollars. Everyone has dreams about how their life would change and what they would do with all that money. I for one do not play the lottery. However, I do enjoy hearing all the ideas and thoughts people have about the money and how it will change their lives. I don't want to be someone who rains on your parade but I was just reading about the odds of winning this powerball lottery and the article stated that the odds are one in more than 292 million. I can hear people now saying, "but if I don't buy one, I can't win". If you saw the movie Dumb and Dumber, you will remember when Lloyd was asking Mary what are the odds she would go out with him and she said, "not good". Lloyd then said "not good like one out of a hundred?" and Mary replied, "I'd say more like...one in a million" to which Lloyd replied "so you're telling me there is a chance. Yeah!"

So yes there is a chance that you may win, but again that chance is one in 292 million. Now please bare with me while I get to my point. I don't want to sound like the grim reaper or start focusing on death, BUT... If you won all that money and then found out you had cancer, I don't think at that point the money would be as important to you. Sure you could try to find the best doctor or pay for the best medicines, but the bottom line would still be the same, you have to deal with the cancer. You may be saying, "what are the odds that would happen?". Well according to U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Data Base, the odds of a man developing prostate cancer are one out of every seven men and the odds of a woman developing breast cancer are one out of every eight women. Now this range certainly depends on a lot of factors like lifestyle, genetics, etc... So I don't want you to start worrying about getting cancer. My point is that if you really want something that will change your life, and the odds are very good you can obtain it, then you should set your sights on something more meaningful and more obtainable. I can also promise you that even if you did develop an illness, your life would be better served and you would have lived with a lot more meaning.

So what is this concept that will change my life and serve me more than winning the lottery? What I am talking about is your everyday interaction with the people all around you. You want your life to change for the better and have more meaning? Then start by seeing people with whom you interact each day not as stereotypes but as real people with needs, gifts, and great possibilities. Start by looking at the people you work with or go to school with. Try this exercise:

               On day one: whenever you pass someone in the hall, think about all the needs people have. I promise you, everyone is dealing with something in their life. You are not alone. It may be that we are worrying about our parents getting older or we worry about our children or siblings. We certainly worry about our own health and maybe our finances. Do you see what I mean? EVERYONE has some issue that they are carrying around with them, and this issue causes them to stay up late at night or think about when they are driving or walking down the hall.

               On day two, think about the people you pass and what gifts they have. Oh we have so much talent in this school. You only have to walk around and visit the labs to see how talented our students and instructors are. Walk in the Auto Body and see some of the painted hoods, the artistic work in the Welding lab, the abundance of talent in Cosmetology and Network Systems. The list goes on and on in each and every program. And what about our staff? Every staff member you pass, just stop and think of how they are so gifted in what they teach or what they offer to our school.

               Finally on the third day, think of all the great possibilities that each person you pass has. I look at our young students and see a whole new world in front of them. I see all the job opportunities that are becoming available in the manufacturing and business world. I see them going to work, college, raising families and strengthening our country. As Louie Armstrong said in his song Wonderful World, "...they'll learn much more than I ever knew, and I think to myself what a wonderful world".

I hope you will try this exercise that I mentioned above. I promise you that it can be a life changer for you. When the students come in to see me, I try to see their needs and what I can do to help them work through their problems. I also see their wonderful talents and gifts and how much promise their life holds if they can work through their problems. You will begin to feel the same way. When you realize that people do have concerns and needs, you want to reach out and offer love and support because you will believe in them and their possibilities. After doing this for awhile, it will become part of your everyday routine. You will see the best in others and while doing this it will change your life for the better. Not to mention, the odds are pretty good that it will.