Win Big

So on occasion I buy lottery tickets. I’m well aware of the odds and occasionally I’ve forgotten to check the results with said tickets. I don’t particularly expect it to happen, but it always reminds me that you never know what can happen. If I had a motto or a mantra, it would probably be something to the effect of “if you never play, you’ll never win.” The lottery reminds me of that. So with all that said, I was talking to a friend about we’d do if we were to win. We both had pretty much the same idea of taking care of friends and family, being set for life, and donating a decent chunk. Whether or not we’d actually spend it nobly is probably something that will never be an issue. Don’t get me wrong, if I were to win, I’d take the money in a heartbeat, but there’d be a dilemma for as long as that money was in play. It’s the same reason why so many lottery winners end up miserable and broke within a short period of time. Most of us are driven by accomplishment. We’re forced to work, pay a price to get what you want. Whether it is to study, save, work hard, or just persevere through tough circumstances. Once you accomplish that goal, you appreciate everything you went through to get there. It makes your prize that much sweeter. Having money dumped on you in the lottery would be damn sweet, but it would be empty in a sense. You haven’t earned that money, it was just given to you. You always treasure something you’ve earned above the things you get for free. You’d have millions of dollars, but you’d never know the value of it. To waste it would be meaningless. You have to sacrifice a little bit of yourself to appreciate it.
I got a taste of achievement this weekend. As part of my training, I ran a half marathon in Brooklyn this past Saturday in about 2hr 6min. Not too shabby for my first time. Crossing the finish line is a unique feeling. Personally, 13.1 miles is the longest I’ve ever run. When I was a kid, my parents and pediatrician advised against any sort of sport that required me to run long distances, due to my asthma. In 5th grade, I discovered soccer and so began the mini-rebellion against that advice. It isn’t a severe case, but it’s always been a mental and physical block that I’ve had to deal with. Running the half was sort of an affirmation that you’re only as limited as you allow yourself to be. I did get a little sentimental after the race thinking about all the times I forgot my inhaler and decided to sit out the game for fear of getting an asthma attack; thinking about how far you can go on pure willpower. I’ve been training since January for the triathlon this was just the first pit stop on the rest of the journey. I’ve already put a lot of myself into the past few months. The bulk of my free time devoted to workouts, hundreds of dollars in equipment and nutrition, and more focus than I’ve ever put into something. It’s all continues to be worth it. I earned that finish line and I’m on my way to earning a few more and I cannot wait. Three and half weeks until June 19, Pier Village Triathlon, Long Branch, NJ.