No, I did not win the lottery so if you are a distant relative or one of my long lost friends please don’t call asking for a ton of cash… because you’ll have to find it elsewhere.
We’ve all done it! You can admit it, you’ve dreamt about winning the lottery. We all have ideas what we would do with this new found wealth. The words “If only” often precede the fantasy of winning the lottery.
If only I would win, I would give back to society in a powerful and meaningful way. If only I would win, I would give more to my church or more to the needy or some type of philanthropy. If only I would win, I could take care of my family in untold ways. If only I would win, I wouldn’t have to worry about money ever again and I could do whatever I want to do for the rest of my life. If only I would win, I…[fill in this bracket with your own dreams].
I have my own ideas and they involve some of the very thoughts I mentioned above. But right now they are just dreams because I really don’t play the lottery. Ohh, I know, you’ve got to play to win. My brother-in-law told me about 30 years ago something that stuck. Playing the lottery is like volunteering to pay taxes as the odds of you winning are so low and the odds of someone else getting your hard-earned money is guaranteed! That really hit home for me. Yes, I’ve occasionally played the lottery here and there, and I’m not opposed to it, I just don’t think about playing it all the time. I know it’s only a few bucks but it’s often not convenient for me to go to a store to purchase a ticket in hopes that I will be able to climb a mountain of cash, one that will somehow make all my dreams come true.
Now, most of us have heard those stories of people who have won the lottery and they become broke within a year and are in worse shape than before their “fortunate” win. I’m not going to talk about this as these are sad cases of not only mismanagement but poor decisions. What I do want to talk about is how often we win the “lottery” and don’t realize it. These are the everyday WINS!
Let me give you an example from yesterday that made me think about this in a meaningful way. My first grandson will be playing his first Little League T-ball game this Saturday. His dad (my
son) and I have been taking him out every week to practice so that he can be ready for this exciting opportunity. It’s all about fun for him and to be honest, it’s been fun for me watching this 5-year-old little boy swing the bat and run the bases.
We decided to make a picnic of it yesterday. While we were playing baseball, my wife, my daughter-in-law and my other grandchildren went to the playground that is connected to the ball field. They set up the picnic dinner. After the picnic the kids went to the playground.
It is so funny how the simplicity of a playground can make one forget about the complexity of life regardless of your age. There’s a lot of running and playing and swinging and sliding and seesawing (is that a word?) and climbing, etc.
Three of my grandchildren started to play on one of those spiral slides. You know, the ones that wind around and around until you get to the bottom. They were laughing and giggling and I decided to make it more of a game. I ran over and as one of them was sliding down and got to the middle, I stopped him and said, “you have to pay the toll and the toll is a tickle.” I tickled him and he giggled and giggled and then I let him slide down. The next two did the same and what was left at the bottom of that slide was a pile of three giggling little boys. To my amazement they ran up and said, “do it again Pop, I want to pay the toll.” Now that’s the first time I’ve ever heard that phrase uttered.
Well, we did it over and over and over again and I remember consciously thinking how extremely content and happy I was at that very moment playing with my grandchildren. I didn’t have a care in the world. I wasn’t worried about a job or about money or about the stresses of life. I was with three giggling children and my heart was full. It was truly a lottery moment. However, there is no monetary value that could have been placed on that time with those children. I remember thinking this is like winning the lottery of life!
As I thought about it, I realized that there are a lot of lottery moments. Holding my wife’s hand, spending time with good friends and family, the taste of the first sip of coffee in the morning, the smell of a freshly cut lawn, the coziness during a mild rain in the summer, the mist of ocean on my face when on vacation, and so many more moments.
I may not have won the real lottery, but the moments I have experienced in my life far exceed the value of any monetary lottery win.
So, what does this have to do with running an online business? Well, I’m glad you asked!
We all want our businesses to be highly successful. We want to be paid well for the value that we provide. We all want it and we all want it now!
We want the lottery feeling when it comes to the success of our business.
But if we think about it, we have a lot of lottery winning moment feelings that we have stored up and not considered. Such as, the fact that we actually have our own business or are part of something big. Not many people can say that. That is, in itself, a lottery moment!
For me, it was being able to figure out how to create a website and maintain it in a way that will help monetize a business. Or, writing that critical email that was well received and generated a lot of engagement. It was creating that first video that generated interest for what I had to offer. It was that time when someone asked me a question because I now have the ability to give advice on something I knew nothing about just a few months ago.
And then there’s that time I made my first dollar. I did not hit the lottery in terms of immediate wealth, but it still felt pretty darn good to know that I was headed in the right direction.
There are so many little things that have happened to me since I started my business. Each of these things was a lottery moment. Each of these things will help me become more successful in my business.
When I put all of these little lottery moments together and think about how much I have accomplished, those lottery moments become a lot more meaningful. I find that when I am mindful to focus on the WINS, even the little ones, it makes all the effort worthwhile.
I know that someday in the future, and I’m not sure when, I will be successful from the world’s perspective in terms of financial freedom. When that day comes, I will make sure that I remember all those little lottery moments that made that moment possible.
What about you? What little lottery moments have you had that have led you to a better place in your professional and personal life? Are you stacking up those lottery moments to add to the fulfillment of your current and future success? If not, please consider doing so as it makes life and business so much sweeter!
Now I’m off to look for that next little lottery moment, whatever it might be, and celebrate it as I know it is a step in the right direction. And I look forward to playing with my grandchildren at the park again very soon and hearing that ever so sweet sound of a giggle from the gut!
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
And of course, a few VERY BAD Dad jokes:
Why did the slide break up with the swing? It felt like it was always being pushed around!
What did the tree say to the kid at the park? “Leaf me alone, I’m trying to branch out!”
Until next time, STAY FRESH, Friends!
**If you are curious about this process and wish to know more about an affiliate marketing business, please subscribe to my newsletter here to learn more. And please continue following my blog. My hope is not only to create the freedom I so long for but pass on what I have learned to others who have similar aspirations.
Thanks for this reminder, Ernie. I’ve been out of work for a couple of months now and job hunting has been tough, but I’m also building my affiliate marketing business. I haven’t had any big wins yet, but when I look back, figuring out how to make my first TikTok video or setting up my blog felt huge. Even a simple comment from someone saying “thanks” felt like a boost. Those small moments keep me going and reading your story helped me realise I’ve had more wins than I give myself credit for.
Hi Atif – Thank you for your visit to my blog post and for your comments. Yes, we all have wins and we should all celebrate those wins as they will help us move forward and motivate us to what’s next. I haven’t been following you for some time and I know you are the way to be massively successful with what the world defines as successful. However, you are already a success in my book as I have heard you talked about your priorities with your family and your faith and your business. Have a wonderful day, my friend!
This is a perfect metaphor for what we are hoping to achieve, but as we focus on values that truly matter, the future is not as important as the joy of family and connection, and making the small steps forward in our businesses-hopefully soon, reaching momentum.
Hi Kate – I could not agree more! Values are very important and the reason I do this business is, as you state, the joy of family and connection! Thank you for your visit to my blog post as well as for your comments. Have a great day, my friend!
Love this perspective on “lottery moments”! It’s so easy to chase big wins and forget the everyday joys that make life truly rich. Your story about the playground toll game was pure gold—those giggles are worth more than any jackpot! In business and life, stacking up small wins is what leads to real success. Thanks for the reminder to celebrate the journey. What’s been your favorite “lottery moment” this week?
Hi Alison – I agree with you so much! We often forget about those little wins and only focus on the big accomplishments without remembering what It was the little things that added up. And those giggles are priceless. The laughter of a child is a sound that I will never get tired of hearing. So far, this week’s lottery moment personally that’s been the giggles of my grandchildren, and the lottery moment professionally was figuring out an aspect of my website and finally choosing a new logo which I hope to place on my website and logo next week. I hope your wins, little or big, are impactful in a massive way. Have a wonderful week!
I too am seesawing my way to small lottery wins that are comprised of a lot of ups and downs.
I recently re-discoverd an old software friend of mine. It was through a post on LinkedIn that I discovered one could install this piece of software called Crystal Reports from the Internet. A while back I discovered I could not install this software on my Windows 11 machine as there was no place for my CD.
Then on top of that, I was lead to believe that Crystal Reports was dead. On the contrary my LinkedIn connection tells me he’s had a ton of work with Crystal Reports because he discovered on BlueSky that programmers hate that piece of software. I’ll try to capitalize on that as well.
Back in the day Crystal Reports was just a hobby and it was because of that interest that I eventually found work with that software. And I attribute my success in the corporate world to that software.
Hello – What a great testament to persistence and seeing the value and things that many people mark as irrelevant. I’m glad you are finding success based on the software and I wish you continued success, my friend!
Ohhh I love this!! I smiled all the way through but I did giggle at “pay the toll” 😂 Those are the moments that stick with you forever—the giggles, the silliness, the pure joy. Honestly, this is such a good reminder that we don’t need a jackpot win to feel rich. Life’s real lottery moments are those little flashes of happiness we sometimes take for granted.
And I love how you tied it back to business too! It’s so easy to get caught up in the big goals and forget to celebrate the wins along the way. That first sale, the first comment on a blog, figuring out a new skill—it all adds up.
So here’s to stacking up those little wins, both in business and life! And to many more toll payments in the form of tickles and giggles! 😆
Hi Sarah – It really is the little wins that make the big wins sweeter, right? Ohh, don’t get me wrong I would love to hit it big with a stroke of luck, but that’s all would be luck. Hey, I’ll take it if I can get it but in the meantime, I plan on just racking up all my little successes that will eventually produce a huge one. Thank you for your visit can I go to blog post, and I wish you a wonderful week, my friend!
Hi Ernie,
I really enjoyed this perspective! It’s easy to get caught up in chasing big wins and forget about the small moments that bring real joy. The way you described your time with your grandkids was heartwarming, it’s clear how much they mean to you, and those are the kind of memories that last a lifetime.
The connection to business was a great reminder that success isn’t just about one big breakthrough, but about all the little victories along the way. Every step forward matters, and recognizing those moments makes the journey even more meaningful.
This was a thoughtful and uplifting read, thank you for sharing, Ernie!
Meredith
Hi Meredith – It really is easy to get caught up into chasing the big opportunities and wins and that’s not a bad thing as long as we don’t forget about all of our wins. I really do adore my grandchildren and they teach me so much every day about myself and about how important it is to enjoy the moment. Thank you for your visits and for your comments on my blog posts. Have a great day!
Hi, Ernie! I’m changing my words! From now on, I’m saying small wins are lottery moments! I love how this phrase turns the words small win into a big celebration! I won’t lie; I’ve had trouble recognizing and celebrating my lottery moments, but now I’ll be looking for them. Thanks for this and the heartwarming story about your grandchildren 🙂
Nakina
Hi Nakina – Thank you for your visit to my blog post and for your very kind and nice comments. Yeah, the term lottery moments does have a ring to it and I’m glad you found it useful. You have so much to celebrate as I have followed you for so long and I continued to learn from you. Thank you for your persistence in this business as it helps all of us. Have a great day!