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Treasures of the Heart Every week we hear another story about a lotto winner. Some lucky soul
picked up a ticket at their local convenience store, checked the results, had a partial coronary and woke up rich. Most of us have spent a moment or two daydreaming about what we might do
if it happened to us. It’s fun to picture ourselves on the French Riviera or in Hawaii, dropped off by our chauffeur,
surrounded by an entourage of our favourite cronies. We build a mansion, buy a fine car, replace our wardrobe, book luxury
vacations — What a blast! I believe in dreaming. It lifts our spirits and retrieves a lost smile.
Best of all, it’s FREE. Unless of course, you squander half your paycheque on a fantasy.
I spoke with a friend of mine who has a PhD in mathematics. He works at
NASA in artificial intelligence. Last time I checked, he assembled neuron networks. In other words, he puts together artificial
brains. He explained to me that the odds of winning the lottery are so low that
they approach random. Whether you spend $1, $10 or $100, your chances of winning remain about the same—close to random. Therefore, if you want to keep a cheap thrill cheap, spend only a buck.
We run into a challenge when our daydreaming occupies more than the occasional
few minutes of merriment—when reality becomes a chimera. True dreams blossom best at home, with your children, your significant
other, a job or career that fulfils you. You can’t buy the elation of watching your son’s first soccer
goal or a daughter’s maiden recital. They don’t care about money. Cash can’t supplant the deep bond that engenders from overcoming
huge odds in partnership with a loved one—not even close. Our greatest treasures surround us every day. They speak to us, reach out
to us, with gestures, looks, downtrodden heads and Cheshire cat grins—with far more than mere words. We live in a world that worships material madness at the expense of treasures
of the heart. Money brings fleeting rapture, temporary highs that fade behind closed doors—out of the limelight. Treasures of the heart cost us something different. Mining them takes time,
awareness, commitment and an openness that must be protected. Silly money buys laziness, especially when it comes to human
relations. Our heart muscle needs to flex, to pulse with vibrancy, to flow, to contrast
painful valleys with glorious peaks. We have to stay in the mix, churning and tumbling with emotion and sentiment, not running
for the escape hatch—the next distraction, which too much money makes all too tempting. Don’t get me wrong. I like money. I like options and choices and
a trunk full of fancies. I can spend with the best of `em.
It’s just that I really want my dreams to come true and when it comes
to wining the lotto, I don’t like the odds. I can do a lot better at home. Next time you play, ask yourself how you might up your chances with what
you already have. And remember—only a buck! That’s A View from the Ridge . . . Author Ridgely Goldsborough publishes The Daily Column; humorous and inspirational stories designed to
touch our hearts. Please take a moment to subscribe at no charge at |
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