This is Day 1 of the 21-Day Journaling Challenge held in Nov 2011. The challenge is now over but you can do the tasks in your own time. Visit the overview page for all the challenge tasks.
Hi everyone! Welcome to Day 1 of the 21-Day Journaling Challenge aka 21DJC!First off, I’m blown away by your enthusiasm for the challenge. Many of you jumped on board upon the opening for sign ups three days ago. Some of you have experience journaling in the past, while the rest of you do not journal but are keen to give it a shot. We now have an amazing 428 official, registered participants and it’s increasing as we speak!For the 428 of you who have registered, I want you to give yourself a pat on your back. Because you have put your name up for the challenge, you have sent out the intention to the universe that you want to grow. And trust me — it’s going to happen in this 21-day journaling challenge. As long as you commit yourself to journaling the assigned questions every day, you WILL grow — in your consciousness, in self-awareness, and in your connection with your inner self.
Seriously — what would you do? Would you save them in a bank? Would you use them to buy stocks? Would you share them with other people? Would you invest the money in your business? Would you give them away to charity? Would you quit what you’re doing and start a whole new life?What would you do with your million dollars?(Today’s question can be found in #45 of 101 Important Questions To Ask Yourself In Life.)
Hi everyone! Welcome to Day 1 of the 21-Day Journaling Challenge aka 21DJC!First off, I’m blown away by your enthusiasm for the challenge. Many of you jumped on board upon the opening for sign ups three days ago. Some of you have experience journaling in the past, while the rest of you do not journal but are keen to give it a shot. We now have an amazing 428 official, registered participants and it’s increasing as we speak!For the 428 of you who have registered, I want you to give yourself a pat on your back. Because you have put your name up for the challenge, you have sent out the intention to the universe that you want to grow. And trust me — it’s going to happen in this 21-day journaling challenge. As long as you commit yourself to journaling the assigned questions every day, you WILL grow — in your consciousness, in self-awareness, and in your connection with your inner self.Read: 8 Tips To Excel in 21DJC
I’ve written a list of 8 Tips To Excel in 21DJC in the announcement post. Please make sure you read them and follow them to a tee to get the best out of the challenge.Please Use Proper English
Because this is a journaling challenge and there will likely be long passages of text, I require the cooperation of everyone to follow Tip #6 in particular — which is on using proper capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar in your answers.I noticed some registrants using chat speak when signing up (e.g. “i did all d thing wid ney email id”) and some registrants using full caps (e.g. “I LOVE THIS IDEA AND I WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CHALLENGE”). While it’s only a small handful of registrants, it’s enough to ruin the experience of the challenge for everyone.We’re doing this as a community, so let’s be considerate to everyone who will be reading our answers. Use capital letters if it’s the first letter of the sentence and small letters for the rest. Use proper English words that you’d find in a dictionary, not chat speak. Punctuate accordingly: use commas and semicolons where necessary and avoid run-on sentences. Do a quick scan to make sure your spelling is right before you post your answers. Let’s make this a positive experience for everyone taking part!(For participants who do not comply with #6, I’m afraid I’d have to remove your posts for the benefit of the community. I seek your understanding on this. Thank you!)With that said, let’s now move to our first question, shall we? ;)21DJC Day 1
Today’s question is a simple, age-old, yet powerful question:What Would You Do If You Have 1 Million Dollars?
Seriously — what would you do? Would you save them in a bank? Would you use them to buy stocks? Would you share them with other people? Would you invest the money in your business? Would you give them away to charity? Would you quit what you’re doing and start a whole new life?What would you do with your million dollars?(Today’s question can be found in #45 of 101 Important Questions To Ask Yourself In Life.)Your Task Today:
- Reflect and answer today’s question. Like I mentioned in Tip #4 of 8 Tips To Excel in 21DJC, there’s no word limit – whether minimum or maximum. Write as few or as many words as you want. It’s all up to what you want to express!
- Share your answer. After you are done writing, copy and paste your answer in the comments area and post it there.
- Check out other participants’ answers. Other participants will be sharing their answers too, so feel free to read and reply to their answers. This is a group course, so let’s support each other in these 21 days.
(Images: Empty book for journaling, Money notes)
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If I had 1 million dollars, I would try my damnest not to blow it all at once. This is what I’d like to do –
Firstly, I would set myself, with a reasonable house and car, nothing too big or flashy, just something nice and comfortable.
Next, I would do something special for all those people that I admire and have been there for me, my parents, some of my work mates etc.
Then, I would set up a savings account for my uni expenses.
The rest, for the mean time, would go into a term deposit, allowing me to donate monies to local groups and having enough to dip into when (or if) the time comes for moving to the city or marriage or having kids.
And of course, treat myself from time to time spending a little on something to pamper myself with, or buy something I love.
Jess,
You and several others have the right idea. First look at your reaction, your real yearning and then get that amount into your heads. How much is it? How far would it go?
Trust me, I’ve seen more than one person go nuts and spend it all.And perhaps end up worse than before.One of you or more will in all likely hood get this opportunity. So dream big and be prepared for it.
Claire R
A house and car are very reasonable goals or wishes.
It is so nice that you would give to those you admire, that is something I’d love to do as well. Keeping family and parents a priority.
Having a savings account would be great for those extra things you need.
Great post. ~Jackie
Truthfully I would buy a house and work on making myself a happier person physically. I would give money to my church and family. I would resolve any financial issues and debts that I have. I would purchase real estate and rent it so that I have steady income. I would take some money to have fun and spend but I would save alotof it as well. I know that money does not define happiness but it would help me financially definitely.
I like your idea. It has the same principal as mine. I believe you are so right. Money doesn’t define happiness, but it sure does relieve some stress from everyday living. I’ve never truly wanted to be rich per say, but just to live comfortable. :)
So many ideas bombard me at once. I want to write that I would pay off my debts and my children’s. Then, set up a trust for my grandchildren. Those are important goals for me. Every day I get requests for financial help from many worthy causes. I chair the mission team at my church and know of many worthy causes, local, state, national, and international. I have missionary friends in China, Kazakhstan, Chile, Paraguay, and soon to be The Philippines. It would be awesome to share some of that money with them. Another idea that I’ve pondered is to find in inner city youth and offer to pay their way to college. I really don’t know how far $1 million dollars would go, but, after paying off my debts, I would give it away to help family first and then the world.
1 million dollars is not a lot of money nowadays in Vancouver, BC Canada due to the high real estate costs. I would upgrade from 2 bedroom to 3 bedroom apartment in Yaletown, with an unobstructed ocean view and this would exhaust the fund right away. Living mortgage free would give me the freedom to save the maximum amount from my current job which in turn would allow me to retire in about 10 years. I could also choose contract work instead of working full time and work when I feel like only. Once I have the cost of my accomodation resolved permamently I could live very simply as Vancouver urban environment provides all entertinement needed to life: ocean at my door steps, mountains 30 minutes away and cultural live right where I live.
I have everything else I need: family, health, friends, post-graduate education, children and a dog so the nice place to live is the only material need I need to fullfill. What I am short on is the most precious commodity: time – not having to work full-time or for the next 30 years would provide more time to my disposal for whatever activities I chose to devote myself to.
“1 million dollars is not a lot of money nowadays” Hillarious…I have read the complete post and understood the pretext but still couldn’t resist this comment.
Trust me 1 million $ is a lot of money :-)
Whether or not $1 million is a lot or not is subjective to the person.
I can understand both of your perspectives though.
Matt, I agree with you. Different people have different perspectives. :D
hmmm…I also agree with Mark & Amanda that one million dollars is a lot or not depends on individual perspectives :)
Sorry, I meant Matt*
I have to agree that 1 million is definitely not that much money these days, due to the current economy
Hmm…Just want to clarify that my above comment is not to offend anyone. My point is, if you have to judge $1 million is a lot or not, then it could only be done by setting a base or an at par value(Lets say the summation of income of all individuals/No of individuals). I think going by this calculation $1 Milloin is a lot in every country. Its but obvious that individual opinions will be subjective depending on various factors.
I think nobody is offended by your opinion. We were just sharing ours.
Sorry if my words made you feel that way Chandan :( But I wasn’t pointing towards you or anybody. I was just sharing my opinion that the value of one million dollars is different for everyone.
Hey Iva,
Thanks a lot for your post, I just put that clarification as an add on to my earlier post to remove any air of ambuiguity. It was not specifically for you, so please don’t be sorry;-(.
I am touched by your courteousness and I do agree with your opinion.
Thank you kindly for all your comments… I keep reading all the wonderful ideas on how to spend 1 million e.g. travel, pursuit of passion etc..
Perhaps it depends on the stage in life (I am in my mid-40-ies)? After a long search within and outside of me with the help of wise men, friends, life coach, yoga, Oprah, Dr. Phil, motivational tapes, depression, pills and everyone who cared to listen I had made a profound discovery that all I need for my happiness I already have by the virtue of living in the wonderful place of this world: Vancouver, being surrounded by the people I love and having a good, steady job (investing in MBA 20 years ago helped big time).
So perhaps a 1 million bucks is good for Prince Rupert or such but then you need to travel to escape periodically and see the beauty elsewhere.. if you choose to live in a wonderful place in this world (I went through excruciating emigration process from across the ocean to achieve it) one eliminates the need to travel (and travel tires me, plus I am scared of planes)..
than the only travel required is a corner coffee shop with my best friend, laughing and watching the ocean – and for this I need $1 mil to allow me the luxury to live on this precise spot in this world… (helping my kids to pay for their education etc – my salary suffices for it)
This is nice post! I agree 1 mn USD is not much these days. Nice thoughts!
I agree with you as I have known 3 people in my life that have hit 1 million on the lottery. One of them being my boyfriend’s father. It is an exceptional amount of money but it doesn’t go as far as it seems it would. It is enough to pay debts off, live comfortable, and own or remodel a new home. But it also can be gone in the blink of an eye without a good investment. I really love the fact that you said you have the ocean at your doorstep, your family, health, friends, children, and dog. Time is precious and not having to work as hard to get the bills paid has to be a relief for anyone. :)
If I had 1 Million Dollars, as per previously planned in my bucket list, firstly, I’d like to use some of the money to help my husband with the mortgage of our very own first house and buy all the stuff we need to build our dream house.
Secondly, I plan to send some money to my parents in Indonesia so they can purchase insurance (which is quite expensive for older people), get a decent brand new car and have some savings for my little brother’s university fees and their daily life necessities. Third, I’d like also to spare some budget for yearly overseas trip with my husband and/or with my parents as I believe that travelling would broaden one’s mind. Lastly, in the mean time, the rests would go to long-term savings deposit/property investments for future use.
By the way, even though I had 1 Million Dollars, I don’t think I would quit working yet since by keep on working I would stay connected with people out there and keep my mind sharp (although work can be stressful at times).
I think it’s really great that so many people are posting that they would want to help their loved ones if they had this money. It really speaks to the consciousness level of the group that instead of buying cars and jewelery almost everybody here would want to do something for the people who make their lives special.
Staying connected with people and not quitting the work is the best one can do even after getting such good amount of money.
If I had one million dollars, the very first thing I would do is pay off my law school loans. I am a recent graduate and I paid for school myself, so I have outstanding loans. I didn’t borrow irresponsibly, but this is my first time being in debt in my life. The debt hangs over my head in an abstract way, and, more concretely, the loans definitely limit what sorts of jobs I can take, where I live, etc. I don’t regret going to school, and I know education is a good investment, but my debt is a stressor in my life.
After paying off my loans, I would give my parents some money– I have no idea how much. They paid for my undergraduate education out of their own pockets, for which I’m really grateful. I would pay them back for that, and I would also help them pay off their house. I don’t know for sure whether they want to move to a new house or not, but if the house they own now were paid off, they would be more free to move when and if they wanted to.
Third, I would go on a trip with a friend. Nothing extravagant– probably just a small trip in the US, or maybe an inexpensive trip abroad. But it’s been years since I’ve been on a real vacation, and it would be nice to get away for a week. Plus, there’s a friend in particular who I know also needs a vacation, and I would love for us to go together. Maybe to the coast in North Carolina.
Then, I would put whatever was left into a savings account or very low-risk investment funds. I want to buy a house and raise a family in the future, and it would be reassuring to know that I had already started saving for that part of my life.
I would definitely start by paying off my student loan too! It’s not much, and I’m paying it off now, but to have freedom from it would feel amazing.
And I’m with you on the low-risk investments…this day and age, you can’t be too careful! :)
What would I do if I had a million dollars? My first reaction would be to sit down and try to sink in that I have a million at my disposal. Once I’ve done that, I’d think of the first three things I’d spend them on.
The first thought that came to my mind was to share some of it to charity. There’s so much to be thankful for. The million would be a bonus so why not share some to those who have so much need for it?
The second thought was to invest the money and buy good real estate properties to make sure my family’s future is taken cared of.
And last, I’d make sure I save some for myself and family to enjoy life together…:)
If i have a million dollars, i would split it into the following:
1) Take a big chunk and invest it in properties to let the money grow
2) Definitely donate to the poor & underprivileged
3) Use the money to go for more holidays around the world (to give me a better view of the world and perhaps discover some new passions)
4) Help others unveil their through potential
Well, these are the things that crossed my mind now.
I will not quit my day job yet because i’m still working on finding my passion. I’m working concurrently but once i find my passion, i will spend more time with my passion and eventually let go of my 9-5 job. I will let the money grow on it’s own by reinvesting the profits while i can focus on other passions as well. In this way, i don’t have to work for 8 hours a day cooped up in the office and i can spend my time wisely with things i enjoy doing.
If I had a million dollars, I would sing that song by the Barenaked Ladies! ;)
After that I would:
pay off my debt including my mortgage
put $500,000 into my retirement fund
put $50,000 into each of my kids education fund
put $20,000 into my own education fund
put $50,000 into my travel fund
give my mother $50,000
donate the rest to various charities and random strangers
I would still continue to work as I enjoy my job. I would look into reducing my hours to coincide with my kids’ school schedule. And take the summers off to use up my travel fund!
I would continue to live in my current home as it is just enough space. I would look into the cost of renovating my kitchen and bathrooms but that would be paid for by my regular salary. The only reason I would move is if my neighbours knew about my sudden influx of cash.
Other than being debt-free, life would remain the same for me. I think I have a great life and wouldn’t change it.
It’s so inspiring to see that your don’t take your life for granted, and that you enjoy the life that you live now. I agree that I wouldn’t quit my current job either, as I love what I do and am passionate about it. Congratulations for being where you are in your life! I really admire that.
a. I would repay the home loan taken from the bank
b. I would repay the loan taken from my brother for constructing our home
c. Secure future of my family
d. Start a business
e. Invest in 2nd and 3rd residential homes
f. I would go for a holiday with my family in Europe
g. I would take my mom to a trip in North India that she wants to visit
The first 2 and last 2 points are obvious. Otherwise I think this is a very Indian response – securing the future of yourself and your family. I think you should ALSO think of something which will change your life. Or is this what you would do with 1 million or 10 million dollars?
If your mom wants to visit North India, then you must need to show her Mathura and especially Goverdhan Maharaj. You and your mom will get one of the flavor of North India.
– Sponsor 100 Burmese child via world vision
– Pay off for housing loan & get another office/apartment as investment.
– Give some money to family members & NGO in need of development fund.
I will still work and live a health and happy life. I believe human potential is worth more then a million.
“I believe human potential is worth more then a million.”
I love this sentiment! :D
Thanks for sharing the same sentiment Jess,
Everyone of us is design for something bigger and better without compromising natures harmony. Money is just an gauge used by capitalist mind.
If I were given a million dollars I would hope and think that it was because I had become a millionaire on the inside.
The first things that spring to mind are the freeing of the mortgage on the family house mortgage. I would then seek advisory council as I put steps in place to get the money bringing returns to provide extra income.
Rental properties
Business opportunities
I also believe that the fact that we are stewards of the money that comes into our lives and I would donate…give money to foundations that i believe in.
On getting one million dollars, I will equip my library with lot of important books and I will read them in future.I will invest part of it for my kids education and their marriage. I will also invest in gold and use them in future as their value increases everyday. Also I will donate a part to needy people especially for their education and medical aid through approved agencies. I will lead a comfortable life with the balance available with me. S.Arunagiri, fpu.trichy@gmail.com
In general, I would not waste all that money buying things I don’t need and stuff. Most of the money will go into my school funds because I’m still very young :D (people who know me on PEF will know that I’m 10 :wink: )
But here’s what I’ll do:
– Save money for next time to buy a house and car. Nothing flashy and nothing too much. The house must be comfortable and convenient and the car…well, let’s say – nice but cheap.
– Save money for my school funds (if I’m not going into a government school, it’ll be a great help because otherwise the fees are super high)!!
– Give my parents money
– Donate it to the under-privellaged and needy, the children who are sick but cannot seek medical treatment, etc.
– Save money for myself when I grow older. (holidays, etc.)
– Buy a laptop (it doesn’t have to be too expensive) – one that is fast and not a mac ;) – so that I can work on my website whenever I want to.
– Bank it for rainy days.
I can’t think of anything else but these, to me, seem like a great idea so far. :D
Wow, that’s a pretty well planned list. I couldn’t believe it when I read your words “I’m 10.” You have started quite young in contributing to personal development (I mean this in a good way).
Best of luck for your future plans :D
Haha, I guess I always plan things out well… :D
Thanks!
Cudn agrre more with Iva…I didn’t noticed that you are just 10 and you have such a cool head. Way to Amanda:-)
All the best…
Thanks Chandan! All the best to you too…
I’m flabbergasted by your clarity, focus and simplicity Amanda. Cheers to you!
Age being the sole reason
Wow! You are an apt example for the saying- “Wise head on young shoulders!”
Keep it up! :D
Reading through all your comments,
This blog has given a sense of internal prosperity, as no matter what I say, I truly believe that I would give all that money away to be healthy etc. Fortunately, I am very healthy (eat well, exercise) and so this is what this blog has taught me, getting the fundamental things is very good, but to be healthy (to see, hear, love, be able to run, walk) is a major factor of happiness :)
I forgot to add “school funds” in my post, and i don’t like having a car, it occupies a lot of space and it’s polluting… I prefer a bicycle instead :D
In a nutshell, you have great ideas… especially for your young age.
Before I met you, I was the youngest person I know who’s interested in personal development (I’m 17) But your age is unbeatable (:
Haha, have heard that line about my age many times… The car will mostly be used when I have to travel in SG from one end to the other. To get to school now I take public transport to help the environment. :D
And if possible (I’ve read somewhere about it), I would buy a car that either don’t pollute at all (if it isn’t available now maybe next time) or just the minimum. Maybe this will be more expensive but it will be let’s say…helpful. :dance:
If I have 1 million dollars with me right now, I think I will split it into ten parts. First, I will give my family one tenths of the money ($100,000) to whatever they want to spend it on, pay off bills etc. Second, I would take another three tenths of the money and save it in a bank for future use (such as college, rent, and more). Third, I would take another tenths and buy things I like. Being a natural saver, I probably would not buy much things and just save the rest into the bank. Fourth (I have half a million left now), I would take some of the money (another tenth) and take classes, buy stocks, and more to increase my skills and maybe earn more money. The rest of the $400,000 would probably go towards getting a job, charity, future children (if I have any), friends and family that has been there for me, and of course, my bucket list as well as retirement.
There sure is a lot to do with a million. I definitely think that most of it will go into savings currently as of right now though. In fact (seeing as I am not very old right now), I think I would only take two thousand out and buy myself nice things, give about 30,000 for my mom to buy a nice car because a lady just ran over hers a few days ago, and save the rest up for the future. But ultimately, I think that when I am older, I will do the things I listed in the first paragraph.
What would I do if I had 1 million dollars?
One million dollars could make a tremendous difference in a persons life. I have known some people who spend a large amount of mental energy thinking about money. Usually it involves worrying about the lack of it. I don’t think that being rich and buying expensive things can make a person happy but having peace of mind about your finances could dramatically improve a person’s overall mental well being. A million dollars could certainly do this.
My initial reaction to having this money would of course be very excited and joyful. Whether i earned the money, won it, or was given it could make a difference. Of course my mind would go to what new toys I would buy and what I would immediately do this this money.
The thing is though I have no idea how to manage that much money! I recall articles I have read about people who have won the lottery but within 10 years end up in a worse financial situation than they were at before they won. I have read that this happens to the majority of lottery winners in the US. Some may think, “Oh that would never happen to me. Those people were just dumb. I would be smart about it.” Part of me thinks the same thing but unless you have ever had that much money I wouldn’t be so sure.
If I had that much money today I would probably want to spend it on a few frivolous things like a trip or nice gifts for loved ones. I wouldn’t want to spend too much though. Since I already stated I wouldn’t know how to handle the money I would want to save it. I would likely contact a professional who could advise me on what to do. I would want to invest it in safe and secure ways. That means I probably would not want to sink all my money into some new start up company or buy stock. I would just want to save as much as I could and see how I could collect inerest in safe ways.
I would want to quit my current job but I’m not sure that would quit working altogether. Quitting my job and just doing whatever I pleased might sound enticing at first but I think it would become quite unsatisfying within a couple of weeks. One of my life goals is to spend most of my daily time on work that is important and fulfilling to me. I think having one million dollars would give me that opportunity. I might go back to school to get training in art or business. I would want to pursue dreams that I currently put off because my current job (and inner limiting beliefs).
That would be the greatest thing that I think could come out of having that much money. Just having the financial security to pursue my own dreams. Now that I write this I’m realising there would really be no need to wait to have that much money.
I really like these Like buttons! nice touch!
BTW just noticed I cannot add emoticons.
Is there any way to control the email notifications to followup blog comments? I clicked the box to receive notifications and now I am getting an email every time there is a post to this article. Even if a person is not responding to one of my comments. Is there any way to fix it so I only get an email if somebody responds to my comment or another’s post that I commented on?
Well said Matt !
I completely agree with you…pursuing dreams that you put off due to whatever reasons in life could be the best. I also liked the idea of getting back to school for further professional training. :)
Matt, yeah, I think quitting your job and investing the money somehow, like a term deposit would be the best idea. Then you could concentrate all your time on your drawing.
Matt, I must agree with your thoughts here. You have great and wise ideas on doing some works which are your truly passions (once you are financially secured) and hiring a personal financial adviser/planner to invest your money. Totally agree with these moves!
well said, no job would be boring, but if we put the amount a time into us, maybe it would be a blessing, however, we all curb the rules and we would be distracted on normal things like tv, facebook. but i do think its good to invest in yourself. :)
It is refreshing that you avoided the list factor — though it is great to organize thoughts on specifics and the priorities of life… what you value. You also show what is limiting to you — all thoughts that have gone through my own head. My writing really got me thinking about the new anxiety, however — with nations melting down financially — is there really “Financial Security” these days? That was the most disturbing result of thinking about this question…
Buy a car, apply for research grants, get an apartment, buy fruit trees for Africans, buy cats and books…hemmm…lessie….Give some to my family, spoil my friends…go to University…save..this could take hours to answer!
As a math person, I would divide my money for investment, for better purposes and for personal pleasure. Investment for half a million, a quarter would go to better purposes like donation to a charity and my family and loved ones use, and the last quarter would be left for me again. But i think i will use it for my loved ones still and just very little for my own pleasure. Probably, that last quarter would go to gifts for my loved ones. If that could buy them health plans and things that will enable them to live a better and healthier life, then i would be very willing to give it to them.
1. Change my last name/new id.
2. Pay remainder money on house in canada and sell it
3. Put remainder of J money in account and deduct it for kids and give receipt each month.
4. Furnish and remodel mansion in mexico theme rooms to generate cash flow..creating retreats for wellness.(outdoor living space/casita/pool,gardens)
5. maintain a new construction that is a luxurious place with seperate living areas so each family members has a secure foundation in Canada.
6. Travel to foreign countries looking for the next hot spot to make investment or create business. see ireland, australia,spain, mediterranean, carribean, south america.
7. Purchase a yellow sportscar convertible.
8. Each child gets money for investment growth/immediate needs.
9. Create a clothing line
10. create a wellness program and market it (web/ interenet marketing)
11. Buy a few classic designer clothes for business,evening events and casual .
12. Hire a driver, chef/ personal trainer, maid
13. start a womens resource center that helps women and supports charity
14 Purchase a hotel/multi units- for wellness retreats and events so family has work opportunities.
15 write a book while income is coming in from the above investments
16 learn spanish
17 take acting classes to get a role in a popular movie
18 Go to high end luxury places of entertainment like galas/events
19. Go on a mediterranean cruise (cruiseship or big huge yacht)
20. Create the best marketing programs for selling properties in paradise.
21. purchase health products to keep self healthy, strong, vibrant.
22. Family/biz vehicle (suv) energy efficient no gasoline
I love how you are dreaming here — thought $1M might not go that far… still, the fluency of being able to enumerate your desires is inspiring! Some great ideas, too.
If I had a million Dollar, I would invest a substantial part of that money in buying a property. And then a part of it will be deposited in the bank for future use. Some part of it would go into buying things I need/want…jwellery …bags…shoes and all those girly things!!! :D
I would travel all over the world…experiencing new cultures…surroundings…meeting new people…exploring all the coffeehouses of the cities I travel…listen to music…dance around and have good time…omg…even thinking of it gets me so excited!!!
And apart from that…i would just like to have a sweet simple life with my family…filling every moment with pure love joy and magic…being happy in others happiness and success and being completely satisfied as a person who is at peace with herself. That’s the kind of life I would have. Plain. Simple.
Thats great! Apart from fullfilling your dreams it will be best to live every moment of your life with love and joy. Afterall life is the greatest gift we got. :)
Kamal! Exactly…it’s about living each moment to the fullest! :D Thanks for commenting buddy…and I wish you have a great life! :)
I would use the money to try and convince myself that I really don’t have a good excuse not to live the life I truly want to live.
How, you ask?
Well, I have this gut feeling that even if I did have a million dollars, I would still come up with countless reasons why I can’t do this and can’t do that. It doesn’t matter how much money I have, or how many people are around me – I am the only person who can decide how I will live my life.
But then again, I can recognise all this now and get a move on with life.
What would you do if you have 1 million dollars (5 crore rupees)
The first thought that comes to my mind is how to plan my immediate financial independence.
I would probably keep say 2 years expense (based on monthly budget) in some kind of fixed deposit, some lakhs for medical emergencies
Then I would buy a 2 floor house, where I can live in one floor and rent the other one. Then explore some kind of long term financial investments (stocks or business) which will generate revenue.
Then I would set aside some money to buy a land in each of my child’s name.
I would then keep aside a set of money for immediate worldwide travelling. May be a year of travelling with husband and kids.
Then I would set aside some money for further studies. Come back home and spend half a day in regular duties the rest half for studies and contemplating and taking baby steps in the area where I feel I would be happy working.
So the key point is my mind says if I have money I will stop working, spend time with family and really focus to find out my life’s purpose which at present is quite unclear and my mind is so full of daily activities/duties that it finds lots of excuses like no time, tiredness and busyness to do something I like on my own.
To be more specific, after I have done some travelling and I am back home, I will start to learn cooking, different dance forms, swimming, get a degree or some research on people based subjects like counseling/coaching. I am not sure if I am good at it or I would like doing it every day, but my current instincts keep pushing me in that direction.
I would probably want to write, write and write. What in specific I don’t know. I just like typing away thoughts that come to my mind always. I feel relaxed if I either type down lots of paragraphs from books and other sources or just type down my thoughts.
I would read, read, read and read lots of books. Any kind of book. I just get lost and lose track of time.
I would want to sleep every day in the afternoon for 1-2 hourrs to be relaxed when my kids get back from home, so I have lots of patience with them.
I would like to watch at least 2 movies a day. I would like to get dressed up !!!!!! and may be explore options of acting as a career !!!!! I love being in front of the camera (still/video).
I always dream of doing dance stage shows and my feet starts tapping the moment I hear music.
First of all I would just quit my job and sit at home and get my daily routine to a even better state. I would ideally like to spend time to learn healthy and quick fix recipes which gives me and my family a good nutition and does not take too much time in the kitchen. I would like to set this up so easy and well that the family members can take care of their own part even in my absence.
Initially probably I would just go for a 2 week to 1 month long vacation somewhere alone where I don’t have to worry about taking care of anybody or any activity. Somebody brings me food, a clean quiet place and lots of time on my own to just rest my body and mind. And come back with clarity of thought and eagerness to be back with my family and world !!!!
Come back and set into a good routine as mentioned above and have special time for husband, parents, siblings and kids.
Then slowly start on my hobbies and further education.
I would first max out my retirement for pre-tax savings and future investment. I would hire my cousin, a financial advisor, to help me manage my finances and with investing in real estate.
I would take some time off for travel to see the world (have not left the North American continent yet!). I would rest, reflect and organize my life the way I want.
When I got back, I would hire a personal fitness trainer and nutritionist to help me lose weight and have a healthy active lifestyle. Then, next I would hire a personal coach and business coach to set up my art licensing business and set up a solid business plan, marketing plan and do the trade show circuit.
I would set up a scholarship fund to help artists with their business ventures. I might even give myself a scholarship to go to a prestigious art school or to hire a famous art tutor. I would donate a portion to the non-profits I have contributed to on a pro-bono basis.
I am not sure about how much of my family and friends I can help since I have a rather large extended family and know tons of people. A million dollars doesn’t seem to stretch too far after buying a house and funding a business, etc., but hopefully my investments can turn a profit and I can hire family and friends to build my venture!
I would buy cash a house for me, spending 3-400.000 $.
Then donate 150.000$ each to my mom and to my sister, for whatever they want.
I’d put the rest in a Swiss bank for the future, split in savings, short and long term investments in something I believe (no speculations).
I will rent my house and with this income keep doing what I am doing now, traveling and writing, but with definitely less worries about my retirement and giving myself some occasional extra pleasures.
Most important: once distributed funds, hopefully the only change in me will be less anxiety and not more arrogance.
(Even if there is no limits in words, I’m using this challenge also as an exercise to be concise, so I will made every post exactly 100 words long)
I will make my posts 100 words long too. :)
First of all, I would travel the world-on a cruise! I would help my loved ones financially and pay off my own debt. I would start an organization to help get our homeless off of the streets and I would invest so that i would never have to work again.
What can I do with a million dollars?
I would use 30% of the funds to start a Food and Beverage Business with my buddy. I would quit my job and immerse myself totally in this business to ensure things work out. To me, there is neither prospect nor advancement working for your employers as they have very closeted mindset staple with redtapes.
For the rest of my funds, I would save 40% of it for rainy day purposes and the remaining 30% for my loans, family expenditures like renovation, furnitures and donate some to the temple too.
okay, i am not going to get too fancy, i will just write the answer which pops right into my head
buy a house — i think it is good to have your own house to live.
buy a motorcycle — i can’t drive a car, and motorcycle is the best transportation for me.
do liposuction — i don’t know why but this is one of answers which pops in my head. okay okay, i know why it is because i am too lazy to do diet process (i am a fat dude), there it is said.
go and do pilgrimage — this is something i want to do if i have the money, one way to get closer to god
get master degree — okay money alone can not help me get the degree (here it is not the degree which is important but the education), but it surely help me focus on studying rather than worrying tuition.
buy farming land — i think we need much more farming land to supply our worlds food demands
invest — definitely
if i have 1 million dollars…………
first of all i will thanks to god for it.
1. i will keep it in bank for my kids education.
2. i will give to my husband as he wants to do business.
3. i want my own house where beach is nearby.
4. i want to help needy in various way. like food , shelter and i think i can do counselling too for that also i can invest in office etc..
I would invest it: to generate more income (i.e. stocks) as well as in experiences (i.e. travel, eating). I don’t think I could not spend it on material items (i.e. high quality well-crafted clothing, jewelry), but the first would give me more satisfaction in the long run than having things. Because right now, I have a lot of things. Each of these things are not worth a lot of money, but if you add them all up, they used up all of my money. And owning so many things, I should consider myself rich, but I don’t. There is a quote, “The more you own, the more that owns you.” So I think I would use 1 million dollars to get out of my material rut and enjoy life through experiences, and in order to fuel the ability to do so for many, many years on, I would make sure I set aside and utilize money that would generate more money.
I read a few previous posts about how others would give to charity. I would also set aside some money, but I feel that if I lived my life with integrity and respect for others, that would be the most beneficial to the world. Money can cause ripple effects, but so do my actions. For example, here in America, I will not shop at Wal-Mart after learning about their practices. Why? Because it is pointless to give a negligent company money to grow and then have to give money to charities to fix the social and economic problems caused by Wal-Mart. Another example is by purchasing organic food. But aside from these, activism is more important than giving money to a charity. Paying attention to local politics is more important. Actually getting out to vote is more important. Being receptive to the idea that one is not always right and having the humility to be wrong and to work towards being a better person is more important.
Using one million dollars for personal excellence, for self-improvement, to become a more compassionate, educated, worldly, honest human being, to me, is the best way to spend it.
One Milllion dollars is a funny number – it’s a lot of money to make, yet it’s hardly enough to spend without consideration.
I’d buy a nice house by the beach – not the one I want the most, because one million dollars is not enough for that – but a nice one. Real estate is still a good deal around here so I’m pretty sure I could sell it for a profit if I got the chance to buy my dream house. I figure a nice house in this area would set me back around 500.000.
I’d set apart something like 100.000 to pay for my sister’s college and whatever else she needed, and I’d give an extra 100.000 to my parents just for the heck of it.
So now I’d have something like 300.000 left – I’d give another 100.000 to the local voluntary firemen. I’ve always felt like they were underfunded and they do good work for the people aroudn here.
Finally, I would reduce my working hours to half what they are, so I could spend more time on my other projects – my blogs, my book. I’d do this for about a year, and I’d use the remaining 200.000 to support myself and to travel a bit around the world. I can be pretty frugal when I want to so they’d last me quite a bit.
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