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)
If you like my articles, join my community of 65,000 readers and get my latest articles delivered to your inbox. Your email is safe. 100% no spam.
If I have a million dollars to my name…
I will set up a school for the underprivileged orphaned girls in my country ,ensure them to become self sufficient so that they can help out more girls like them and eventually offer a better quality of life .
The school won’t be like ordinary schools. It will be a place to build up those girls to earn for themselves depending on various skills.
it is a dream that I cherish .. a million dollar can make it true…
One million dollars !! how many zeros is that , and when its converted into rupees ,that adds at least another zero .
so what would that mean ?
First , a warmth in my gut somewhere , like hot soup, reaching upward and outward simultaenously . A lightening of shoulders . A relaxing of the spine, like a coat of thorns being eased away . And then after a breath or two , a smile . A smile that radiates out, and in. A way- of- being smile, not just a communication smile.
That is what i would do . Smile : )
That being achieved, i would do what most of the people on this blog seem to be wanting to do .. put some of it to regenerating itself , put some to generating happiness for those who lack access/opportunity, put some to wandering the world living life ..
its interesting how much the same at the core we all are : )
The Million Dollar Question :) I wouldn’t tell anyone. Ever. I would immediately pay all of my current living expenses in full through June. I would buy myself a modest automobile, but probably kinda on the “green” side. I would repay my student loan and finish school. I would find a good dentist and get my smile back. I would buy a modest home on the ocean and convert it to solar power. I would repay the money I owe my mother. I would create trust funds for my children. I would seek out those who truly need it and use $100,000 to secretly gift them into a better life. I would find a way to start a new & innovative small business that not only gives back, but helps others to create their dreams.
21DJC Day 1
What would you do with 1 Million dollars?
At first that seems like a very easy question to answer. I would pay off my debt, buy my house outright, renovated it,put enough away to ensure my daughter’s college education, put enough in a trust fund to cover her RDSP contributions, have a big party for all of my family and friends that have supported me and that continue to help me everyday, I would buy a new wardrobe, appliances, furniture, take my daughter to Disney World and go on a trip to Vegas with my BFF and spare no expense.
I would talk to a financial advisor to plan my investments and retirements (which is where the majority of the money would go), I would buy something very meaningful for each member of my family and my best friend. I would take 10 or 20 thousand and put it in a ‘whatever’ account; the same way I put a couple hundred dollars away after Christmas to have to splurge on random things to make me happy.
I would make a large donation to the Children’s Hospital, I’d do what I could to keep my small town school open and active and make a donation to my Church. It’s incredible how many people are touched by that institution and I know that it doesn’t receive the support that it deserves.
I’d like to quit my job and start a new life, but I’m not entirely sure what that new life would look like. I’m not sure what I would like to do for pure pleasure if given the opportunity. I don’t find myself particularly talented and I can’t identify any unique skills. I wouldn’t quit working because 1 Million dollars isn’t enough to fold the cards and call it a day. I’d just work happier! (Or so I’d like to think!)
This is a question that I discussed with my boyfriend a few weeks back on a road trip.
First of all, we both wanted to pay off our parents’ loans, or pay part of it. We know our parents wouldn’t accept full payment, so we decided on a lump sum for each of them. We also wanted to pay off our own car and personal loans. We didn’t allocate too much for the car and personal loans, because we aren’t interested in fancy sports cars or expensive cars. He is happy with a ute, and I’d like a medium sized car.
A house and some land is something that we have always dreamed of and almost half of this money would go to ensuring we had paid in full for this. Our home would be one that we built ourselves, and not a mansion at all. Something with enough space to have people stay over comfortably, a large kitchen and dining for entertaining family and friends, plenty of room for kids one day. The land would be large enough to have chickens, a vege garden and maybe a few cows. We’d also install solar panels. The idea is to run a more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, sustainable home. We have some grand ideas about a staircase with a slide, a gorgeous bathroom and practical shed for his joinery.
We would like to give a small amount to each of our siblings and felt that $5,000 could assist each of them wherever they may be in their lives.
We definitely would like to save 10% of the amount, for our future and so we can use that to build interest and whenever we need it.
We haven’t sussed out the final details of the overseas work yet, but it’s definitely something we’d allocate money to. We’d have to feel moved by the work of an organisation to support them with our time, energy and money. We don’t want to do a typical 2 week mission trip and give away a lump sum. It would be an ongoing commitment, and something we’d put a lot of thought into.
$150,000 His parents
$150,000 My parents
60,000 pay off car/personal loans
400,000 Land & House
$5,000 x 8 = $40,000 (his 6 siblings, my 2 siblings)
100,000 savings
100,000 Funds to work overseas in 3rd world countries.
= $1,000,000
I guess we think quite practically? I know that we both definitely would want to continue working our jobs, because we’re both passionate about what we do!
can any one help me how to start sharing.
First, sorry I missed this yesterday but I’m a newbie and looked for it on the page where I signed up! I looked more this morning and found this. Since I’m a day late, I’ll make my answer short and sweet.
I’m not sure what I would do with a million dollars, but since I do not really need it and it would come as a gift, I would try to re-gift it to the world. I’d have to spend lots of time on researching where it would make the biggest difference and remain involved in it’s use. Perhaps I could start a non-profit.
In rough numbers, at $25K per year as a ‘bonus’ salary, my family could travel modestly a few times a year for the next 30 years after paying the mortgage. If everything else stayed the same, we would be very happy to just add those experiences to what we are doing now. It would be nice to set aside a savings amount as an eventual estate as well so that the ‘extra’ salary could continue for the next generation as well.
If I had a million dollars I would…
a) use a 3rd of it to pay of the remaining lease that my dad has on our house (probably by my own small comfortable apartment in the process)
b) save up some of the money for the rest of college fees.
c) buy something meaningful/thoughtful for everyone that has had a positive effect on my life.
d) save up half of the remaining money to start my own business
e) use the other half to invest in someone else’s business that I believe in
I would pay off our house then maybe buy another asset that could generate interest. For me 1 million is not enough to have a financial freedom. So I have to acquire more assets to become more financially free and then help other people.
For me, money = value. So if I had $1 Million, it means for me that I have $1 million worth of value. Hence, the question becomes: What would you do with 1 million dollar’s worth of value?
Some may say that they would quit their jobs and live on the million dollar they have. But in my opinion, if you don’t have a job, then you are not giving value to the world. Hence, you don’t have any value. Even if you possess 1 billion dollars, you’d still be worthless because you don’t have a job.
Instead, what I’d do is to invest the money to make my job less tiring. I have a blog… so this means that I would use the money to buy ads, hire writers, buy products and services, etc. to expand the audience of my blog.
Obviously, I don’t need 1 million dollar to do all that. There would be a lot of money left.’
With the money left, I would buy: a faster laptop, an iPhone, an iPad, the house of my dreams and the furniture of my dreams. (think Zen + HighTech + Music)
Also, I would make sure that my parents don’t need money anymore.
As to giving money for charity, I’m totally against that. Because when you give money to the poor guys, they become dependent on you. There’s an Arabic proverb that goes: “Instead of giving me a fish a day, teach me how to fish.”
I prefer using the money to buy sewing machines for schools that teach sewing to homeless girls in Kenya (elimu.ca), or buying a stand for a homeless man.
If we were to consider that 1 million dollar as an unlimited money source, I would also donate money for scientific research and animal rights.
“As to giving money for charity, I’m totally against that. Because when you give money to the poor guys, they become dependent on you.”
I kind of agree with you, and also the proverb. If I were to give money to charity (in terms of helping homeless and poor people), I’ll make sure that the charity don’t give them the money straight, but use the money send them to classes that teach them life skills. This can in turn help the needy to get a good job.
In terms of people who need aid (for example, the Thailand floods), I would donate money to the Red Cross for them to buy stuff such as food and water to give them, because even if they have the money, what use will it be??
I can understand your perspective though. :D
I completely agree with you Amanda (:
I can’t believe you’re just 10 years old!! Thanks for commenting :D
*searching for your entry* (;
As to giving money for charity, I’m totally against that. Because when you give money to the poor guys, they become dependent on you.
It should go for the poor guys only if it taught them to become self-sufficient and in turn help others who were less fortunate than themselves. Kinda like teach others to learn themselves to teach others. A spiral where each person who is helped is inspired to help others, until the poor guys help each other. There is always one more poor guy needing guidance until they succeed than they can teach other to succeed. Slowly the world would be helping each other rather than waiting on others for their own needs.
In a perfect world this would work and many can be helped if mentored by one person, they, in turn will become a mentor to another.
If helping a poor guy didn’t pay off in him helping another, than it would be a chance he blew himself. No more chances for him. but there are many in this poor guy world that would take what help was offered, just to get back on his feet and help another to do the same.
“Instead of giving me a fish a day, teach me how to teach fishing.” (;
I’d also use some to pay my university tuition (;
I wonder. Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is to use some of this money to buy a flat in St Pete’s and call it my home. This would be a haven to come back to regardless of where life takes me. Another part of the money I would invest in a little organic shop (or another little business) that my parents would be able to run, so that they dont have to think about pension, and both have stuff to do and money to support themselves. Of course, I will make sure my brother and my grandparents are all set, too. Then I will put most of the remainder amount in a bank, and set on a journey around the world. While travelling I hope to find good causes to support, and also find my own calling, so that when I know what I want to do, I can use all the money to pursue my passion.
If I had a million dollars I would focus full time on school and study philosophy. I would also get myself a little place and decorate it as I like.
I’d really like to think I’d use the money for other people…. So I don’t feel like I should answer in the way I’m going to answer. But here goes: I’d buy myself a comfy house on the beach. “Comfy” as in not elaborate or huge, just something safe for me and my dog. With room for a guest. That’s about half the money, right? Maybe less, maybe more. I’d take a trip to Norway. Spend a month there. I went once for 2 weeks and have been eager to go back. Then I’d save what remained. The end. No saving the world or feeding the hungry. Maybe if I had a billion, I’d be nicer to others. But… I figure I’ll be in the best position to be nice to others if I’m nice to myself. ……Maybe. Maybe I’m just feeling selfish. But I’ve given this question almost 24 hours, and I haven’t gotten any more altruistic.
As I read through people’s comments, I was blown away! So many wise and caring people! I was going to comment about that on some of the posts, and then I realized that I would be repeating myself over and over: Good choices! Very wise. How thoughtful and caring of you…
So if you’ve posted a comment already, or if you are going to, you can take THIS comment to heart; it is directed to you.
Day 121DJC Day 1 – What Would You Do If You Have 1 Million Dollars?
If I have 1 Million dollars
I would divide it into 3
1/3 will be given to charity
1/3 will be saved or will be developed
1/3 will be used for myself
as for myself I’ll buy books and make a personal library
for my self development…
1/3 will be saved or will be developed << I'll make a fruit garden (or is it farm? sorry bad english), start a food bussiness, and gadget bussiness, so it will grow even more in a fun way (for me)
I think that's all :)
If I had a million dollars, I would travel and travel and travel some more. I would take myself to all the magical places I have dreamt of while searching for the destination I would like to call home. And when I found it, I would buy a piece of property and make it my own. Size doesn’t matter, it just needs to be me – a peaceful sanctuary for growth and inspiration in a city or a town where I feel I can be myself and engage in the activities I long to be involved in. (Learning another language, meditation and yoga, dancing, surfing and scuba diving.)
After many inspiring journeys, I would like start my own travel company and sell packaged trips to destinations that have captured my heart. They would include the special sights I want to show others and the inspiring people I met across the world who I want to be a part of it. The business would have a ‘well-being’ aspect to it, tying into meditation and spirituality. Sharing my favourite parts of the world with other people who are also inspired by travel and are truly are on a path of self-awareness and enlightenment would bring me extreme joy and would allow me to do what I love for a living.
I would pay off my student loan, so I wouldn’t have that hanging over me for the next 20 years. After that I’d buy an affordable house/condo with my husband (nothing fancy, but we couldn’t afford that in any way right now, so it would be a huge step forward for us anyway). Then, I’d take my family in law back to my home country, so they could meet my extended family and see what it’s like there. I’d also take my family to meet my husband’s extended family here. The rest, I would put in our savings account.
If I have a million dollars, I would use it in the following ways:
1. First of all, I would buy a house, because this is already on out family’s priority list. And with this money, it would be a lot easier.
2. Secondly, I would buy a car. I love to have a car, so that I can drive instead of waiting for the always-late bus in the cold.
3. Perhaps I would invest it, don’t know how, but certainly not just store it in the bank and let it rot and then use it all.
4. When I graduate, use it to pay off my loan.
First of all, I would pay off all our debts. Then I would put an amount into a trust fund for our son, not to be able to touch, till he is 25 years of age … hopefully by then, he’ll be mature enough to deal with it.
I would help friends and relatives who are in need, and then would give to several charities I give to now. I would also enjoy doing monetary ‘random acts of kindness’ daily, in various places, for various people. I would most definitely also be a contributor to animal shelters.
We already have a house and a car, and there is no need to have bigger or newer. I would love to travel more and so would definitely do so.
I would make sure there would be enough put away to keep my husband and me comfortable in our retiring years (which are close at hand).
It would be lovely to be comfortable….not rich….but comfortable enough to not have to worry about money.
One thing I’ve always dreamt about is being able to afford to stay in a very expensive hotel suite with all the ‘trimmings’…frivolous, but fun, and life should be fun!
What would I do if I had a million dollars? Wow, the possibilities blow my mind! I could give generous gifts! I could fund medical research. I could buy some Via Spiga sandals! I could be a big donor to the museum. I could go to art school or get my Ph.D.
I think I would divide it in thirds and invest one third. Then I’d donate one third to worthwhile causes, and use the remainder to “enhance my lifestyle.” What that would mean is replacing a few things and repairing a few things in the house. Maybe I could have a handyman on retainer who would deal with all the minor repairs that need to be done. I would hire a personal assistant or something like that to help me organize my belongings.
I’m thinking too of down comforters for the beds, and nice fuzzy rugs in the bathrooms. Generally speaking, I would focus on things that would make life more comfortable and easier for me and my husband. I wouldn’t go for a fancy house or do things to make a splash.
There are many workshops and conferences and classes that I would like to attend, and if I had a third of a million dollars, I could afford to go to many or most or all of them. I would learn so much! I would meet great people!
One of my goals/dreams is to travel. If I had a lot of money, I could do that. My husband and I have a fantasy of taking 18 months or so and traveling at a leisurely pace around the world! We would go to different cities, rent an apartment for a month or two, and use that as a base to explore the area.
One of the great things about having a lot of money is that I could buy some really comfortable shoes that look good!
I could hire a personal trainer to get me into shape.
I kind of like the idea of spreading the money around by hiring people to perform services of various sorts. Even things that I can do for myself, if I had a million dollars (or a third of it) I could use it to pay people to do stuff – providing employment and stimulating the economy.
I’d want to support artists by buying their work. This weekend I went to the opening reception for an art gallery and there was some remarkable work that I would love to own but cannot afford. If I had a million dollars, a painting costing $975 would be pretty manageable.
There’s a company that provides “experiences” – if you ever wanted to drive a race car or go up in a hot air balloon, or sail on a clipper ship, they can arrange it. I’d use some of that money to do some exciting things that would otherwise never come my way. My husband bought one of their packages and it was a memorable experience.
I would give generous gifts. My mom and sister and brother and nephew and a changing array of others live in a small rental house across the street from my other brother. I could buy that house for them, or another one nearby. I could replace my sister’s car with one that is reliable or I could have hers repaired (again).
In spite of mentioning the Via Spigas, I would not spend the money on splashy, flashy stuff to dazzle and impress people: clothes, jewelry, furs, etc. Or a big house or a fancy car. It isn’t that I don’t like these things, it’s just that my life doesn’t have room for them – I don’t hang out with people who drive fancy cars or wear obviously expensive clothing and jewelry. I don’t know where I would go that such things would be appropriate.
I suppose that this question gets at our dreams for our lives and what we value. I value comfort, learning/knowledge, adventure, the arts, and helping people.
I’m pretty clear about what I would do with a million dollars because when my mother-in-law died, we inherited a large amount of money (not nearly a million, but equivalent to my salary for several years). We used some of it to pay for work on the house, donated some, and invested a lot. We have used some of it to pay for travel for ourselves and gifts for others; we sent my nephew to baseball camp; and replaced my husband’s nine-year-old pickup with a similar one.
So this response is reality–based and what I would most likely do.
I feel blessed. Once again, I have been provided for as a child of God and the universe. I accept this million dollars with appreciation and happiness. I am gratefully giving 10% to charities of my choice. I’m happy to be able to make a difference..
I have settled all my past due debts. I have an honest and highly capable financial advisor who has designed a financial plan that is providing me wth a secure and generous income for the rest of my life. I’ve put away a sum for a rainy day and another portion to be used to travel anywhere I wish. I will joyfully use money to bring my family and friends together. I will endeavor to use my money with respect for the freedom it can provide. I will spend it to create spiritual nourishment and well-being. I am blessed.
If I received $1,000,000 the first thing I would do is to plan and actualize a long term trip (2 years+) around the world. Why would I do this? Because I am a “Life Long Learner” and feel that to learn it is important to expose myself to many different points of view. Point of view can be worth 100 IQ points. Otherwise we can become prisoners of our beliefs. What better way to do this than by traveling. Moreover, by traveling we put ourselves in a position to break up our patterns and habits that reduce us to beings with little aliveness. I would fly as little as possible because you only meet the person sitting next to you and would take trains whenever I could. I would not worry so much about getting to places because in traveling as in life the journey and the process is more important to me than the destination or goal. That said, I would not hesitate to spend as much time as I wanted in places that I thought were great and not have a sense of urgency to get on to the next place. I trade stock options and would continue to do this since these days it can be done anywhere with available internet access. This way I would increase the capital over time and use the profits to live on and to improve the lives of the many, many people in the world who are not so fortunate. I also mentor individuals and I am sure that many opportunities to do this would arise on my trip.
If I had a million dollars, I’d start getting serious about a career change. It’s not enough to retire on (nor would I want to), but enough that I could take a lower paying job as I transition into something else. I’m currently in a career that I chose years ago and was more attracted to than I am now. Due to a combination of benefits such as health insurance, salary, and pension plan, as well as a difficult job market, I feel trapped in a job that gives me little satisfaction or sense of accomplishment.
So what would I do? I don’t know specifically, but here are my considerations:
1) My background is in accounting and computer programming, but my current interests are writing, teaching, public speaking (I recently joined Toastmasters), blogging, and yoga.
2) I’ve spent my career working in business offices and I’d like to get into a different kind of work environment.
3) I would like to do something that helps people.
4) It could involve starting my own business.
So, while I don’t have a million dollars and can make a sudden jump into something else, I can figure out what it is I want to do, then start building on it part time.
Oh boy…first I would try to locate and buy a ranch type compound where I could have multiple dwellings for family members. The people I care about who are struggling. Is it my responsibility to take care of them? Most people would say of course not, but for some reason, I feel happier knowing they have roofs, food, etc. I just feel better with people I care about around me. In that respect, I don’t think it’s that strange. I think most older cultures and some current societies live that way. All of the literature from the 20th and 19th centuries indicate that families lived together. Of course Immigrants have always lived together for economic and safety reasons. Well, it’s time for us middle class baby boomer yuppies to start thinking that way too. So, cash for a ranch with 3-4 small homes; probably $500,000 to $800,000 realistically. It would have to be in a temperate climate like xxxxxx County, which is pretty expensive.
So, then I have about $250k left. I would have to invest in something that would then generate enough income to maintain the property and ourselves. Would anyone else contribute? I would hope so. Probably…???
That’s all I can think of. I don’t want any trips or jewelry or fancy cars. They would be nice but just like now and in the past, I’m too frugal to spend big money on things that really don’t improve quality of life that much. That’s what it boils down to. What would be my quality of life between my car and a Mercedes? I guess I could preen a little bit more while driving but preening doesn’t make me have a better quality of life.
I have to say the first response would be to disappear. I would need to have time to myself to figure out what I would do first. However I would invest one third to one half of the million dollars and pay off mine and several friend’s debts. I would look at either remodelling my house or replacing it. My niece and nephew would have trust and education funds. Then I would travel to some of the places I’ve always wanted to see like the Grand Canyon and the Arctic Circle.
What would I do with a million dollars? Yikes, I hate questions about money. I hate money in general.
Money is one of those things that I just don’t understand. Its’ powerful and complicated role in the functioning of our global society totally baffles me. How did this come to be? Does it really need to be so convoluted?
It’s quite logical that beyond simple bartering (I’ll give you a dozen eggs for a loaf of bread) we needed some way to systemize and standardize value in the exchange of material goods. Enter currency: money. I have no problem with that.
But this stuff we’re using these days? It’s like money buying money buying money. It doesn’t mean anything anymore! As far as I can tell, money has more or less become a digitized gambling game. All I see is numbers floating around in cyberspace, and I quickly give up on trying to understand.
All I want to know is, what does the money stand for? I thought money was supposed to directly translate into usable things- food, clothing, materials, labor, etc. That’s all I’m comfortable using it for. Beyond buying food and paying for the rent, I start to get an itchy feeling when I think about figuring out what to do with all that money.
I once went to a party where the host gave each guest a hundred monopoly dollars. The object of the game was to be the person with the most money by the end of the party. Before long, I got tired of holding my envelope and began to feel distressed at the prospect of engaging in all of the scheming that was going on. I gave my money away to someone I didn’t even know- she just happened to be standing right there at the moment I decided to liberate myself from my paper burden.
All of that being said, if I had a million dollars, I would spend it- slowly and only on things that I felt had tangible value. The only reason I pay any attention to money normally is because I don’t want it to be a limiting factor in how I live my life and how I grow as a person. I don’t want it to control me. If I had a million dollars, I would be free to spend my energy as I please. I’d be a lifetime student, attending yoga training courses, enrolling in massage therapy school and culinary school, delving into the study of biodynamic agriculture and homeopathic healing. Then I’d use all of this knowledge and experience to help people help themselves in tangible ways.
I have considered this question many times… What to do if I had a million dollars? So many things to consider, responsibility, fun, helping others – what to do?
In this troubling economy, first and foremost I would settle all my debts and put my affairs in order. I suffer from major anxiety and stress and a lot of it right now is based on finances. Even after putting my financial affairs in order that would leave quite a lot of money, but I wouldn’t need to worry about paying bills and not struggling with financial problems day in and day out would allow me the time and energy to focus on other areas of my life. I would like to improve my health by feeling that I have the ability to have more flexibility in my schedule to work in exercise and eating more healthfully.
My husband and I each own our own businesses and our kids have grown and left home more or less. I have two business partners and have outgrown my interest in my business. If I were more financially secure I would sell my share of my business and devote my expertise to making my husband’s business more successful by devoting the resources necessary to help it evolve and grow in this challenging economy. My husband is a very talented cabinet maker and has done some amazing jobs over the years, but he lacks the knowledge and desire to devote to the office/paperwork side of things, he is a builder, designer, creater, I am a detailed organizer. My husband and I have been friends for over 37 years and married for almost 30 and are still very young. At this point in our life, I believe that we could work together and would complement each other in a business setting. I would like to see his business become successful with us both being of big part of it’s success – we each have our own talents.
I think for the most part I would take the money and make sure most of it is securely invested so that I know my future is taken care of to the best of my ability. I think each of us is responsible to make sure that we are able to take care of ourselves and not depend on others to bail us out. I also feel that we each have a responsbility to make this a better world to live in and would use my money constructively to help those around us that are truly in need. I am particularly drawn to domestic pets and the elderly and would like to focus on doing things in this area.
But, as I write this (and reread what I have written) I wonder, does it really take $1 million dollars to do these things? Or does it just take the courage to strike out and do these things with what I have now? Interesting how perspective can change with a little thought… Who knows what we are truly capable of accomplishing, with or without money.
Excuse the sarcasm, but if I had a million dollars, I would pay the musical group The Barenaked Ladies one million dollars not to ever sing their song “If I Had A Million Dollars” again.
I haven’t kept a journal since high school. I used to enjoy writing in college, but my senior year I developed a major case of writer’s block. It became a struggle to sit down and write. I hope this will help me to become more comfortable again in regards to writing.
I would take the million dollars and go out to Hollywood and become a movie producer. With the money I make on future projects, I would invest in young talent who had passion in telling stories, and find numerous charities I could support with my money and time. Set up deals where the talent(writers/directors/actors) would have to do some kind of volunteer work each week during filming. An hour at a soup kitchen on a day we were not shooting; something like that.
If I had a Million dollars I would gather all my family around join in a big circle and Thank God for the money and ask him to guild each of us to our immediate needs first. because at this point in our lives we surly have homes to live in cars to drive. I think it would be great to have a family owned business such as a Vegetarian/ Vegan Restaurant. Where the food would taste so good the meatatarians would enjoy something off the menu as well. Each family member would be able to express their needs and every one would be taken care of,…………
Commenting for this post is closed.