People Who Win the Lottery End up Broke

I've heard that a significant percentage of people who win the lottery end up bankrupt.

They simply did not have what it takes to handle the wealth that they were hoping to get.

What brings these people down?  Is it a bad attitude that brings these people down?  Is it a lack of resources other than finances?  Is it a lack of a support system?  I don't have the answers, but I do see this as a  serious and important question.

This is important because we have all won lotteries.  

I've won the time lottery, this being the greatest time in the history of earth to be alive.

I've won the genetic lottery, because clearly I'm smarter than the loser who passed me driving down the road this morning.

I've won the country lottery, having been born in a country that other people risked life and limb to get to.

I've won the physical health lottery, because I can still walk, talk, and take action.

Despite all this?  I'm becoming bankrupt in health, wealth, and relationships.  I've squandered the lotteries that I've been given.  I was wrong to do so.

It was my mistakes that caused me to lose despite all these advantages.  People have done far greater things starting from far worse.  

It is also my responsibility to fix these things.  I used to think it was the responsibility of the professionals to fix these aspects of my life.  

I would trust the doctor for health advice, I would trust the dentist for teeth advice, I would trust the teacher for career advice.

Blindly trusting in the authorities is part of the reason that I live in poverty.

So what am I trying to say?

I've spent these last three months trying to find good quality stories of people making minimum wage who ended up retiring early.  But I can't find a single one.  I feel like such a fraud telling people it is possible but then not finding any examples whatsoever of it actually happening.  It is disappointing because I really wanted to find something that would rise me above this and help other people rise above this.  But every story I've read contains people who make ungodly amounts of money when compared to minimum wage.

And these people are just like you and me.  They simply found ways to keep the lotteries that they have won.

By all means, if you can find a way to increase your income then do it.  That is the only connecting factor in all the stories that I've listened to.  

Despite committing unspeakable atrocities, society has allowed things to work out ok for the people who are able to get other people to give them intrinsically valueless pieces of paper.

So just go for it, there's no pride in staying down here with the ninjas.

But if you are still here, know this.

I'm not going to give up.