A lot of the things we set out to do, perhaps even most of our efforts, are in one way or another aimed at earning money.
Certainly, we do need to provide for our basic needs, and for the needs of those for whom we have taken responsibility. And in general, that comes to supplying ourselves and our loved-ones with proper shelter, food, clothing, education, and health care. And all that takes money.
But as most of us don’t enjoy being born with a silver spoon in our mouth, or winning the lottery, we need to work for it. Probably hard. And in many, if not most cases, nearly all our lifetime.
No doubt that our plain existence and survival comes first. Without us being “alive and kicking” there can’t be any place for a “second” or “higher” step in our personal development. But every so often we do ask yourself if “this is it?” If “this is all?” and “What do I really want with or in my life?”
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Personally, when I have these kinds of doubts, I use a simple question: “What would I do now (or not do) if I’d have ten million dollar in my bank account?” And most of the times that does the trick.
It answers if I’d still do the job I do now, or would rather change my profession or activities. Or if I’d perhaps do the same job, but differently. Maybe work less, or take time for some other activities I’d really like to do.
It also answers if I’d be where I am now, or if I’d perhaps move to another place or country. And last but not least, it shows me if I would still entertain the relationships I have, perhaps abandon them, or maybe change them. It clarifies my interpersonal dependencies.
You see, the ten-million-dollar question doesn’t answer how to achieve our true wishes, but it can certainly show what they are. The “how” is of course something completely different.
For those who’ll never ever own ten million bucks — and that counts for most of us — there is in fact only one question to be answered: how can I get by with less money and fulfill my true wishes at the same time?
Well, first of all, I discovered that I actually had too many “needs” that I considered “basic.” Moreover, I could fulfill quite some of my needs without the use of money, for example, by “trading” or “exchanging” my personal talents for food or shelter.
Leveling-down to “the real needs” and trying to exchange things without money being involved gave me more freedom to live like I would like to live. Surely I didn’t get all the freedom I would like to have in my life, I still don’t have that, but it allowed me to do quite a lot more of “other things” also, things I really want to do. Things that content me and give me more or deeper satisfaction.
Most certainly the ten-million-dollar question doesn’t bring us ten million dollar, but it can give us ten million reasons and prospects to start changing our lives and live it to the fullest, or at least more authentically.
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