Every week millions of dollars from Power Ball are up for grabs; many people all over the United States fantasize about what they'd do if they'd won the lottery. Some people would travel, others would go on extended shopping sprees buying houses, cars and luxuries while others would give to charity. The underlying assumptions are that money will take all our problems away, that it'll happen in an instant and that our good fortune will last forever. In reality, that's not necessarily the case.

Getting all the money we need, the perfect job or that marriage proposal from the man or woman of our dreams doesn't mean that we'll be problem free for the rest of our lives. It just means that things in our lives will be different. If you win the lottery but still believe that "money runs through your fingers", you'll squander your money. If you got the perfect job by deceit or by being less than your authentic-self, you'll soon become dissatisfied with it. If you got the man or woman of your dreams by "playing dumb", "playing games" or always subjugating your needs to the needs of your beloved, sooner or later you'll feel empty and that the man or woman of your dreams will seem more like a nightmare.

The key is to stop putting so much effort into "getting" and to spend more time "just being." Be true to yourself and allow yourself the luxury of really getting to know ALL your emotions, dreams and beliefs. Appreciate what you have in your life right now even as you strive to make changes. And don't try to make multiple changes at once. It would be like trying to put at size 9 foot into a size 5 shoe. It wouldn't feel good and you'd soon give up even trying to make any changes at all.

If you don't appreciate what you have now, why do you think that you'll be able to appreciate what you get in the future? The present becomes the future and it brings with it new learning opportunities. When you can have peace where you are, you open yourself to greater possibilities. You become a winner when you can maintain a sense of inner peace in all situations. Each experience was custom made for you to learn something about yourself so "if the shoe fits, enjoy wearing it!"

Joanne P Stein, Joyologist, www.bestcoach4u.com