Set your intentions with the universe and the universe will provide. Or, set your intentions in the form of prayer and God will provide. There are many variations of this sentiment and each faith has its own name for it. There are prayers for healing, for peace, for wisdom, for the faithful departed, for better times. There is spiritual channeling in the form of Reiki healing. There are numerous documented cases where setting intentions or petitioning for healing has led to spontaneous recovery from terminal illness. So as I walk to the supermarket counter to buy a Powerball ticket, I ask a simple question: can I set my intention with the universe so that my six numbers will perfectly align with the six numbered balls that bounce out of the machine tonight?
I’m sure if
you talk to anyone knowledgeable about prayer that they would suggest that God considers
that a frivolous prayer. Well, is it
really that frivolous? When the Mega Millions
drawing hit over $400 million a couple of weeks ago and I bought two tickets,
it came to mind that $400 million is much more than I would ever need in order to
live comfortably. Let’s say that when
that check hits the bank, I take $20,000,000 and invest it carefully, allowing
my family and me to live comfortably for the rest of our lives and allow my
daughter to go to the university of her choice.
That leaves $380,000,000, which is serious money. That would do a considerable amount of good
in the world. I would donate it to charities
that improve the education and well-being of our children, especially those who
through financial hardship do not have access to a good education, or for that
matter, to food and shelter. The money
could also be used to promote sustainability of our resources and to support
technologies that allow industry to manufacture their products without damaging
the planet. It would help rebuild areas
that have been ravaged by a natural disaster.
It would help find cures for cancer and other terrible diseases. There are so many good causes in which to
invest the money. It would be a
rewarding vocation.
Then the
rational scientist in me takes over. The
odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 175 million. I’m more likely to be struck by lightning;
the odds for that are about one in a million.
And the average payback on two dollar invested in Powerball is $1.00, or
50%. I’m better off putting the two
dollars in a piggy bank. By doing that,
I will have twice as much money on average as I would if I buy lottery tickets. And it gets worse – if I win the big jackpot,
I have to pay taxes on it! Subtract
another 40% or so depending on what state you live in. Long story short: a Powerball ticket is a
terrible investment - do not buy one!
And what
happens to the money that is not paid out in prizes? Many states advertise that the lottery
proceeds go to good causes, for instance, to education or to the elderly. However, a substantial amount of the lottery revenue
comes from people who can ill afford to buy lottery tickets. As reported by NBC, three Cornell economists
found a strong correlation between lottery revenue and poverty rates. [1] Sadly, many people have a gambling addiction
and spend money uncontrollably on lottery tickets that they need for food and
shelter
Then why would
I buy a lottery ticket? “If I had a
million dollars…...” When I have my ticket, I buy that dream and anticipate
eagerly the drawing of those very numbers that will make me a millionaire. So now I have a better idea. Certainly I can channel luck my way. What if I set my intentions with the universe
to win the jackpot and proceed to use the money for doing as much good as I can
in the world? Can’t I tilt the odds into
my favor? Sounds good in practice; however,
what if everyone else sets their intentions with the universe to win the
jackpot? How does the universe deal with
that? Everyone can’t win – there is only
one jackpot to split – and only $0.50 per dollar paid in.
Now I have
completely talked myself out of the possibility of winning the jackpot. In doing so, I have set my intentions with
the universe. So I will skip buying the
ticket and put the two dollars in my piggybank.
And sleep soundly tonight.
