Once in a blue moon, whenever I happened to notice the current Jackpot Lottery was up through the $200m+ stratosphere, I would often duck into a 7-11 and buy one ticket for $1. Always a 'random' pick with no system. I really never expected to win, but I knew if I had that ticket I had that chance.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4ALO3qw20yxcLDPN6G2LYy38uCSrQNxe-f0lf8lRLstc0bHzbas4PiVUPRePCewrKYfAIon9vzNeLueY1ItIzeOvb-Evyu3fK0sN3TNFC1RpZjxTiZBzBZuCPXQBLxa6jrFl2Kv512x1/s200/lottery+jump.jpg)
I always went through the mental gyrations of [what I thought to be] my highly rational inevstment approach:
- claim in secrecy
- work with a team of top financial/legal/tax advisors
- invest and live modestly on a fraction of the interest...no consumer binging for me).
So then came the fun part...the dream part...what would I do with this insane amount of money.
And the answer was always really simple. Spend time with my family, go sailing, continue to pursue my fields of fascination, and start a charitable foundation to help make our world a better place.
And at the end of this exercise I always came to the same conclusion as Lawrence in Office Space. I didn't need a millon dollars, I could just go and do it.
So what I really bought with that one dollar lottery ticket was permission to dream. It was an unncessary device to encourage introspection into what I could just be doing anyway.
What is my super secret, guaranteed, no-fail formula for winning the lottery? Dispense with the ticket and just take that first step towards your dreams.
In this way, I won the lottery at last. In January, I started a donor advised fund instead of buying that lottery ticket. Following the recommendation of my trusted financial advisor, I went with the reputable organization Impact Assets who provide a wide range of socially responsible investments with good returns. My new donor advised fund allows me to:
- invest tax-free
- leverage investments to earn a [tax-free] return and create positive social and environmental impact
- donate a share of these returns to charities of my choice.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSOAaeSzOSXeMVUdtGtxGSVyWIqQK8BSCOT4O-Fx80um9gQ7m-uRmXAi0daqJEauIdyDdScBvsurg_2CTxj0F2cO5QlgRX7v_q8pgP36wxlO_iVaX22tybl6XXPfnhUiKWvb3OoVaZvPx/s200/sailing2.jpg)
Oh, and I'm sailing with the kids next weekend too!
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