The Powerball Jackpot hit a record $2 billion… $2,000,000,000 – I had to write how many 0’s that is.

I can count the number of times I’ve purchased lottery tickets. It’s always when the jackpot is at some absurd amount. In the past, it was in the mere hundreds of millions of dollars not billions of dollars.

Why from millions to billions?

It Has to Do with the Odds

It turns out that the 48 or so states that participate in the Powerball discovered that the higher the jackpot, the more tickets they sell. Makes total sense.

But in order to get to the higher jackpot numbers, they made the odds tougher to win.

To win the $2 billion you would need to beat the odds of 1 in 292.2 million.

Wouldn’t you think that would deter people from purchasing tickets knowing those odds?

Nope. They keep buying them anyway.

I get excited when I see crazy high jackpot numbers make headlines. Why?

Because it allows an opportunity to dream about what you would do with that kind of money. It causes you to step off the rat wheel of the day-to-day going through the motions, same old same old, to dream big.

And maybe, just maybe, some dreams could come back to life – dreams that don’t require money.

The money buys things and pays off bills and debts. It may buy you happiness for a little while to get rid of a financial burden or to help someone or cause. But what about your dreams beyond the financial stuff?

What are the Odds of Being You?

Did you know that there are odds even greater than winning a lottery? They are the odds that you and I are even here.

Scientists have proven that the odds of you and I being born are about 1 in 400 trillion! (400,000,000,000,000) : )

That gives new meaning to I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Our DNA and the gifts and talents that God has given us also make us unique.

Are you using those gifts and talents to not only serve and bless those in your life but to also bring yourself joy and fulfillment?

1 in 400 trillion. Those are the odds of being you.

I hope that you will celebrate that. When you feel the inner critic start to speak words of discouragement, failure, and condemnation, stop.

Remember, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are 1 in 400 trillion.

Are you dreaming big? It’s a good reminder for me too.

What helps to dream is the power of journaling. Here’s an on-demand journal class that will help.

If you are looking at discerning what your next step might be to become the unique and wonderfully made person God created you to be, Spiritual Direction can help you. Having spent 30 years in the corporate world, I understand the struggles of balancing faith and business. Find out more to see if Spiritual Direction is right for you.

(I heard this 1 in 400 trillion number on a Ted Talk by Mel Robbins. Here’s an article that goes through the math for number crunchers along with the link to the talk.)