"What would you do with one million dollars?"
This was a question asked in an ADSactly voice hangout (@ADSactly) last week and the host challenged attendees to answer that BIG question in a blog post. I wanted to take a few days to let that question sit with me to I could answer it from my heart...Why do I need a few days? The answer is easy right...Invest it, pay off debts, start a business.
That's the copy and paste answer and I really wanted to think about how I would not only act with a million bucks in my pocket, but share some life lessons as someone who has owned a million dollar company and literally...Let it slip away.
So this post is part testimonial but also an attempt to answer the question lots of people dream about each and every day...
When my business was thriving I was a cocky S.O.B...
I had a huge ego and fought anyone that disagreed with me on how business was to be run. I burned lots of bridges and alienated some of my closest business relationships because of...That ego and pride I had. Not a single person to blame but myself. And because of that along with situations beyond my control...Business suffered.
I tried to right the ship and mend fences. I worked for years trying to keep things afloat. As well, I was diving into personal development books to get rid of the ego that almost ruined me...But that was only part of the problem....
I had to grow up.
And that's a tough thing to convince a successful 30-something year old male...
Long story short...Money gave me a big ego and a rotten attitude. Was I unhappy about something in my life? What was eating at me? I had a successful business but I was extremely unhappy. It took some crashing and burning to find the answer to those questions but I thank God that it did....
Let's get back to that question....
So what would I do with 1 million dollars?
I didn't come from wealth at all. In fact I remember my mom's 'pay days' every second Thursday and being thankful that we could buy food for the next few weeks. So when I started seeing success in my late 20's, I didn't know what to do with the money I was making. I blew it on drinks, cars, expensive trips and a whole lot of attempting to impress others with my money.
There's ego and pride again...Rearing it's ugly head.
Thankfully...I've grown up...Ever so slowly :)
The first thing I would do, is pray and be thankful for what I have now. That's the kicker in all this...Money doesn't make you happy. In fact it attracts the ugly side of your character and let's it become the focus of your life. I believe this is the first path to true wealth...Being thankful for what you have right now! Right here!
Should we want more? Part of being an entrepreneur is striving to be better than you were the day before. So of course I would want to build better businesses and better relationships...But never 'for money' alone.
But let's just say, the money ferry decided to stick 1 million bucks in my pocket, here's my answer;
My faith played a big part in me 'growing up' over the past few years. So I would love to give back to my church and help them spread the gospel to others. For me, nothing is more important than my relationship with God and I'm blessed to be able to just TYPE these words alone...Some healthy offerings would be on the agenda for me :)
I'd make sure my family was taken care of. We don't need much and my experiences have taught me, that money doesn't make one happy...However just knowing that my family is taken care of and I could relieve some of their stress would go a long way :)
I would continue to lend to Kiva. I've been doing this since 2010 and it is a true passion of mine. This sounds weird, but I love to give. Part of the human experience is to give and projects like Kiva kill two birds with one stone for me...Promoting entrepreneurship around the world and giving back! So a big chunk of my money and time would be dedicated to that.
I'd make sure my businesses got the tender loving care my customers deserve. Whether it's a brand new paint job or some serious coding improvements...I'd love to get my businesses back to full throttle.
I'd power up LOL Let's be honest...I love Steem and everything it has the potential to become. So a chunk of it would go into Steem Power so I could help develop the ideas I have that I think could benefit the entire blockchain.
No crazy travelling. No huge house purchase. And no cars and jewellery.
To be honest, I lived that through my 30's and I'll never fall for that trap again. Material stuff doesn't matter. What matters is the relationships you have in your life....Sounds corny I know, but believe me....Real relationships last forever, material things come and go.
So summing it all up...
What would I do with 1 million dollars?
I'm not sure I'm ready for a million dollars. I'm on a journey to re-invent myself and if it's my future, it'll be there when the time is right :)
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://plus1daily.com/what-would-i-do-with-1-million-dollars/
My answer is pretty easy. I'd invest half to supplement my retirement. I'd buy my last pickup and maybe my next to last motorcycle :) I'd give 10% away, and the remains would go to crypto investment and some of the good I can do there. There's the whole answer, and the reason I didn't write the post. Not enough words :)
Thanks Jon. I really like it!
Hey Tom, you really know what you want, that's awesome! Maybe some day I'll get there, lol.
Oh no doubt....The motorcycle has to get some love LOL
Thank you sir!
I would probably do something similar and divide it up in to a few different investments and work on building my assets.
Money alone does not make you happy that is for sure, but it can make life more comfortable if you do not get carried away with it.
I used to say, it doesn't make you happy...Just let's you live stress free...But if you aren't right in the mind and the heart...It doesn't matter.
@ericburgoyne That's so true.
Really like your words!
To be honest, I'll definitely start with investing a half in crypto if I have a million dollars.
As for the other half, it depends on how I get this one million lol :)
Appreciate that! Thanks.
I believe in STEEM and crypto as a whole...So for sure, I'd most definitely put some into this platform.
WWND? I would invest most and live off the rest. Use Steem to help with daily bills and just make sure not to make any large purchases. Keep up the good work and original content, everyone appreciates it!
Your post had been curated by the @buildawhale team and mentioned here:
https://steemit.com/curation/@buildawhale/buildawhale-curation-digest-06-21-18
Appreciate the comment and the kind words. Yup, seems right along my thinking too :)
Howdy Jon, We go through issues / struggles to help us grow! It is what we do with the issues that allows us to grow a little or a lot. If you keep in mind for a minute the number of people who have won the lottery... then lost it all because they did not know how to deal with it.
For me... I am with you on giving back... Gloria & I are huge believers in that... the more we can give the more we can receive! If you appreciate what you have each step of the way on wealth building you will grow to appreciate the ability to help others by giving back. Remember, it is not always about giving money... but also about giving your time! Here is an example of what I mean... at church I sing in choir & on the praise team. Gloria volunteers as a greeter / usher and in children's church. We also participate in other areas when they come up where we can help out. We also give a monetary amount. For me it is a blend of giving that blesses us more!
One of my bigger objectives is to help others grow as either an actor, entrepreneur, or maybe some other area (not sure which one yet). Funding a person to attend schooling for these or being a mentor is my objective. We also like to pay for groceries of an elder person at the store. We have also done this at other places as well. This is why we participated in 1 million cups in Puerto Rico!
Those are my thoughts... I have seen you grow as well. Blessings to you on your continued journey!
Appreciate that sir. Yeah man, it just makes sense right....Something about life is the ability to give back. Just feels right!
Great Question and great post... I think we are away's sort of re inventing ourselves most of the time as we are constantly in flux and having to adjust to economic climates and the ever changing online environment which can be fun but it requires study and learning new skills which takes time.
Agreed. Always be learning...So important for daily and professional growth.
Great post. It's refreshing NOT to see the typical knee-jerk (aka obvious) response to this sort of question.
One point particular struck me:
I have been giving this some exact point some thought as to how we could create Kiva-esque project on the STEEM blockchain. Promoting entrepreneurship around the world perhaps with a dedicated Steemit account and delegation and/or curation trail perhaps leading to a Dapp in its own right. Still mulling around in my own head but welcome thoughts and input!
I'd love to dive into that more. I have been looking for something similar on the blockchain but haven't seen it. The issue is all the logistics and background stuff that goes on in the background with Kiva. Such a massive endeavor. A must read is 'The International Bank of Bob' by Bob harris....Such an awesome story about Kiva.
I love your answer Jon. Despite never being a millionaire in dollars so far myself, to have the previous experience, I don't think I would be ready for such a sudden change either.
I find this quote from Jim Rohn appropriate:
Yeah man. I had success show up for me pretty quickly and i dont think I was mature enough to manage it all. Lessons learned for sure.
You Can Start Invest on Steemit Because steem price now low future increse
Oh absolutely :) Every week I'm diving into STEEM. I'm talking about a nice sizeable chunk though LOL Thanks for the comment!
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That's so great of you Jon.I'm happy to hear you saying these values and good ideas about the excessive money and how can destroy someone's life.I can understand how consecutive successes can make someone become arrogant,difficult part for the real success is how to stay humbled after someone is becoming and considered successful or a brilliant entrepreneur or a big millionaire.Thank God, so affected by you saying all this.A valuable blog post.
Appreciate that, thanks for the comments. Yeah it's super hard to reach it and it disappears quicker than you would ever know....Always need to remain humble :)