The Billion Dollar Question

“What would you do with your life if you had a billion dollars?”

This question isn’t so much associated with money as it is with the lack of need for earning it. What it is asking you, is what would you do with your life, if you didn’t have to go to your job everyday (of course everyone would buy a big house and a helicopter, but this would only provide short term happiness).

This is not an easy question to answer. Most of us are so tied up being busy in our current lives that we can no longer remember what it is that we really want to do. I have often found myself guilty of such things. However, after completing a four year Masters in Mathematics, I asked myself what it is that I really wanted to do and concluded that I wanted to ski and snowboard for a full winter, volunteer somewhere I have never been to, and to teach English to kids that want to learn.

What did I do?

I did not have unlimited amounts of money. In fact, I had very little. Yet, I volunteered in Uganda, worked in the French Alps, and taught English in Korea. I did all of the things that I wanted to do and more. I want my life to continue in this way. My last desire was to hitchhike through Europe and it was wonderful. My next plan is to XXXXXXX from XXXXXXX to XXXXX while XXXXXX XXXXXX [I can never share my greatest plans because it takes away the element of surprise]. I have a great list of experiences that I want to have. It is not a bucket list of activities to do or destinations to check off. It is a list of things that I think would make me happy.

I recommend reading The Avant-Garde Life to give you a kick up the bum and start following your dreams (it’s free) if you think that this isn’t possible.

And tell me, what would you do with your life if you had a billion dollars? Do you really need it? Share your thoughts below in the comment section.

By | 2013-12-21T22:09:47+00:00 March 24th, 2013|Thoughts and Inspiration|2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Nicola 16/09/2013 at 13:22 - Reply

    Great post. Funnily enough I won an impromptu speech contest with a similar topic. Turns out everyone else went down the path of buy a (bigger/better) house, car etc, go on a tropical island holiday….whereas my take on this is that if I’m dreaming of what I’d do if I won/had a million/billion dollars or start buying a Lotto ticket or Scratchie on the way out of the supermarket it’s a sign I’m not living the life I want to lead so it’s time to stop, take stock and make some changes here and now. Money doesn’t buy happiness. On that note, best get back to the ‘To do’ list; I’ve got a (small) bag to pack as I’m heading off to Sri Lanka and India in a couple of days. Happy travels; your blog is great reading.

    • Jamie 22/09/2013 at 07:51 - Reply

      That’s a really interesting take on the question and I’m not surprised people liked your ideas. I really like the idea, “If I’m dreaming of what I’d do if I won/had a million/billion dollars, it’s a sign I’m not living the life I want to lead so it’s time to stop, take stock and make some changes here and now.” This is so very true.

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