Every now and then i wake up and i say to myself, “today is going to be different”. i never know what gets me to think that, or how long the feeling will last, but it feels good knowing that you have the power to make things happen if you want them to.

well, today is one of those days. i’d like to say that i have a plan for it too, but the reality is i’ll probably slip back into normalcy in about 3 hours…so while i head dance to the beats of m.i.a.’s paper planes set on rotation, wearing my favorite jeans and my Sean Jean hat perfectly askewed backward, i’m consciously trying to live “in the moment”.

It’s definitely a hard thing to accomplish though; a problem i’ve had since the day i broke free from the college bubble. back in the day i’d make a pact to meet someone new, or even crash a party out of my element and pretending to belong while dancing solo. Unfortunately, it’s not a plausible feat here in the real world. And, ofcourse, it has nothing to do with personal finance – thus looking out of place even more so than this post already does ;)

what i CAN do though, and what i believe this post is turning into (i often times just start writing to see where my brain goes…and i usuallly find i write more truthfully and free), is to take a step back and remember what we DO have going for ourselves at this given moment in time. And i’ll get back on track by focusing on more financial-based things, with the only exception of listing the true priority first – and it’s not money.

Here are the things i am truly thankful for:

• A family and a gaggle of friends. I have a woderfully supporting and loving wife, a fat cat, a troublemaking kitty, a good group of college friends, and you suckers ;) And God willing, a few little miniature humans in the near future.
• A house. Sure 99.9% of it is owned by the bank, and i’d rather live closer to my friends, but the fact of the matter is that i do in fact “own” a house, and we’re not in the subprime mess which is looking good in this economy.
• A good paying job with plenty (maybe too many) benefits that would surely shock a few people. If they weren’t soo specific i’d list them all out, but my fear of getting caught typing away at work is currently holding me back…although i have a feeling it will all spew out here in the very near future ;)
• Having my financial wits about me. And the idea of being a millionaire by the ripe age of 43. I’m not totally budget conscious yet, but i’m working on it.

So that felt good! now what? Well, i say we just try and live for today. Not what we have going on tonight, or tomorrow, or the next week, or month, or year, but today. We’re a live RIGHT NOW, and that’s really all we have to go on (as emotional/morbid as it sounds….which is a lot i’d imagine).

In fact, i think i’ll play the lottery. Maybe that’s the reason this influx of emotions is hitting me so hard this morning? It’s telling me to get out there and throw a dollar into the pool with millions, for a chance to WIN millions! Then i can own my very own Panera Bread as planned, go on whatever adventures i need to change my life up a bit, and then blog away into retirement. Yeah, i’m gonna go play the lottery :)

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UPDATE: I won!!! Well, part of the lottery anyways…