I don’t bet on sports, go to the casino, or buy lottery tickets. Gambling just isn’t my thing. That being said, I do plan on buying a Power Ball ticket later today. No, I don’t expect to win. But the saying is true… ‘if you don’t play, you can’t win’.

Like most people, I have a pretty good idea about what I’d do with all the money if I did win the 1.5 billion dollar jackpot. But since I almost never play, I haven’t spent more than a few moments dreaming of how I’d spend that big, over-sized check.

Basically, I tend to think that the lottery of life is just a better deal. And since the people I know who’ve achieved financial success haven’t done it by winning the lottery, I’m pretty confident our odds are better if we’d just work hard and use our God-given talents. The challenge for many of us is to discover what those abilities are, and then find people who will appreciate them with their checkbook.

And that’s what separates those who are waiting for their numbers to be called every week and those who try to create their own luck.

Although the weekly lottery is nearly impossible to win, it’s easy to play. And while most people are willing to do what’s easy, many aren’t willing to do what it takes to reap the rewards the come from the lottery of life. Ultimately, a rewarding career requires that you take risks, work hard, make sacrifices, endure criticism, and suffer the disappointment of losing.

Whether your dreams and goals are related to your professional or personal life, the reality is that the ‘good stuff’ always comes at a higher price than the easier alternative. And although life comes with no guarantees, when you accomplish your goals and savor the rewards of winning; you’ll see that it’s usually worth the gamble!