Winning and losing

09-05-26-30-19-45

Who could imagine that these 6 numbers could change the life of a 60 year old carpenter who lives in a squatters area in Las Pinas City in the Philippines? He only made one P20 ($0.40) bet on these numbers. According to the seller of the ticket, the carpenter was one of the last few bettors of the night in that crowded squatters area. A few hours after closing, he heard screams from the neighborhood, but simply thought it was an ongoing nightly brawl.

The following day, when the newspapers had printed the winning numbers, he knew that the winner bought the ticket from his place. The old carpenter won Php 356,552,917.20 ($8.3M) tax free. He never went back to the shanty he resided in. His whole family would go back to the province to start a new leaf on life.

There are many stories on Lotto winners not only in the Philippines but worldwide. The sudden surge of cash will definitely change the lives of many people. But while there are those whose lives are changed because of winning events like these, there are more who struggle with making ends meet each day - from having a decent meal to struggling with health issues and problems. Everybody loves a winner. The cheers and accolades add hope to the many that have to contend with the routine motto of "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go."

It's a fair reminder that happiness does not come in a silver platter.

The art of being happy lies in the power of finding joy in ordinary things. Life does not force us to be the best. To be the happiest. To be the luckiest. It only asks that we try.

The Italian wish "vive bene, spesso l'amore, di risata molto" should serve as our daily reminder to LIVE WELL, LOVE MUCH, LAUGH OFTEN.

After all, at the end of our lives, it's the journey that mattered to the winner.