On January 13, 2016 U.S. Powerball created the largest jackpot in world history, a $1.4B dollar prize. Now THAT'S a life altering amount of money. Social media was a flutter with, "what I would do with that money if I won" lists. It was kind of fun to get that window into the hearts and minds of friends and family. You can learn a lot about someone by what they will spend a life changing amount of money on. But, it was also kind of sad too because too often we delay our dreams and put off our passions until another day. Hear me out. How many times have you said, "Man, I need a vacation." or even, "When I retire, we are going to travel!" Why do we wait to do those things that we are most excited or passionate about?

A dear friend of mine gave me some advice I won't ever forget. A friend of hers had been diagnosed with cancer and she unable to taste. The women had been a huge foodie and loved food and wine. She had amassed an incredible wine collection, but her cancer treatment left her unable to taste some of her best bottles. She told my friend, "Always drink the good wine first. You never know when you won't be able to savor it." My friend was touched by the advice and it altered the way she lived her life. In fact, she shared this advice while sitting on her patio one Saturday night, over a really, really nice bottle of wine. 

As fate would have it, my dear friend also developed cancer too. A cancer that would take her life. But, as I watched her battle the disease, I was so grateful for the passion in which she had lived and the message she had shared--to savor life, every drop of it, every day and to always drink the good wine first.

My sweet Nana shared similar advice. We were on vacation as a family in Santa Fe, New Mexico and she ordered sopapillas, a Hispanic pastry, as her entree at dinner. We all giggled at her ordering dessert for dinner, but she said without skipping a beat, "When you're my age, you know what's important in life and you order dessert first, kids."

I couldn't help but think of both lessons as the people I loved shared how they would follow their wildest dreams if they won that powerball cash. Don't wait to win the powerball billions or for retirement to happen before you chase down your biggest dreams. Do it now. We all know too well the brevity and frailty of life. So stop waiting to win the lottery and go and dance with your destiny. I promise you won't regret it.

- Hailee Bland-Walsh, CGKC Owner