Chances And Choices

As you go through your day today, weigh your chances and make good choices. Here’s why.

You may have heard it said that there’s nothing certain in this life except death and taxes. While the statement is intended to be thought-provoking and humorous, the reality remains that there are very few things that are sure and certain. We often strive to seek black and white answers, but we live in a gray world. Success comes to us in our personal and professional lives when we make good choices. Making good choices is a product of taking chances and weighing the possibilities and probabilities.
 

I live in a community with approximately 70 homes. The neighborhood has existed for over 25 years, and to my knowledge, there has never been a house fire. However, I carry fire insurance on my home. I’m aware of the fact that I will likely never make a claim on my fire insurance policy, and in the final analysis, I’m happy to pay the monthly premiums without ever receiving a payout from the policy.
 
When we weigh our chances before we make our choices, we must deal with the best information we can get. Making good choices becomes far easier if we have access to accurate and relevant data. If you’ve read these weekly columns for any length of time, you know that I have no moral or ethical opposition to the lottery or casino gambling if you find it entertaining and are only playing with money you can afford to lose. The best statistical information we can get tells us that over the long term, gambling is not a good risk. However, I have a friend who is among the ten largest lottery winners of all time here in the United States. He won in excess of a quarter of a billion dollars. We met after he read my book, The Ultimate Gift in search of the best way for him to manage his money, create a legacy, and become a good steward of his fortune.
 
If I wanted to make my choice regarding playing the lottery based on the anecdotal information from my one friend, I would be encouraging everyone everywhere to play the lottery as much as possible. However, I realize my friend is the beneficiary of an extreme statistical anomaly, and the reality remains that, given the extremely remote chances of winning, the best choice—other than for entertainment purposes—is to not play the lottery.
 
It’s easy to get caught up in the fascinating news stories of people who beat the odds in extremely rare circumstances. But for the vast majority of us, we live in a death and taxes world where we are best served by consulting the relevant data and statistics.
 
As you go through your day today, weigh your chances and make good choices.
 
Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the President of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift.  He is also a columnist and motivational speaker.   Follow @Stovallauthor