Stephanie Staples Fall 09

He was inquiring if Randy had a Pontiac Grand Am, which he didn’t. He didn’t seem satisfied with this answer and continued to pepper me with questions: “He doesn’t have a Pontiac Grand Am? Are you sure? How well do you know Randy?” Finally he said, “Ma’am, I am telling you Randy owns a Pontiac Grand Am.”  He sounded so happy!

And then it clicked, we had won a car! Oh my God, it was unbelievable! There had been a huge hospital foundation lottery on at the time with hundreds of prizes. We had been practicing the “law of attraction” by cutting out pictures of the prizes. We had been visualizing and now here it was, we had won a car!

“Ma’am, ma’am, this is the Winnipeg Police Department, we don’t give away cars,” said the kind officer, trying to calm me down.

Oh, my party was pooped—no lottery, no prize, no car. It had all been a silly misunderstanding.

I was so disappointed, I really thought we had won!

Many times in life, we are disappointed, by people, by events, by circumstances, even by ourselves. We have expectations, hopes, dreams, desires and sometimes our party gets “pooped!” Our emotions are on a rollercoaster as we come to terms with possibility, expectations, success or disappointment and finally, acceptance. Can you recall feeling like this?

I don’t know if you buy lottery tickets or not, but if you do, consider this: You have already won the lottery.

By the sheer fact that you are reading this, I know—even if I don’t know you personally—that you have won the lottery of life.

Let me guess a few things about you to verify my claim:
• You have so many clothes in your closet you often don’t know which to wear.
• You have so much food in your fridge and cupboard you often don’t know what to choose to eat.
• You could go out to pretty much any restaurant tonight if you so choose.
• You have a job that pays you fairly.
• You have family and/or friends who love you.

Yep, Grand Am or no Grand Am, we have all won the lottery of life. Congratulations!

Now, what can we do to show our appreciation for winning the lottery of life? Here are some ideas:
• Stop by your closest community police station and pick up some graffiti wipes. They are like smelly ‘Wet Ones’ that easily take graffiti off of buildings, fences, mail boxes, etc.
• Take some extra bags on your next walk and instead of complaining about the litter, pick it up.
• Spend a few hours at Winnipeg Harvest, Agape Table and lend your able body to help others.
• Join in a charity event to support a cause you believe in—you will be active and raise money and awareness.
• Visit a shut in, offer to shop, take them out for ice cream, a donut, a treat.

The list is endless, the rewards are great; we have won the lottery, now we need to share.

Stephanie seeks to inspire the masses to strive for uncommon success and speaks internationally in the area of personal growth, empowerment and wellness. Bring Your Life, Unlimited! to your next event if you want to kick it up MORE than a notch! Visit www.yourlifeunlimited.ca for more info and bursts of inspiration!

Mary Ann Masesar is the winner of a one night stay and a brunch for two at the Fort Garry Hotel for her contribution to making Winnipeg the most positive city in Canada. She loves and believes in our city and moved back to realize her dreams here, she writes, "Enjoying life in Winnipeg can truly be unlimited!" Yeah! If you have a great Winnipeg idea or story to share, send it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  for a chance to win a free Green Science Facial at First Impressions Hair & Skin Team.