Losing Our Free Gifts in Life – How Do We React?

by Reuben Chow

Let’s say you struck a windfall. A million dollars. Out of nowhere.

Perhaps your lottery numbers came out. Maybe you hit the jackpot at the casino. Or perhaps someone bought out your small business. Or there could have been a distant relative who passed away and named you in his or her will.

Now, for the purpose of this discussion, let us assume that one million dollars is actually a lot of money to you. If it isn’t, you could just multiply the figure ten-fold, or hundred-fold, to whatever extent such that it actually becomes a significant amount of money to you.

The basic and important point here is to imagine that you struck a large windfall.

Obviously, I would think that you would be delighted to have such a large sum of money fall into your arms. It’s a definite life-changing event. Most of us would be very happy, too.

Now imagine that, merely a week later, something happened and half the sum of money was taken away from you. Five hundred thousand bucks, or whatever corresponding sum relevant to your imaginary scenario, just disappeared, and you’re left with only the other half of the money.

How would you feel?

Would you feel devastated at the loss? After all, a large amount of money vanished from your possession overnight.

Or would you remain pleased and very grateful that you still have a significant amount of money in your hands, a sum which you did not have just a week prior and a sum that had been given to you for free, at no cost?

Is your focus on what was graciously given to you, for free, and is still with you, or is your focus on what you have supposedly lost, but which was graciously given to you, for free, in the first place anyway?

These questions reveal a lot about our outlook on and attitude towards life, and how much we have internalized the concepts of grace and gratitude.

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