Glitter Without Gold

I’ve never held a winning lottery ticket, but I’ve felt luckier than most. Not because of money, but because of the moments—those small, shining flashes of life that sparkle the brightest. But what glitters isn't always gold— and maybe that's the point.

Society has always had a fixation on wealth, money, stock, and status. For hundreds of years, we have held those who have more material possessions on a pedestal, believing that their quality of life must be miles better than our own because of their wealth. And while there may be some truth to that, I believe we’re already wealthy in other ways.

The Texas Lottery is a game of chance—but so is everyday life. You wake up on a rainy morning, and somehow your bed feels extra cozy. The smell of damp pavement grounds you. You’re walking down 5th Street when a stranger tosses you a compliment. That one song you’ve had on repeat suddenly hits different because, this time, the lyrics feel like your own. And just like that, the earth tilts slightly in your favor.

Yet even when it doesn't, a breakdown can lead to a breakthrough. Pain has a weird way of softening us and reshaping us into something wiser and more tender. Isn’t that beautiful? The worst moments in life can turn you into the best version of yourself. There’s glitter in the grit, in the way we rise from the ruins with a little more sparkle than before.

Here’s a radical thought: what if we walked through life like we had already won the lottery? Not fame or fortune—but a quieter kind of victory rooted in gratitude. Pausing to take in the smell of your coffee in the morning, or notice the way the sun peeks through the clouds. The power to make life fuller already lives within you. Choosing presence over performance, allows you to live richly without ever needing gold. You don’t have to chase what’s glowing when you’re made of what shines. 

You may not have wealth in your pocket, but your life is full of the kind of richness that can’t be measured—memories, laughter, lessons, love. The moments that stick with you long after they’ve passed. So pause. Look around. Reflect on what you’ve already gathered—and keep your hands open for more. Because the jackpot isn’t in the future. It’s here. It’s now. It’s already yours. (Although $131,000,000 would be nice.)

zoe