A while back I was walking in an unfamiliar part of town, and I passed by a gas station advertising lottery tickets. For a moment I thought, wouldn’t it be fun to buy a ticket and dream? Then I realized that for the most part, I already had the life I wanted. I felt like I was in the 90th percentile of happiness and fulfillment. Of course I wanted to go further, but I knew that a lottery ticket (even a winning one) wouldn’t take me there.

Most of us have lottery fantasies from time to time. I don’t think they’re necessarily harmful; I just think there’s a better alternative. The alternative is to write your own winning lottery ticket, not by the sudden accumulation of wealth but the gradual reduction to what you decide is essential for your life.

Instead of fantasy land, most of us crave a life of adventure and personal growth. As part of the experience of being alive, I believe we’re looking to find our place in the world. On a planet of seven billion people, where do we fit in? This is essentially the central question of life, and finding the answer begins with understanding what we really want.