Statistics show, in fact, that for the majority of lottery winners, their money is soon gone. Sure - they get to enjoy a higher standard of living for a while, but far from being financially set for life, they often wind up more broke than they were before - but now they've seen the good life - and the olds ways look even worse. So why should that be? Surely, having several million dollars handed to you on a plate should solve all your financial worries?

The thing is - if it's not earned, then money rarely stays. This is the same reason for the dramatic (and usually newsworthy!) antics of young music and sports stars - they are being presented with incomes that are so far beyond their experience that they simply cannot handle it, so the money does not stay with them.

Take a look at your own life. No matter where you are, or how much money you make - your income and your lifestyle is a reflection of your capacity for money. And that is OK - but recognizing it is a very powerful starting point. What it means is that the person you are, the experiences you have had and your vision of your life and your future are all determining exactly how much money you have in your pocket today. Not only that, but they are determining how you feel about how much money you have right now too.

Now there's nothing you can do about your experiences or what you may or may not have done in the past. It doesn't matter how old you are - anyone can start to change their view of life and the future.

The first step is to realise that where you have come from and the things you have done have absolutely no bearing on your future at all. Tough to swallow? Take a good look at some of the most successful people in our time - don't take my word for it, but research where some of the richest people in the world came from, and you might be surprised. Many of them had no more to start with than you do - the only difference was that they were determined to make a better life for themselves.

Which brings us to the next step - you have to make that decision for yourself. Changing your life, breaking out of the mould that you have grown into, is not always easy. It can mean major changes - sometimes painful ones - to find that better life - but you can have a life beyond your dreams, if you pursue it with everything you have!

Let's come back to the present - you have to start to understand just how lucky you are in your current situation. If you are reading this - it means that you can see and that you can read - both things to be grateful for! On the other hand, if you hold onto resentment for your current situation, it will hold you back - accept everything you have and everything you don't have - only then can you move on.

Finally - start to look outwards. Put yourself into situations that you have never been in before - go view some expensive open houses, test drive some fast cars, eat in a better restaurant occasionally. Start to see your life the way you want it to be as often as you possibly can. When you start to see the riches that life has in store for you, and just how close they are - you will start to see ways to have those things for yourself.

The bottom line is that your lifestyle is a reflection of the person you were yesterday. If you start to enlarge your vision and become the kind of person who has more, does more and enjoys a better life today - then you will see the results tomorrow!