Money is like a Chuck Norris movie, it promises happiness, but seldom delivers. Those who won the lottery would tell you the same.

• Andrew “Jack” Whittaker: 2002. $314.9 million. Current status: Arrested twice for drunk driving and assault of a bar manager. Granddaughter turned to drugs and died of a drug overdose. Quote: “I wish I’d torn that ticket up,” said Whittaker.1

• Evelyn Adams: 1985, 1986. Two-time lottery winner. $5.4 million. Current status: Broke, lives in a trailer. Quote: “It was a hard fall; it’s called rock bottom.”2

• Suzanna Mullins: 1993. $4.2 million. Current status: Broke and in debt. "It's been a hard road," her lawyer, Michael Hart, said at the time."It's not been jet plane trips to the Bahamas.”3

• William Post: 1988. $16.2 million. Current status: Broke. Lost his money in a lawsuit. His brother hired a hit man to kill him in hopes of inheriting the money. Quote: “I was much happier when I was broke,” said Post.4

• Michael Carroll: 2002. £9.7 million. Current status: Broke. Tried to commit suicide twice after he lost all the money on drugs and women. Quote: “I haven’t got two pennies to rub together and that’s the way I like it. I find it easier to live off £42 dole than a million.”5

• Callie Rogers: 2003. $3 million. Current Status: Broke. Tried to commit suicide twice. Quote: “My life is a shambles and hopefully now [the money] has all gone I can find some happiness,” she said. “It’s brought me nothing but unhappiness. It’s ruined my life.”6

Many more similar stories are out there. “But wait,” I can hear you say. “I’m not like those guys. I’d be responsible. I’d master the money and wouldn’t let the money master me.”

Look at the questions below and answer them honestly from a rating of 1 (not really) to 8 (mostly).

1. I worry about money. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

2. I’m intrigued and tempted by get-rich-quick schemes. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

3. When I see something my neighbors or friends have, I want it (e.g. new car, cellphone). 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

4. I wish I had more (e.g. bigger house, better TV, newer car). 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

5. I easily go into debt. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

6. I don’t pay the full balance of my debt or my monthly bills. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

7. My expenditure is more than my income. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

8. I’m unhappy with my monthly savings. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9. My family’s needs go unmet. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

10. I would like to be more generous, but I can’t. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

If you score over 25, then you might not be as ready to handle large amounts of money as you think. Before you can be faithful with money, you’ve got to be free from money.

1 Accessed from http://nypost.com/2012/03/30/winners-beware-meet-the-four-who-went-from-jackpot-to-jack-squat/

2 Nicole Spector, “When Lottery Riches Lead to Ruin: Eight Winners Whose Luck Ran Out,” NBC.Com, January 16, 2016. Accessed from http://www.nbcnews.com/business/personal-finance/when-lottery-riches-lead-ruin-eight-winners-whose-luck-ran-n495826

3 Ibid.

4 Emma O’Connor, “The Tragic Stories of the Lottery’s Unluckiest Winners,” TIME, November 27, 2012. Accessed from http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/11/28/500-million-powerball-jackpot-the-tragic-stories-of-the-lotterys-unluckiest-winners/slide/william-post/

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

*This blog is an excerpt from my book, The Moneyverse. To learn how you can be free from the grip of money, get your copy now from our online bookstore.