[alsothrownaway]

As someone who has been in your shoes to a lesser degree, here are some things I learned:

It is best to not upgrade your lifestyle at all, but instead to use your position to bring broken people out of the pit. Here is why:

- 1. It is better to end the suffering of someone else than to make your own already-awesome life slightly better.

- 2. If you lose everything like I did, you will have actually lost nothing and only gained friends and good deeds.

- 3. Humans are insanely envious creatures. If anyone figures you out, they will most likely hate you and secretly hope it all burns. Before this, I never experienced the butt-end of envy. It can be so isolating; even if you are the nicest person.

One other thing: Don't completely fall into the lifestyle and mentality of doing whatever you want, whenever you want to do it. Maintain a connection to some kind of job or responsibility where your reputation is on the line; something where there is accountability. It will be incredibly difficult to return to "normal life" if something ever goes wrong.

[lawnchair_larry]

Except attempts at "ending the suffering of someone else" will more often than not break them even more, and leave you both broke. Free money messes with people in ways that you might not expect.

[cma]

There are pretty clear cases where it is a net win. Helping a kid with malaria treatment isn't likely to throw them deep into the paradox of plenty.

[tempoy12323232]

Also, once you open the tap, you can't close it. Spending lots of money is like a drug - instant gratification.

[nathan_f77]

Sorry, that must be really difficult. If it's not too painful to talk about it, would you be willing to share how you lost everything? What would you have done differently?

[pppaaauuulll]

Great advice right here. Pretty much every philosopher worth his/her salt will point out that money and power can't buy happiness...but feeling like you are making a meaningful difference in some way just might