The day almost no one looks forward to: tax day. That's today. With that comes the idea that we should pay our taxes, gladly. A tax is a charge or levy we pay to support our government, its spending and the support of vital programs and services.
But there is another tax we must gladly pay: the tax in life. The charges or levies on the choices we've made. The lifestyle we've decided to live. The career, the family, the responsibilities of daily life. Parenting means you're likely always tired, so does being self-employed. A workout regimen means you're tired and sore. Taking a stand for a cause might mean people criticize you. Being a whistleblower means putting yourself at risk for the greater good.
When living a life that has meaning and purpose, there are taxes we are hit with along the way. This also impacts those among us that decide to sit and do nothing. Their tax is unfulfilled dreams. A body they cent stand with health concerns. Jobs they hate. Financial positions that never improve. A relationship that is drowning and the lack of effort and attention means wasted time and broken hearts.
I'd rather pay the many taxes I face - financial and mental. That means I've prospered. It means I made more money. It means I stretched myself to new and uncomfortable spaces. It means I'm living the life I want because the life I choose requires a certain level of commitment. Sacrifice. Discipline.
Many around us had new year resolutions. Maybe you did. Have those taxes been paid? This isn't a one time bill, but a daily invoice we must all gladly write the check for. In our actions. In how we live. Not in what we say or wish, but in what we actually do.
ITS TAX DAY EVERYDAY.
I paid mine yesterday. And I hate my laptop. I may have to do paper forms on my typewriter next year.