On America's tax day, it's the perfect time to revisit one of my go-to sayings: "create new problems."
Entrepreneur Grant Cardone likes to talk a lot about "new problems" and how he views them as a net positive.
Why?
Because new problems means progress. No matter what path you're on, your success and progress brings with it a new set of problems and issues you may have never considered.
By now you're asking, WHAT'S THIS HAVE TO DO WITH TAXES?
Everything positive in life has a tax or tariff attached to it.
And I do mean everything.
From Seneca's letters: “All the things which cause complaint or dread are like the taxes of life—things from which you should never hope for exemption or seek escape.”
Here are some examples of successes and the inevitable taxes we pay:
SUCCESS: I made money in 2017!
TAX: Literally taxes, as in income taxes that reduce your take-home pay.
SUCCESS: I just left for my dream vacation!
TAX: Waiting around in lines, suffering through a long flight, exposing yourself to the dangers of an unfamiliar place.
SUCCESS: I am in a strong, satisfying marriage!
TAX: Inevitable disagreements and conflicts; feelings of boredom and frustration.
SUCCESS: I became famous!
TAX: Congrats, you are now the targets of gossip and rumors and no longer control the way the world perceives you.
SUCCESS: I just won/inherited a ton of money!
TAX: Here come the long-lost family members needing a loan and the con-artists looking to swindle you or take advantage of you.
SUCCESS: I just bought my dream car/house!
TAX: With abundance comes the judgment or envy of others, and you're also more likely to be targeted by thieves.
SUCCESS: My business has more customers than I can handle!
TAX: Everything from financials to logistics being stressed by volume . . . and how are you going to expand and grow? How will you avoid being overworked?
Everything we do comes with a tax. The way that you perceive that tax directly relates to how well you can handle that success--and stack the successes together to reach greater heights.
On tax day, think about the cost of everything we do that is worthwhile, and how we can better handle the challenges of making progress in life.
Death and taxes are inevitable. We cannot control them. But we can control how we react, and how we prepare.
How will you respond to the next, inevitable "tax bill" that comes along in your life?
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