pay taxes (questionable statement at best), it does pay to be generous. There are so many needs all around us that need our attention. When our lives come to an end, what we have banked, stored, saved, and horded will not do us any good at all. The best thing to do with our stuff when we stop living is to give it away so we keep living through how we help others live.

Tax Statement: “I will just file and extension.”

Life Statement: “I can do this later”

When I was a kid I remember a Garfield (you know, the orange cat with an attitude) poster with a sarcastic

April 15th has come and gone and with it the tax season – at least for most people. I don’t know about you but I needed that two-day grace period. I can always use a little extra time. Think about it. Tax day happens at the same time every year. Some people are so prepared and organized they are ready before the deadline. Thousands more, however, procrastinate. In fact so many procrastinate that they stand in line with hundreds more just to put their tax forms into the mail at the eleventh hour…or should I say the 24th hour. Other folks wait so long that they have to file an extension just to give them “time” to pull things together.

For the first time in 15 years I decided to do my own taxes. I guess I just got tired of paying someone to type in all of my numbers into a computer program that would automatically generate my return and tell me how much I had to pay to Uncle Sam. I figured I could do that myself – for free. I have to admit though, that I still have a little anxiety about whether or not I inputted the numbers correctly.

Tax time kind of reminds me of how we sometimes approach life – actually, it may even be an extension of it. For instance, take a look at how some of the following tax attitudes mirror some of our attitudes of life.

Tax Statement: “I hope I have all the numbers where they need to go on my tax form.”

Life Statement: “I hope I’m doing things right so that right things will happen.”

Just as it doesn’t pay (literally) to blindly and randomly input numbers into your tax form, it makes no sense to live life randomly with no purpose or direction. It pays to do your homework. There is an old carpentry proverb that advises us to “measure twice and cut once.” That, of course, would be in contrast to measure once and cut twice. You get the point. Sometimes we too quickly make decisions without considering the consequences. Hope is a wonderful quality of life. But to have quality in life, knowing the facts can make a difference in whether or not our hopes come true.

Tax Statement: “I will wait until the last minute so that the government doesn’t get any more than what’s coming to them.” Life Statement: “I am going to hang on to what I have for as long as I can.”

While me may grouse and complain about how it doesn’t pay to pay taxes (questionable statement at best), it does pay to be generous. There are so many needs all around us that need our attention. When our lives come to an end, what we have banked, stored, saved, and horded will not do us any good at all. The best thing to do with our stuff when we stop living is to give it away so we keep living through how we help others live.

Tax Statement: “I will just file and extension.”

Life Statement: “I can do this later”

When I was a kid I remember a Garfield (you know, the orange cat with an attitude) poster with a sarcastic

an extension just to give them “time” to pull things together.

For the first time in 15 years I decided to do my own taxes. I guess I just got tired of paying someone to type in all of my numbers into a computer program that would automatically generate my return and tell me how much I had to pay to Uncle Sam. I figured I could do that myself – for free. I have to admit though, that I still have a little anxiety about whether or not I inputted the numbers correctly.

Tax time kind of reminds me of how we sometimes approach life – actually, it may even be an extension of it. For instance, take a look at how some of the following tax attitudes mirror some of our attitudes of life.

Tax Statement: “I hope I have all the numbers where they need to go on my tax form.”

Life Statement: “I hope I’m doing things right so that right things will happen.”

Just as it doesn’t pay (literally) to blindly and randomly input numbers into your tax form, it makes no sense to live life randomly with no purpose or direction. It pays to do your homework. There is an old carpentry proverb that advises us to “measure twice and cut once.” That, of course, would be in contrast to measure once and cut twice. You get the point. Sometimes we too quickly make decisions without considering the consequences. Hope is a wonderful quality of life. But to have quality in life, knowing the facts can make a difference in whether or not our hopes come true.

Tax Statement: “I will wait until the last minute so that the government doesn’t get any more than what’s coming to them.” Life Statement: “I am going to hang on to what I have for as long as I can.”

While me may grouse and complain about how it doesn’t pay to pay taxes (questionable statement at best), it does pay to be generous. There are so many needs all around us that need our attention. When our lives come to an end, what we have banked, stored, saved, and horded will not do us any good at all. The best thing to do with our stuff when we stop living is to give it away so we keep living through how we help others live.

Tax Statement: “I will just file and extension.”

Life Statement: “I can do this later”

When I was a kid I remember a Garfield (you know, the orange cat with an attitude) poster with a sarcastic

of it. For instance, take a look at how some of the following tax attitudes mirror some of our attitudes of life.

Tax Statement: “I hope I have all the numbers where they need to go on my tax form.”

Life Statement: “I hope I’m doing things right so that right things will happen.”

Just as it doesn’t pay (literally) to blindly and randomly input numbers into your tax form, it makes no sense to live life randomly with no purpose or direction. It pays to do your homework. There is an old carpentry proverb that advises us to “measure twice and cut once.” That, of course, would be in contrast to measure once and cut twice. You get the point. Sometimes we too quickly make decisions without considering the consequences. Hope is a wonderful quality of life. But to have quality in life, knowing the facts can make a difference in whether or not our hopes come true.

Tax Statement: “I will wait until the last minute so that the government doesn’t get any more than what’s coming to them.” Life Statement: “I am going to hang on to what I have for as long as I can.”

While me may grouse and complain about how it doesn’t pay to pay taxes (questionable statement at best), it does pay to be generous. There are so many needs all around us that need our attention. When our lives come to an end, what we have banked, stored, saved, and horded will not do us any good at all. The best thing to do with our stuff when we stop living is to give it away so we keep living through how we help others live.

Tax Statement: “I will just file and extension.”

Life Statement: “I can do this later”

When I was a kid I remember a Garfield (you know, the orange cat with an attitude) poster with a sarcastic

of course, would be in contrast to measure once and cut twice. You get the point. Sometimes we too quickly make decisions without considering the consequences. Hope is a wonderful quality of life. But to have quality in life, knowing the facts can make a difference in whether or not our hopes come true.

Tax Statement: “I will wait until the last minute so that the government doesn’t get any more than what’s coming to them.” Life Statement: “I am going to hang on to what I have for as long as I can.”

While me may grouse and complain about how it doesn’t pay to pay taxes (questionable statement at best), it does pay to be generous. There are so many needs all around us that need our attention. When our lives come to an end, what we have banked, stored, saved, and horded will not do us any good at all. The best thing to do with our stuff when we stop living is to give it away so we keep living through how we help others live.

Tax Statement: “I will just file and extension.”

Life Statement: “I can do this later”

When I was a kid I remember a Garfield (you know, the orange cat with an attitude) poster with a sarcastic

pay taxes (questionable statement at best), it does pay to be generous. There are so many needs all around us that need our attention. When our lives come to an end, what we have banked, stored, saved, and horded will not do us any good at all. The best thing to do with our stuff when we stop living is to give it away so we keep living through how we help others live.

Tax Statement: “I will just file and extension.”

Life Statement: “I can do this later”

When I was a kid I remember a Garfield (you know, the orange cat with an attitude) poster with a sarcastic saying that went something like this: “I am going to stop procrastinating and I think I will start tomorrow.” Right now, as these words pass through your eyes and into your brain you know there is something that you have been putting off. It may be as simple as balancing your checkbook and as serious as apologizing to someone for a grievous act you committed against them. It may mean putting your fears aside and making a decision to start that new business venture. It may be asking the girl of your dreams to marry you.

Here’s the difference between the tax statement and the life statement regarding procrastination: While the threat of the federal government to imprison you for not paying taxes is your main motivation to file each year, your only motivation to take action in your life is, well, you. However, the life outcome is similar to the tax outcome. If you choose not to take action you will go to prison. But in this case it will be the prison of “would have, could have, should have.” Many people are living a life sentence. Decide today not to be one of them.

We only get one chance to live the life we have been given. Let’s make the best of it. Decide today to take three positive actions toward taking charge of your situation:

1. Take time to do the research that will propel you into the most positive outcome

2. Make a decision today to give something away. Your money, your time, your love, your friendship, your talents. Find something that means something to you and let it mean something to someone else.

3. Refuse to allow fear to keep you from making your dreams come true. Take action today.