It's Tax Day. Isn't It Wonderful?

What if, as the Stoics advise, we view every single "tax" in our lives as a joyous event, a reminder that we are alive and capable of reacting to every event as we choose. What power do events have over us if we view them as inevitable results to being alive? The mere fact that we get to be alive another day should fill us with joy, even if the day is filled with pain. Why? Well, pain can be relieved, and a positive attitude helps. Mental pain is within our control. Ignore it. Physical pain is often fleeting, and, in many cases we adapt our lives to it. My arthritis limits my ability to do physical things. So, I exercise my mind. If I can't tap on a keyboard, I will use a microphone. Now, file that tax return with a smile on your face. There are some dead people out there who don't have to file a return today. Whom would you rather be?

“Nothing will ever befall me that I will receive with gloom or a bad disposition. I will pay my taxes gladly. Now, all the things which cause complaint or dread are like the taxes of life— things from which, my dear Lucilius, you should never hope for exemption or seek escape.” — Seneca, Moral Letters, 96.2