Money Issues

Are You A Control Freak?

Yesterday I spent the day laboring over assorted receipts, canceled checks, and bank statements, attempting to track all my expenditures and income received to bring to my tax accountant for this year's income tax filing. I know that I'm going to owe some taxes. Although it is in my human nature to be bummed about owing Uncle Sam, I'm taking it in stride. I am striving to be GRATEFUL that I owe taxes. I figure if I hadn't been successful in RECEIVING then I wouldn't owe anything. It helps to maintain a positive perspective. When the time comes to send the payment off on April 15, I will bless it (also count my blessings) as I apply the postage stamp onto the envelope. This attitude serves me better than experiencing anger or resentment toward the government. And I certainly don't want to feel poor or sit sulking with the attitude of "having less."

Up until 3 years ago I always filed my own taxes without the help of an accountant. Letting go of this headachy chore was one of the better courses I have taken. Making this shift was such a relief, it was as if I had cut an albatross from around my neck. I had believed it was wasteful to pay for services that I could do on my own. Besides, the fact that I could do my own taxes gave me a feeling of satisfaction, perhaps even superiority. The idea of turning over this duty to someone else made be feel inadequate somehow. Never mind, that doing my own taxes made me cranky for over a week as I labored over reading the new tax laws, figuring out my business' depreciation percentages, etc. The stress involved in preparing my own taxes was beginning to outweigh that superficial feeling of satisfaction. In the end, I finally gave in by picking up the phone and making an appointmet to visit with a tax consultant. I choose not to view it as paying someone to prepare my taxes. Instead, I choose to think of it as paying someone to relieve my stresses. And... by golly, that is a bargain at almost any price. Also, I understand now that I wasn't fully accepting my own belief system that money is meant to flow. I believe there is an ebb and flow to cash/abundance. You have to spend freely to receive freely. When we horde our money, we block or stagnate the natural stream.

I continue to have money issues in my life. This is an ongoing battle that I continue to work with one layer at a time. Anyone one who struggles with money issues is really dealing with control issues. We want to be in full control of our lives, handling the pocketbook is just one area that is blatantly obvious. If you realize that you have issues regarding money.... look deeper, you likely have control issues in other parts of your life as well.

Article Dateline: March 2001

Forum Discussion:

"...there was an "Oprah" show about a couple where the wife was so controlling of the husband, she would tell him to put his soda back in the fridge, because he'd already had two that day. She'd tell him what to wear, what to eat, how to do everything.... They said that her perfectionism was about control, but also about fear. She believed that if she didn't control every little detail, her world would somehow fly apart!"...Resource3
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