I found this resource when I was searching for the story about taxes and how taxes relates to the care and feeding of the golden goose and how that goose does perhaps eat too much. Jim Rohn spoke about it back 1993 when I first met him. The text is below and a link to the article that inspired the search of the memory bank. ~ TLR
One of the original Financial Fairy Tales – The Goose That Lays The Golden Eggs tells the tale of a farmer with a steady and reliable stream of passive income. Sadly he gets greedy and ends up killing the source in the search for instant gratification.
In this article, one of my mentors Jim Rohn uses the Golden Goose story to discuss taxation. Here’s what he had to say:-
I realize that the topic of taxes may seem like a strange place to begin the discussion of creating wealth. And yet throughout our lives, whether young or old, we must learn the necessity of paying taxes. And as soon as they have any money at all, our children, too, must learn that when they spend money they immediately become consumers. And all consumers of goods and services, no matter how young, must pay taxes. Why?
Because we have all agreed to live as a society, and for that society to function properly, there are some things we cannot do for ourselves alone. For example, we cannot each build a piece of the street. The machinery would be too expensive, and it would take too long to learn how to use it. So we have a government. And a government is made up of people who do things for us that we cannot or do not want to do ourselves. Because the streets, the sidewalks, the police, and the fire department must all be paid for, we’ve agreed to add some money each time we buy something and give it to the government.
We then move on to federal taxes. Here is a good way to explain federal taxes. I call it “The Care and Feeding of the Goose That Lays the Golden Eggs.” It’s so important to feed the goose-not to abuse the goose or tear off its wings-but to feed and care for it.
What’s that you say? The goose eats too much? That’s probably true. But then, don’t we all eat too much? If so, let not one appetite accuse another. If you step on the scales and you’re ten pounds too heavy, you’ve got to say, “Yes, the government and I are each about ten pounds too heavy. Looks like we both eat too much.” No question about it. Every appetite must be disciplined-yours, mine, and the government’s. Hey, we could all go on a diet!
My mentor, Mr. Shoaff, urged me early on to become a happy taxpayer. Now, I must admit it took a while, but I finally did become a happy taxpayer. Part of this transformation occurred when I began to understand the function of taxes and that it is right for everyone to pay his or her fair share.
I finally decided I didn’t mind picking up my share of the tab for defense. It’s so necessary for our safety as a country to keep the bullies away. Some people say, “Why bother with all that expensive equipment? They won’t come over here.” Obviously, those people haven’t been reading their history books.
Others say, “We’re not about to pick up the tab for defense.” Well then, I suggest they go to a place which doesn’t offer defense as part of the package. If one is going to enjoy the benefits, one should pay a share.
Now, let me add this: Don’t pay more than you should. By all means take advantage of the incentives. They were given to you as a reward for channeling your money into areas the government thinks helps the economy.
All I’m saying is that when everything has been computed, all legitimate deductions have been taken, and you reach that last line on your income tax form, whatever the amount, pay it. And pay with happiness, knowing that you’re feeding the goose that lays the golden eggs-the golden eggs of freedom, safety, justice, and free enterprise. Some goose! Some eggs.
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/blogs/ten-year-end-facts-canadians-need-to-know
And while here, check out the think tanks other thoughts, I am sure there is some gold nuggets in there !
Bonus ... Goose or Eggs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjF2SvzlOm0&list=PLhhVyaUmOQupT95UiO_74c0-wATcRxceV&index=15
“Don’t say, ‘If I could, I would.’ Say, ‘If I can, I will.’”
“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.”
“Either you run the day or the day runs you.”
“Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.”
“If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree.”
“How long should you try? Until.”
“Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.”
1. “Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.”
2. “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”
3. “Start from wherever you are and with whatever you’ve got.”
4. “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”
5. “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.”
6. “Either you run the day or the day runs you.”
7. “We must all wage an intense, lifelong battle against the constant downward pull. If we relax, the bugs and weeds of negativity will move into the garden and take away everything of value.”
8. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
9. “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”
10. “To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?”
11. “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
12. “If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us.”
13. “Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot.”
14. “It isn’t what the book costs; it’s what it will cost you if you don’t read it.”
15. “You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.”
16. “Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.”
17. “Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don’t fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgement, repeated every day.”
18. “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.”
19. “You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight.”
20. “You don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.”
21. “Don’t just read the easy stuff. You may be entertained by it, but you will never grow from it.”
22. “Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you.”
23. “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.”
24. “Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.”
25. “Life and business is like the changing seasons. You cannot change the seasons, but you can change yourself. Therein lies the opportunity to live an extraordinary life–the opportunity to change yourself.”
26. “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment”
27. “Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people.”
28. “If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree.”
29. “Days are expensive. When you spend a day you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely.”
30. “Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention.”
31. “Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.”
32. “You cannot make progress without making decisions.”
33. “Don’t say, ‘If I could, I would.’ Say, ‘If I can, I will.’”
34. “No one else ‘makes us angry.’ We make ourselves angry when we surrender control of our attitude.”
35. “Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out.”
36. “The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit.”
37. “The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”
38. “The more you care, the stronger you can be.”
39. “Character is a quality that embodies many important traits, such as integrity, courage, perseverance, confidence and wisdom. Unlike your fingerprints that you are born with and can’t change, character is something that you create within yourself and must take responsibility for changing.”
40. “How long should you try? Until.”
"The beauty of being in business is that your business engages all aspects of your mind, I think that is why you become successful, business challenges you to be more than you are, and that is where the miracle takes place." Timothy Ross, May 2004