The tax you pay for playing it safe

I had coffee with an old friend last week.

Same job for 7 years. Same apartment. Same complaints. Same dreams he had in 2017.

"At least it's stable," he said.

That's when it hit me: Stability is the most expensive tax you'll ever pay.

Not in money. In life.

Here's the math nobody talks about:

The Safety Tax Breakdown:

Every "stable" year costs you:

• 365 days of unlived potential

• 52 weeks of "what if"

• 12 months of watching others live your dreams

• 1 year closer to "too late"

My friend thinks he's saving money. Building security. Being smart.

But every safe choice is a withdrawal from his future.

The promotion he won't ask for? Compound interest on mediocrity. The business he won't start? A million-dollar tax on fear. The content he won't create? An audience that'll never know him.

I know because I almost paid this tax too.

At 18, I had the "safe" path laid out:

• University (€40k debt, 4 years)

• Entry job (€35k/year if lucky)

• Work until 65

• Hope my pension is enough

The total cost? My entire life.

Instead, I chose the "risky" path:

• Failed Instagram pages

• 10 months of no income

• Parents thinking I'm crazy

• Friends getting "real jobs"

But look what happens when someone stops paying the safety tax:

"When I joined Cinematic Studio, I had just 300 followers... Now I'm at over 186,000, gained 60k+ in the last month alone."

He could have stayed "safe" at his 300 followers. No risk. No investment. No growth.

The tax? Everything he's built since.

Here's what I've learned:

The expensive choice isn't taking risks. The expensive choice is avoiding them.

Every day you play it safe, you pay with possibility.

The antidote? Start small. But start.

Pick one "unsafe" thing this week:

• Post that vulnerable content

• Start that project

• Send that message

• Make that investment in yourself

Because the safety tax compounds. Every year you wait, it gets more expensive to break free.

"In just two months... I've generated 100+ million views, went from 0 to over 85k+ followers."

Two months of "unsafe" choices. A lifetime of different results.

Speaking of unsafe choices, I'm running something special this summer.

If you're ready to stop paying the safety tax and start building something real, I've packaged everything I learned into Cinematic Studio.

With code SUMMER20, you can start for less than what most people spend on a night out. The real question is: What's costing you more - the investment or the waiting?

Stop Paying. Start Building →

Your safe choices aren't keeping you safe. They're keeping you stuck.

Richard

P.S. That friend from coffee? I sent him this email before you. He replied: "Maybe next year." That's the safety tax in action. Don't be him.