Fortunately I'm not in a position where I'm depending on Steemit income to put bread on the table. This makes it a lot easier for me to relax about my rewards. They're a bit intangible anyways since I haven't cashed any out, so it's just a number that seems to grow (albeit slowly).
Anything I get is a plus. There have been people who have supported and blessed me in my interactions on Steemit, but they don't owe me anything. And just because they may have given me votes or even auto-votes in the past doesn't mean they're obligated to give them to me in the future. They're a gift. Situations change and they're free to do what they want.
I like your message about thinking of things as gifts because if we have that mindset, then rather than being upset when we don't get as much stuff as we want, we can be grateful for the stuff that we do get. Living a thankful lifestyle is a much healthier way to go, in my opinion. :)
Hey man! Do you have a particular point that you'll cash out at?
I don't really have a point that I'm planning to cash out as of yet. My thinking has been very milestone oriented. After getting rid of the Steemit delegation at 15 SP, my goal was 50 SP so I could have (virtually) unlimited bandwidth. After that, my goal has been to get to 500 SP so I can have the slider bar on my own. I've had it for a while due to delegations from kind people like you and abh12345 (I tag him a lot, so no tag here). I'm' closing in on that, but haven't really set the next goal.
There are also other implications once I start taking money out that I have to consider, like taxes. I don't understand how all of that works, but I'm sure that Uncle Sam wants a piece of the pie. Until I take something out, I think I should be fine. I don't really know though. I'll have to consult my tax professional.
It would be nice to get something from Steemit. I have been powering up because that's more valuable than the $20 or whatever I would get if I were to cash out. Maybe once I have a few thousand SP I'll be able to take some of the profits. There are a lot of moving pieces and so my answer could change at any time. ;)
On the tax stuff I'm just sitting tight until I cash some out. It's weird because it's like earning money that you don't plan on using since it's also an investment. It seems gray but I'm no expert.