[eff around] Check yo self > wreck yo self

Bible reader or not, below is a lesson about checking your 3S’s in the proper sequence (we’ll get into that after the passage).
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For quick context, Esau and Jacob are brothers - Esau the oldest. That’s all you need to know.

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“Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.

He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!”

Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright (which is one’s inheritance and authority).”

“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭25‬:‭29‬-‭34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We won’t expand on the amazing sales strategy Jacob exhibited, here (create urgency by being a pain-killer) lol!

But the main point is this:

There are no beans good enough to give up your birthright. But it’s crazy what you’ll give up when you’re tired and impulsive.

The next time you’re faced with deciding something…

First, check your STATE.

Are you in a good mood?

Bad mood?

Hungry?

Tired?

Neutral?

How are you feeling?

Feelings can lie sometimes; or at least be temporary and change with the wind.

Assuming you know yourself, is your current state conducive to good decision-making?

Then, check your STORY.

Is the story you’re telling yourself right now, when faced with this matter, the same as the story before it happened?

And finally, only after you’ve been truly honest with yourself, may you consult your STRATEGY.

Is this a long-term answer to a short-term problem?

Is this a short-term answer to a long-term problem?

Will this give you the result you want - now and long-term?

Are there better alternatives, with a little bit more open-mindedness, feedback, patience, and/or investment?

Are there contingency plans you’ve already played out in your head and are prepared for?

Most of the time, you don’t have to decide right then and there.

You can wait.

For Bible readers, there’s power in that.

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.”

Psalms 130:5 NIV

Most of the time, we want to decide NOW, because it’s normal (normal doesn’t always mean right).

It seems harmless and easy (especially when you don’t attach it to the consequences).

We want to be seen as decisive or pleasant.

And putting it off seems inconvenient.

Your life can change for the better, or be saved, with a simple “Let me think about it” and filter through 3S.

What are you deciding on right now?

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