This is a guest post I wrote for a good blogging friend, Kevin Martineau, on his blog Shooting The Breeze. Check out his blog for some GREAT insights and information. Photo credit
Someone is reading you the riot act. They are holding nothing back. They are giving it to you with both barrels. They are really throwing you under the bus. They care not what it is doing to you or your self confidence. They are offending you. They are spewing slander at your very character.
The power of 10..... seconds: Stop. Count to 10 and think before anything comes out of your mouth
You are hungry. At least you think you are. It’s almost bedtime. The pint of ice cream in the freezer is calling from the frozen tundra to you. But you know what the doctor said. You must cut out sweets if you're going to avoid getting sick.
The power of 10..... minutes: Stop. Wait for 10 minutes and reconsider before anything goes in your mouth
You are about to make a major purchase. You don't know if you should go in debt over it. You wrestle with the use of the money: should I save it for ministry or should I go ahead and spend it? Will God be pleased with me if I buy it?
The power of 10..... hours: Stop. Walk away and pray about it for 10 hours before you make a decision
If you are someone with a driving personality, this post may just be for you. It’s important to understand the price of impulsiveness in areas like our relationships, diet, major decisions.
NOTE: I'm not saying there aren't times when we must make quick decisions as leaders. We are, after all, called by God to be stewards of opportunity, but...
There are a lot of times when a quick word said in haste is often regretted; when a quick yield to temptation is often regretted; when a quick purchase is often regretted. And this kind of impulsiveness is the stuff of burnout.
What are other times when impulsiveness is inappropriate?
I love this.
The power of 10. It applies to more than time.
I'm going to print it and give it to my 13-year-old son who struggles with impulse control. I can't wait to see what he does with it.
Posted by: HennHouse | April 30, 2010 at 11:20 PM
I would love to hear how it goes with your 13 year old. God bless you as parent.
Posted by: Scott Couchenour | May 01, 2010 at 09:07 PM