Smärt
Adj. Characterized by sharp quick thought; bright.
Sav vy
In our office, and in our lives, we find that there are an awful lot of smart people who make foolish choices, particularly when emotions are running high. Just this week, a very dear friend of ours made a decision to ignore the wise counsel of his attorney and to “take matters into his own hands.” That decision immediately cost him enormous heartache; it will ultimately prove to be prohibitively expensive. He is really smart, but not very savvy, at least not at this particular time in his life.
We all do it. We hire attorneys, dentists, doctors, personal trainers, psychologists, psychiatrists, auto repairmen, tutors, construction contractors and life coaches. We pay them for their professional advice and counsel. Then we, like my friend, “take matters into our own hands,” usually to our detriment.
If we are not busy seeking out and compensating professionals for their wisdom, we are spending countless hours talking to our friends and family members, our preachers and teachers, our office mates and teammates about our various issues. We earnestly seek their opinion, and “then take matters into our own hands.”
What is particularly interesting about this curiously human tendency is that we are shocked when things do not go well for us. We think, erroneously, by “taking matters into our own hands,” we will achieve the results we desire. We believe we will be in control. So we self-diagnose, self-medicate, self-help and self-destruct.
Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident (even epidemic) than when we find ourselves in need of the services of a divorce attorney. My husband, Bob Leonard, of the Bob Leonard Law Group, is Board Certified in Family Law. He has the wisdom gained through many years of experience. He has always said that our divorce clients are really good people who we see when they are on their worst behavior, and our criminal clients are bad people we see when they are on their best behavior. That is an oversimplification, but largely true nonetheless.
When you are faced with the break-up of a marriage, particularly when you have children still at home, or significant property at stake, reason flies out the window. You are generally a smart, witty, brave, generous, loving and kind individual. Right now, though, you want to “take matters into your own hands.” Don’t do it!
Please pause, take a deep breath, say a prayer and go see a good divorce lawyer. Listen to your lawyer and follow his/her advice. By doing this, you are actually exercising more control than when you “take matters into your own hands.” You are already smart; we can help you make wise decisions. Now that’s savvy!
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” – James 3:17
