People pleasing doesn't keep everyone happy — it keeps YOU awake at 3AM. The yes you should've said no to becomes an open loop that won't let you sleep.

In this episode I break down why people pleasing always ends in burnout — and the one lie underneath every yes that makes it almost impossible to say no.

You'll see how the fear of man traps you, what King Saul and the apostle Paul reveal about it, and how to close your open loops so you can finally rest. If you're a leader, a creator, a helper, or anyone tired of being everyone's "yes" — this one is for you.

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TIMESTAMPS AND KEY MOMENTS
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0:00 - The 3AM Bed Every People-Pleaser Knows
1:10 - Every Yes Is An Open Loop
2:30 - How Many Loops Did You Leave Open Today?
3:20 - Why People Pleasing Looks Like Talent, Not Weakness
4:45 - The Lie Hiding Under Every Yes ("I'm The Reason")
6:15 - It Follows You Home: The Yes You Break To Yourself
7:30 - What Holds You When You Run Out Of Capacity
8:45 - King Saul, Paul, And The Fear Of Man
10:00 - A No Isn't A Failure: How To Say No Clean
11:15 - Close The Loop Tonight

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FULL DESCRIPTION & HIGHLIGHTS
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Why your worth was never tied to what you produce
How to say no without guilt or a burned bridge
What Scripture says about the fear of man
Real talk on rest, calling, and identity in Christ

💡 WHY PEOPLE PLEASING ALWAYS ENDS IN BURNOUT

1. Every yes is a loop — you open it when you say "I got you," and you only close it when you actually finish.

2. Open loops, not people or projects, are what keep you awake at 3AM.

3. People pleasing disguises itself as talent and generosity, so it never feels like weakness.

4. The root lie is "I'm the reason it works" — and that lie makes you say yes to things you already know you can't carry.

5. A no doesn't burn the bridge. A broken yes does.

The way out isn't working harder — it's knowing you were loved before you were ever useful, so your no can finally come out clean.

- People-pleasers who can't say no even when they're maxed out
- Christian leaders and pastors fighting the fear of man
- Entrepreneurs and creators who over-commit and burn out
- High-achievers whose worth got tied to what they produce
- Anyone lying awake at 3AM over a yes they regret

I'm Faleulu Ropati. Rob Pene. Same guy, both names.

How do you know if God is really speaking to you, or if you just want something bad enough?

In this episode, I break down 5 filters I use to test what I'm hearing before I step out and say "God told me."

THE 5 FILTERS

1. Scripture
God won't lead you somewhere that contradicts His Word. Without that anchor, you'll just find what you're already looking for.

2. The Body of Christ
Talk to people who know God, know the Bible, and know you. Look for counsel, not permission.

3. Internal Prompting
The Holy Spirit does convict and nudge. But a strong feeling isn't proof. Sometimes it's just what we want.

4. Circumstances
Watch the open and closed doors. A closed door isn't always a failure. A lot of times it's God redirecting you.

5. Outside Counsel
Get input from mature people outside your circle who don't have a stake in how it turns out.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Hearing God's voice vs. fooling yourself
0:45 The problem with saying "God told me"
1:30 LA or Europe? The decision that changed my life
3:00 Three people, one message
4:15 Filter 1: Scripture
5:30 Filter 2: The Body of Christ
6:45 Filter 3: Internal prompting
8:15 Filter 4: Circumstances
9:45 Jonah and closed doors
10:30 Filter 5: Outside counsel
11:30 Broken lenses: anger, fear, ambition, desperation
12:30 "Should I?" vs. "Can I?"
13:45 Stop saying "God told me." Start asking "God, show me."

THE TAKEAWAY

There's no magic formula. Discernment is testing what you think you're hearing from a few different angles before you act on it.

In this episode of Nice to Meet You for a Reason, Rob Pene sits down with Lexson Mathieu — former undefeated pro boxer, NABF champion, and serial acquisitions entrepreneur who built and sold a multi-million-dollar trucking empire before turning 27.

Lexson takes us through the wild arc of his last few years: leaving Canada during COVID with nothing but a backpack, putting his entire net worth into crypto to escape financial restrictions, making $50,000 in his first week as a crypto investor, and then walking away from speculation to buy real businesses.

You'll hear the unfiltered story of how he made 10,000 cold calls to land his first deal, why his first acquisition took a year and a half (and what he had to fix to close), and how he eventually closed five acquisitions in 18 months — including the "sell-lease-back" maneuver that pulled $300K out of a deal in two weeks.

This is a masterclass in M&A for anyone curious about how people actually buy businesses without their own money, build banking relationships from scratch, and structure deals where the asset finances itself.

We also get into the deeper stuff: why money stopped being the goal, how faith reshaped his vision, and his next move — building a roll-up empire in Africa while planting "a thousand seeds" through Bible study.

What You'll Learn:

• Why Lexson left pro boxing at the top of his career
• How he used crypto as a financial escape hatch during COVID
• The exact selling and negotiation framework that unlocked his first deal
• How he financed a $5.4M acquisition with two banks and no personal income
• The "sell-lease-back" strategy that pulls cash out of acquired assets
• Why he gave away 49% equity — and what he'd do differently now
• Why his next empire is being built in Africa, not North America
• The role faith plays in his definition of long-term success

Recommended Reading from Lexson:

• Your First Hundred Million by Dan Peña
• Robert Kiyosaki's books on assets vs. liabilities

Connect with Lexson: Instagram: @LexsonMathieu (DM him directly to join his weekly Bible study)

https://eliteacademics.net