This week's Pep Talk Blog: "Listen, Trust & Obey"

The first major Fall 2009 snowstorm was descending upon the Mile High City but my darling girlfriend and I, craving our favorite Mexican food, headed out into the elements for tacos al carbon and carnitas – weather be damned!

Trying to be a gentleman, I pulled in front of Benny’s, to allow the successful businesswoman to jump out and walk right into the thriving restaurant. Then I drove around to the back of the establishment and parked in a deserted lot. It wasn’t Benny’s designated lot but I had parked there several times before without a problem – there are rarely any cars parked there. But for whatever reason, this time something inside of me said, “Maybe you shouldn’t park here?” I ignored my own advice.

About an hour and a half later, after the usual tasty meal complete with too many chips/salsa but just the right amount of margaritas, I mention to my better half, “Hang right here, I’ll go get the car and pick you up at the front door.”

I rush out into the elements, sprint around the corner of the building and suddenly discover, “My car is gone!” I wander back to the restaurant, angry with myself that I failed to heed, as Emerson would say, “The vibration of the iron string within.”

I talk about that often as the Comeback Coach. That quite often in life, in retrospect, we can name several times when we ignore our intuition that’s screaming “don’t do that you’ll be sorry” or “do that, it’s going to be good.” Either way, when we fail to heed our intuition’s call, unfortunate stuff usually happens.

The next morning, with snow falling heavier, I’m standing outside a tow lot in an industrial park on Denver’s northwest side. The guy who towed my car has it incarcerated behind a barbed wire fence with attack dogs roaming. He finally shows up 90 minutes late.

I have to hand over $200 bucks to free my vehicle. Half a day and too much money wasted, because I ignored my intuition. Learn from my knucklehead mistake, when you feel the vibration of the iron string within, listen, trust and obey it, okay?

I ignored “it” and lost time and money. However, it’s a reminder that failing to follow one’s intuition can have far greater repercussions concerning our families, jobs or communities. Let the words of infamous cartoon character Jiminy Cricket be our mantra: “Let your conscious be your guide.”

Rarely, if ever, will you be disappointed when you listen, trust and obey it.