INTERVIEW ON THE PRICE OF BUSINESS SHOW, MEDIA PARTNER OF THIS SITE.

Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, welcomed Lori Keesey to provide another commentary in a series.

The Lori Keesey Commentaries

You’ve likely seen them … commercials evoking the concept of “good vs. evil” to pitch a product or service. The devil stands on one shoulder of a hapless-looking man and an angel on the other. Apple has aired them. So has Wendy’s.

The one I remember well aired in 1999. It pitched Subway. It went something like this:

“Eat the Whopper,” the guy with the horns commanded, laughing maniacally. Ignore those 40 grams of fat. “Whopper it up!”

“Don’t listen to him,” the angel warned “He doesn’t care about you.”

The moral? Listen to your better half. Eat low-fat Subway sandwiches! Fade to black. Commercial over.

Awesome Meme

It’s a great meme because it’s universally understood. Whether you call it intuition, a gut feeling, the still small voice, God, or the Holy Spirit—I’d wager most people have experienced the sensation of battling voices. One comes from a place of goodness, concern, and protection—the angel—and the other, well he sports horns and a pitchfork. He plays on our doubts and fears, our human longings. He wants us to stumble and screw up.

I’ve experienced the battling voices. Why, for example, did I click the bold, blinking button that warned of computer malware? The still small voice urged me to ignore the message, but the other screeched louder, reminding me of lost data, idle worktime, blown deadlines. I had to act now.

Guess who I listened to? The guy with the horns and pitchfork, and my problems had just begun.

Another instance happened shortly after I decided to start my freelance writing business. I’d debated the pros and cons for months. Decision made, I quit my job, hung my shingle, and set out to find clients, enveloped in an all-consuming peace. I had chosen wisely.

Why then did I get insnared by the big talker who gladly took my work but then refused to pay? I knew something was off the moment I met him. But I didn’t listen to my gut and ended up getting gypped out of four-hundred bucks. Not a fortune. I know. But even so, why hadn’t I listened?

I know. I needed the client and tossed caution to the wind.

How About You?

How about you? Whose voice do you listen to? Because sometimes failing to listen to your “better angel” can result in pain far more damaging than the loss of a few hundred dollars.

Let me tell you about another woman named Lori. I wrote about her earlier this month in my blog, “The Accidental Blogger.” She, too, had ignored the signs, the nagging doubts, and as she told me: “My heart told me something wasn’t right.” But she, like so many of us, plowed ahead anyway, motivated by a longing that blinded her to the truth.

You see, Lori wanted to adopt another baby. Desperately. Each of her pregnancies all ended before they had a chance to begin. So, she went online and soon was exchanging emotional emails and telephone calls with an expectant woman who called herself Christy, allegedly a single mother and victim of domestic abuse.

Lori did go into the situation with her eyes open. She’d hired an attorney to draw up papers. She met Christy face-to-face. And yes, this mom-to-be looked pregnant. But why would Christy go incommunicado? Why was her phone always getting disconnected? Why did her abdomen feel soft?

You can read the story on your own, but Christy duped Lori, along with many other women across the nation. Only three years ago did Lori finally deal with the trauma and her role in this woman’s treachery. She hadn’t listened to her heart.

The Takeaway

The takeaway? If your gut tells you something isn’t right or if a small voice tells you to revisit an issue, regardless of how large or inconsequential the situation, listen to it. Don’t be swayed by the other voice who’s not your friend.

Whose voice do you listen to?

Author/Blogger Lori Keesey discovered her passion for writing at age six, when she wrote and illustrated a very short story about three puppies lost in a hatbox. Her first-grade teacher loved it and encouraged her to continue writing.

Many years later, the study of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird rekindled her interest. So captivated by Harper’s young protagonist, Scout, Lori wanted to create characters just as engaging as this spunky little girl. Years passed—and hundreds, if not thousands, of novels were read—before Lori realized her goal. Her debut novel, The Difference He Made, is scheduled to release in late 2023.

Lori writes a weekly blog—“The Accidental Blogger”—that spotlights men and women who overcome adversity and has authored two short stories, “Robert’s Prayer” and “The Note.” Both stories and a host of other gifts are free to those who subscribe to her monthly letter.

To subscribe and learn more about Lori, go to www.lorikeesey.com.