I got caught. I got sucked in. I failed to stay vigilant.

It was like one of those closet doors in a cartoon. I opened it a crack and the next thing I knew I was knocked down by an avalanche.

You would think I'd know better. I mean how many times do I need to touch a hot stove?

I failed to anticipate the outcome. I mistook rancor for incidental hurt and thought I could help by offering a soft ear.

So, I listened. I fielded like we were on AstroTurf, but it turns out we were in the sandlot, and I took a bad hop to the nose.

Vitriol, spewed about another, still splashes, burns and corrodes you if you listen too long and stand too close. And, moreover, it's highly likely that someone who is regularly bitter and abusive has already, or will, at some point, turn that sewer pipe on you.

Fortunately, the opposite is also true. Respectful, laudative, people spill over too. Their civility and praise can cultivate in you a sense of good, a sense of tranquility, and a sense of capability.

I'm surrounded by an abundance of these people and every day they add to every bit of success I can claim. They aren't there by accident. Blessings cultivated are blessings multiplied.

I need to remember that every minute I give to the others takes away from them, and, ultimately, from me.

Own your sales gene