I fired up my smoker last weekend and got great smoked sausage and a blog post.

The hardwood coals reminded me how dead wood could snuff out a spark. If I slowly put just one or two new chunks around a live ember, that dead wood will begin to smolder, smoke, and catch fire. However, if I put three or four pieces of dead wood on that live ember, it got snuffed out.

It's like that with negative people. Negativity is contagious. Complainers darken the glow of even the brightest embers.

What can we do? (We, being the positive beacons of light who read this blog.) We can avoid hostile crowds. When that workgroup is holding a female dog session in the hallway, give them a wide berth. Standing too close will darken your glow even if you don't participate.

What we can also do is light one coal at a time. In one-on-one conversations, we can say out loud that we prefer not to hear griping about the new company policy. We can tell people we aren't interested in gossiping about or talking down mutual acquaintances. If you aren't comfortable articulating your objection, turn your feet or body away from the conversation and try not to respond much. They'll get the hint and maybe even begin to second-guess their behavior. If that second-guessing happens often enough, real change can occur.

Managing your state is a significant part of success. Shutting down negativity will help you and the people you shut down.

Light 'em up and Own Your Sales Gene…