"Most people desperately desire to believe that they are part of a great mystery, that Creation is a work of grace and glory, not merely the result of random forces colliding.  Yet each time that they are given but one reason to doubt, a worm in the apple of the heart makes them turn away from a thousand proofs of the miraculous, whereupon they have a drunkard's thirst for cynicism, and they feed on despair as a starving man upon a loaf of bread."

I found this quote in, of all places, a Dean Koontz novel.  I say that with surprise not as a slight to Mr. Koontz; after all, he is one of our most prolific novelists, but to find a gem of profundity like this in a horror novel is about as expected as finding an Elon Musk "Go Fund Me" page for a new business.

Mr Koontz's description goes for friendships, marriages, and the workplace. What I am reading here is a quirk of human behavior that has always baffled me.  Why are people so willing to believe the worst?  More than willing, they seem to have "a drunkard's thirst" for it.  How often have you witnessed something like this:  A person works for a company that pays and treats them fairly, the work environment is pretty good, and their boss seems to have their best interest at heart.  Then, one week, something happens.  They don't get paid for a vacation day, or the business stays open on Columbus Day or Martin Luther King Day when "all of their friend's companies are closed."  "A worm in the apple" of their loyalty can "make them turn away from a thousand proofs" that they work for a great company.  They then develop that "Drunkard's thirst" for cynicism.  Spreading this story around the office and "feeding on the despair as a starving man upon a loaf of bread." 

The same thing can happen in relationships, too.  One miss and the "thousand proofs" of a wonderful, loving relationship are negated.

We've talked before about how people go around looking for what's wrong like we were giving out a prize for it. Instead, let's focus on what's right and try to notice that "worm in the apple of our own heart." If something should happen that makes him start to wriggle, consciously run through a mental list of the thousand proofs that apply to that situation and look at it from a different vantage point.

Own Your Sales Gene…