Are you prickly?

Are you prickly to deal with? What is someone else's experience of you?

That latter question was one I read in a blog post this week. When these cacti turned up on my page, I knew that the question had been going round in my head. 

So, when someone else encounters you, do they have a pleasant experience? Are you a delight or a monster to deal with? Are you kind and polite to those who serve you? As someone who works in retail, I work really hard to be understanding if someone who is serving me has to deliver news that is not really what I want to hear. Generally it is not their fault and they don't necessarily have the power or authority to do anything about it. 

Are you making excuses for your bad behaviour? If you're having a bad day, there is no excuse to visit it on other people. And if you do find that your prickliness has leaked out, be quick to apologise. Most people are understanding, but not if you let things fester!