Do other peoples nonsence change your mood?

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Beware of Garbage Trucks

By David J. Pollay

 

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood?

 

Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive

colleague ruin your day?

 

Unless you're a robot, you are bound to blow your top off.

 

However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly he or she

can get back his or her focus on what's important.

 

Sixteen years ago, I learned this lesson. I learn it in the back of

a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened.

 

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We

were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car

jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver

slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car's back end

by just inches!

 

The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big

accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words

at us.

 

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was

really friendly. So, I said, " Why did you do that? This guy almost

ruined your car and sent us to the hospital! "

 

And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now called, 'The Law

of the Garbage Truck'.

 

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of

garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of

disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump

it. If they happen to dump it on you, don't take it personally.

 

You just smile, wave, wish them well, and moved on. You'll be

happier if you did that rather than fight them.

 

So this was it: 'The Law of the Garbage Truck'.

 

I started thinking, how often do I let garbage trucks run right over

me?

 

And how often do I take the litter garbage and spread it to other

people: at work, at home, on the street? It was that day I

said, " I'm not going to do it anymore. " I see garbage trucks

everywhere and everyday. I see the load they're carrying. I see them

coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I don't make it a

personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

 

Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good

parents know they have to welcome their kids' home from school with

hugs and kisses. Teachers and parents know that they have to be

fully present and at their best for the people they care about.

 

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks

take over their day.

 

What about you?

 

What would happen in your life, starting today,if you let more

garbage trucks pass you by?

 

Here's my bet. You'll be happier