Garbage Trucks

[Judy Harder]

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 employee ruin your day?

Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're
probably set back on Your heels. However, the mark of
a successful person is how quickly she can get back
her focus on what's important.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned 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 breaks, 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 friendly.

So, I said, "Why did you just 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 call,
"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. And if you let them, they'll
dump it on you.

When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it
personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and
move on. You'll be happy you did.

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 their
garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at
home, on the streets?

It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it
anymore." I began to see garbage trucks.


Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy
said, "I see Dead People." Well, now "I see garbage
trucks." 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.

One of my favorite football players of all time,
Walter Payton, did this every day on the football
field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the
ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a
hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best.

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.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with

Regrets, so..

Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, TAKE IT!
If it changes your life, LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy . . .
They just promised it would be worth it!



A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.