Sunday, March 8, 2009

The Law of the Garbage Truck

This was received over email...

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly 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 by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that 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 sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...

Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have yourself a blessed, garbage-free day!

"Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD." (Psalm 119:1 NIV)


"...so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe."
(Philippians 2:15 NIV)

6 comments:

Melissa B. said...

I like to think of myself as a duck, paddling thru life. As in my Nana's favorite saying: "Water off a duck's back"!

Just checking in...and reminding you about Sx3 today. Can you say Global Warming?

Edie McRae: Social Networking Specialist said...

I received this by email too some time back...guess it's making its way around.

Isn't it sad that MOST of the world is like the garbage truck? Thanks for doing your part to help change that.

black betty said...

great post...and so true!!! happy sunday, love. xoxo

HEATHER said...

Love it!
Thanks so much!

Amy W said...

Love this! It's so easy to take all that garbage personally, isn't it? Thanks for a great word picture.

Dawn said...

Thanks for posting this great story! My name is Dawn, and I work with David J. Pollay, the author of The Law of the Garbage Truck™ - Beware of Garbage Trucks™! I just wanted to stop by and let you know that you can read the original story on David’s blog davidjpollay.typepad.com. I know he’d love to have you stop by!

Also check out the video of people in New York City taking the No Garbage Trucks!™ Pledge: bewareofgarbagetrucks.com. It’s pretty cool.

Thanks again!

Dawn

dawn@themomentumproject.com