Beware of 'Garbage Trucks'...

[Tink]

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 he or she can get back his or 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. Just smile, wave, wish the person 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 move on.

One of the best 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. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting.

Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders 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.


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.


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!

Beware of 'Garbage Trucks'...

[katepoet]

I look at those garbage trucks and say, "He has an undiagnosed or untreated illness. Poor guy (or gal)!." It makes their behavior personal only to them, not to the rest of us.

[AngieDoogles]

That was a great thread Tink. What a great way to look at things...and how true it is that people will dump their bad attitudes and feelings on others! I'll definitely make an attempt to smile and wave and wish those "Garbage Trucks" well.

[Janet]

Great thread Tink, I hope you don't mind that I copied it and sent it out to a few people.

[Tink]

Janet, I shared so anyone who wanted to share it has every right to as well.

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[judy]

Excellent advice Tink!

[DianaB]

We never know what someone is dealing with in their life. Christmas time is a wonderful time to remember that, especially when people are rushed and short tempered. Thanks, Tink!

[rivermom]

I will try to remember this the next time im out driving and give that person who just cut me off the bird. (what can i say? LOL)