Let
this note reach you at the right moment and find you shining with your true
light.
I
came across this story. I find it really interesting. You may find it useful.
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The
Law of the Garbage Truck™ 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 employee ruin your
day? Unless you’re the Terminator, you’re probably set back on your
heels. However, the mark of your success is how quickly you can refocus
on what’s important in your life. Sixteen years ago I learned this
lesson. And 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 brakes,
the car skidded, the tires squealed, and at the very last moment our car
stopped just one inch from the other car’s back-end.
I
couldn’t believe it. But then I couldn’t believe what happened
next. 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.
How do I know? Ask any New Yorker, some words in New York come with a
special face. And for emphasis, he threw in a one finger salute, as if
his words were not enough.
But
then here’s what really blew me away. 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 could have killed us!” And this is when my
taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck™.” He
said:
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 look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll
dump it on you.
So
when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile,
wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.
So
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, or on the street? It was then that I said, “I don’t want their
garbage and I’m not going to spread 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 dump
it. And like my taxi driver, I don’t take it personally; I just smile,
wave, wish them well, and I move on.
One
of my favourite football players of all time is Walter Payton. Every day
on the football field, after being tackled, he would jump up as quickly as he
hit the ground. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make
the next play his best. Over the years the best players from around the
world in every sport have played this way: Tiger Woods, Nadia Comaneci,
Muhammad Ali, Bjorn Borg, Chris Evert, Michael Jordan, and Pele are just some
of those players. And the most inspiring leaders have lived this
way: Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King.
See,
Roy Baumeister, a psychology researcher from Florida State University, found in
his extensive research that you remember bad things more often than good
things in your life. You store the bad memories more easily, and you
recall them more frequently.
So
the odds are against you when a Garbage Truck comes your way. But when
you follow The Law of the Garbage Truck™, you take back control of your
life. You make room for the good by letting go of the bad.
The
best leaders know that they have to be ready for their next meeting. The
best sales people know that they have to be ready for their next client.
And the best parents know that they have to be ready to welcome their children
home from school with hugs and kisses, no matter how many garbage trucks they
might have faced that day. All of us know that we have to be fully
present, and at our best for the people we care about.
The
bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their
lives.
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.
You
have a choice. Make it today.
Have
a Garbage Free Day! ™
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