How
often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood?
Do you let a bad driver, a rude waiter, a curt boss, an
insensitive sales person, a negative phone call or a trashy
email ruin your day? Unless you're made of steel, for
an instant you are probably set back on your heels. However,
the mark of a successful person is how quickly he or she
can shift their focus to what's TRULY important.
Here's
a meaningful little story from the Internet ...
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson.
I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab.
This is 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 by mere inches! The driver of
the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident,
whipped his head around and started yelling bad words
at us.
My
taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.
And I mean, he was actually friendly!
So,
I asked him, "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 about
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.
Instead, just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
You'll be happier because 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 then take their garbage and spread it
onto other people: at work, at home, on the streets?
It
was that day I resolved, "I'm not going to do it
anymore,"
then I, too, 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 and 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.
WHAT
ABOUT YOU?
What would happen in your life, starting today,
if you let more Garbage Trucks simply 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 and if it changes your life
... let it!
Nobody
said it would be easy —
They just promised it would be worth it!
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