Law of the Garbage Truck

This metaphor came in a recent email. Thought it had a good message.

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 sped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by 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? That idiot almost ruined your car and could have sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxidriver 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 taxi driver showed me by example that one key to a stress-free life is to not let garbage trucks determine your happiness.

What happens to you may not be your choice. What you do about it is.

American religious leader Mary Baker Eddy, explained it another way, "Love meeting no response, but still remaining love."