The Garbage Truck

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 you
can get back your focus on what's important.

I learned it in the back of a Harare City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I
hopped in a taxi and we took off for Westgate. We were driving 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!

Here's 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 Zimbabwean, some words in Harare come with a special face.

Now, here's what 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 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 personal. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
You'll be happy you did. I guarantee it.

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 very day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore." Well, now I
have begun to 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.

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" pass you by? I believe that you'll
be happier. I guarantee it.
 
By David J. Pollay