A Counselor that I work with gave this to me, and I thought someone else might find it useful as well:

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport.  As my taxi was driving along in the right lane, suddenly a black car pulled out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the 0ther car by just inches. The driver of the black car whipped his head around and started yelling and “gesturing” at us.  To my surprise, the taxi driver just smiled and waved at the other driver.   I mean, he was truly friendly!

So I had to ask, “Why did you just do that? The guy almost ruined your car and could have sent us both to the hospital!” This is when my taxi driver 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: frustration, anger, disappointment, bitterness. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it, and sometimes they will dump it on you. Don’t take it personally; just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

Otherwise, you may pick up their garbage and continue spreading it around to the people that you encounter throughout the rest of your day or week.  We all have enough trouble finding appropriate ways to deal with our own garbage.  Don’t pick up anyone else’s!  Life is too short.

Have a Garbage Free Day!

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