Never let the garbage truck run over you….
February 22nd, 2008 by willahuangHow often do we let other people’s nonsense change our moods?
How often do we not let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an
insensitive employee/employer ruin our day?
The mark of a successful person is:
how quickly one can get back focus on what’s important. Not very easy, but with practice possible.
The words below is not my own, it is shared with me via e-mail and other forms of communications by great friends. But it most certainly contains good advice:
David J. Pollay explains his story in this way….
Sixteen
years ago, I learned this lesson. 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 breaks, skidded, and missed the other car’s
back end by just inches! 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.
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 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. You just smile, wave, wish them
well, and move on. You’ll be happy you did."
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 day I said, "I’m not going to do it anymore."
Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. Love the
people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don’t. Believe
that everything happens for a reason.
Never let the garbage truck run over you….
Mm easier said in words than done indeeds! I have often been hurt by
people and let down by those in positions of leadership and power. Oh
boy, just yesterday again I allowed somebody else’s garbage not only
ruin my day, but my whole mindset!
I strive for inner peace and
harmony, but have allowed this person’s garbage to spoil what is inside
of me. And the sad part is that I took this negativity and spread it to
those around me ~ those whom I care the most about.
I choose to
step out of places and away from people where there is absolutely no
positive energy, nor any form of His grace nearby.
Do I think I am better than those I step away from?
NO!
I just realize that I can not pull them up and they are dragging me down!
Do I have to allow that. No ways in HELL!
Does God mind if I step away?
Matthew 10:14
And
whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart
out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
I
know that this refers to those who would not hear your witness … but
I believe it also refer to those who break you down, who do not
contribute anything positive, or pulls you away from God’s will and
take your focus away from Him.
Matthew 9:16
No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.
Sometimes things/situations/relationships
are just so torn apart that the only way to heal it/save it is to step
away and let God! He deals with it in His own time and manner.
are just so full of garbage that no matter how hard you try to clean it
up and not to allow it to spoil you, it still does and remains garbage.
It is time to walk away and leave it in God’s hands!
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Everything Has Its Time
To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
© Willa Potgieter-Huang
