Tag Archives: joelesteen

The Law of the Garbage Truck

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“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 look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.”

Joel Osteen refers to this theory in his book, “Everyday a Friday”, which is actually a book written by the author David P. Jollay. Do you ever notice that when an argument is occurring, the person who appears to be more choleric increasingly becomes angrier because the other person is placid and collected? From my experience, I know that if you’re able to control your emotions, you’re less likely to say something that you will regret later down the road. Don’t make permanent decisions over temporary feelings. Although you might have said something in the heat of the moment, the other person will ALWAYS remember what you said (don’t you?). What do you benefit from being angry or getting upset? If you’re able to touch on subjects in a cordial and respectable manner amongst your peers, I’m sure that you’ll either reach a compromise or you might even get what you want (go figure). However, by screaming, cursing, or disrespecting the other person, you’re more susceptible to lose that battle. Put your ego aside, it’s not worth it.

If somebody drops a load of garbage on you, don’t be upset, angry, or offended. If you let them drop a load on you, you’ll make the same mistake as they did and you’ll end up dropping a load on someone else. Put a lid on it. Recycle the garbage. If you constantly are emptying the trash, you won’t have any garbage and you’ll be able to carry on with your life. If you do have garbage and you don’t think that you can take it out by yourself or recycle it, don’t be afraid to call upon a friend or a family member and help you release the garbage. Sometimes all you need is someone there that will take the time to assist you. For some people, they don’t even need someone to talk. Just listen. We let insults bother us because we feel that someone failed to show us the respect and the approval that we believe we need. Just smile, wave, and move on. They’re looking for a response and when you let them know that they got to you, you’re reinforcing their actions which is the last thing you need to light their fuel.