The Law of the Garbage Truck | Motivational Stories
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The Law of the Garbage Truck

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 jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just 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, really friendly. So I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us 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, and disappointment, etc.). 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 bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so… love the people who treat you right & pray for the ones who don’t. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have a blessed, garbage-free day.

Author Unknown

{ 42 comments… add one }
  • Morris Koke Kapia April 22, 2020, 2:43 am

    This story is so amazing and wonderful.

  • Winnie boronjo April 26, 2016, 8:36 am

    Amazing

  • Mahmut KISA October 1, 2015, 2:13 pm

    Literally a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing…

  • Tina February 15, 2015, 2:47 am

    Wonderful message.

  • TATENDA MUGABE November 27, 2014, 8:09 am

    Quite inspirational

  • Mohammad asif September 26, 2014, 8:00 am

    It is a great lesson in my life I have ever learned, I live in a community where the majority of the people load garbage, I practice this and now really feel good

  • Kartik .J.Nimbalkar.. January 5, 2014, 3:24 pm

    The author has done an amazing job. The stories are very inspiring.. It stimultes us to encash all the opportunities we receive from our life..

  • Prithv November 16, 2013, 12:20 pm

    Great story dude… Much needed for everyone.. especially me. My parents dump me with a huge amount of garbage everyday.. but after reading this it seems that everything happens for a reason.. Thanks a lot author..

  • Renu Dhir September 3, 2013, 5:59 am

    Awesome it’s really encouraging.

  • Dr. Derrick Angelsz August 9, 2013, 1:28 pm

    Make yourself complete love so that no matter who gives you what you can share your overflowing love in your surrounding!

  • Mary Pitakera July 12, 2013, 2:40 am

    Very inspiring story good one it makes my spirit lifted and reminds me not to carry others garbage around.

  • Zoe July 8, 2013, 6:42 pm

    It sounded funny when I first read it, but then it left me with hopes for a brighter day today. In a world where morality is spiralling down, people with such attitudes are a blessing.

  • Venkat July 7, 2013, 6:41 pm

    Very good inspiring story.

  • Chitzzi July 6, 2013, 7:15 am

    Just shake the garbage off you because other people frustrations aren’t yours.

  • Leong May May July 1, 2013, 11:23 pm

    Agree with the law of the garbage truck. We should have no regrets in life, life is short, play hard! Cheers!

  • Viet Nguyen June 29, 2013, 11:28 pm

    This must be the best story that I’ve read so far.

  • Allan Pinto June 25, 2013, 3:30 am

    With the world in such a mess, stories like these give us hope for a better tomorrow. Keep up the good work!

  • Shaik Athic Basha June 24, 2013, 8:46 am

    It is so nice, ones thought & dumping garbage thing like ego and all can be removed by this story.

  • Camilia June 23, 2013, 12:35 pm

    I loved this story !

  • Js Park June 20, 2013, 11:10 pm

    Still a better story than Twilight…lol, j/k. 🙂

    Another inspirational blog added to the list of reading. Thanks for the nice stories.

  • Juliet June 20, 2013, 1:20 pm

    Very inspirational and uplifting.

  • Zakariah June 19, 2013, 10:13 pm

    This is a bone crusher – must be inco-operated in circulatory system.

  • Sneha June 19, 2013, 5:22 am

    It’s realy encouraging. Please keep it up.

  • Kevin Pyakape June 18, 2013, 4:57 pm

    Very encouraging. If you choose to be Happy you will be. I choose to always be and see every obstacles in a positive way.

  • Anna Petrosyan June 18, 2013, 1:50 pm

    Thanks much. Good one.

  • Boniswa June 17, 2013, 8:09 am

    So true and definately agrees with the principles of the Bible.

  • Madhusudhan June 17, 2013, 7:32 am

    Very good story.

  • Madhav June 17, 2013, 6:23 am

    Nicely put. Simple and effective.

  • Dhruv June 17, 2013, 6:20 am

    Very well said.

  • Madhushree June 17, 2013, 5:09 am

    This site is just amazing and the stories are awesome. Almost everyday I visit this site, just to see if a new story has been posted…though I know very well, it’ll be posted only once in a week! I’m so addicted to the stories. Hats off to your great work! Thanks a lot….. keep inspiring the mankind 🙂

  • Kirti June 17, 2013, 4:24 am

    Wow nice some people are really like garbage trucks 🙂 but you need not spoil your day for them !

  • Charles Jose June 17, 2013, 2:38 am

    This is from the book the Law of Garbage Truck by David J Polley and the book is very good and gives you a lot of thought, of course which are known to us and we fail to exercise. I strongly recommed to read the book, to all the people and especially people who are short tempered, stressed and depressed due to others.

  • Farhath June 17, 2013, 2:32 am

    Always this post will make me to motivate my aim and spirit and make me to learn new things. THanks a lot.

  • Shalini June 17, 2013, 2:23 am

    Thanks Stephen for such a beautiful thought. Keep up the good work.

  • Josephine June 17, 2013, 12:25 am

    I badly needed a story like this. It gave me the right medicine. Now I understand why and how to avoid garbage truck and be happy. Thank you very much. Continue writing.

  • Anush S June 16, 2013, 9:49 pm

    Wonderful thought.

  • Prasurjya June 16, 2013, 9:11 pm

    Thanx for the thought…..thnx for such a positivity…God Bless 🙂

  • Bushra M June 16, 2013, 2:56 pm

    I was so lonely a few hours ago, but your post has liftted my spirits and encouraged me to take thinngs lightly… Thank u so much! God bless u! 🙂

  • Rozy June 16, 2013, 2:28 pm

    Thank you very much for this wonderful thought.

  • Halima June 16, 2013, 1:47 pm

    God will repay u here & after.

  • Halima June 16, 2013, 1:46 pm

    It’s lovely & so inspiring keep it up by inspiring the people to live their life better & be successful.

  • Meshileya israel June 16, 2013, 12:50 pm

    This is lovely, keep up the good work.

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