"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 backed 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.

He was 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, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. 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. And love 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."

-- Dan Westfall

Thanks to Dan for sharing this story with us. Thanks, too, to the taxi driver who is a unique person.

The taxi driver knows that any event, any situation, any person you come across is neutral, that is, neither good nor bad until you place the label. Shakespeare said, "Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Calling something bad, labeling it bad, is making the thing or event negative for you. You go negative on the negative thing and you are joining up with negative. Put it this way. Going negative is getting negative.

Your mind doesn't like that. It's saying, "What am I supposed to do? You want me to like it when something comes along that's negative?" Yes, you're supposed to like it. Better yet, love it. It's only negative because you think it is.

The taxi driver knew that. Were a garbage truck running him, he would have lashed out against the other driver. He would have gone negative and gotten negative. He would have ruined his day. He would have put himself in a negative frame of mind, a bad mood. Garbage would have won out. Garbage would have had a victory. Negative, non-love would have gotten stronger.

The taxi driver applied love. In so doing, love got stronger in him and increased his storehouse of positive energy. He remained happy and untouched by the event. It was a victory for freedom, freedom from non-love feelings, freedom from negativity and misery.

Most of the world is applying negativity, non-love feelings, thoughts, actions, and reactions. Look around. That's why most of the people in the world are sick, miserable, and very depressed.

Life is a decision. Your attitude, your outlook is a decision moment to moment. I'm going to be positive; I'm going to be negative. I'm going to express negative non-love into the world. I'm going to dump my garbage into the world. Or, I'm going to be positive. I'm going to express positive in the world. I'm going to apply love.

Lester Levenson said that in any situation, if you would love more, the situation would resolve in a positive way. The taxi driver knew that.

The taxi driver could have met garbage with garbage. It would have made his day negative. It would have presented Dan with a negative situation. Garbage would have won the day. Look what a difference the taxi driver made by remaining positive and loving in spite of the negative garbage being thrown his way.

Practice love. Practice being positive and loving in spite of garbage pails or garbage trucks. Being positive and loving in spite of what is happening is a victory for freedom, freedom from the garbage truck with all its negativity, stress, frustration, and suffering. Being positive and loving in spite of whoever or whatever is expanding your capacity to love and increasing your happiness.

The story says it right. Being positive is being loving. Being loving is being successful. Positive is the same energy as love, as success, happiness, and abundance. It's your decision. In spite of any circumstance you have a decision to make. Be positive and loving, or spread the garbage. Which one feels better? Which one provides the best outcome? Which one is better for you, for those around you, for the planet?

Next time something comes your way that you could throw garbage at, remember the taxi driver. Be positive and loving. Stay in the high energy of love and conquer any and all situations. Love is the answer.

Make it a victory for freedom over the garbage. Apply love. Love wins, you win. Remember, life is ninety percent what you make it. Make it positive and loving.

Copyright 2008 by Lawrence Crane Enterprises. All rights reserved. Photocopying or other reproduction welcome if in its entirety.