David J. Pollay

David J. Pollay’s Blog Has A New Home!

noreply@blogger.com (David J. Pollay) — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:29:00 +0000

My blog has moved!

You can now find all of my blog posts at my new online home:

www.davidjpollay.typepad.com

Everything I have posted is located there, including two of my best-known articles:

The Law of the Garbage Truck™

Take The No Garbage Trucks!™ Pledge.

Remember to post your comments; I respond to each one of them. I value your insight and passion!

Thanks for being a part of our community! I am grateful for your support!

Best to you,

David

David J. Pollay
www.bewareofgarbagetrucks.com
www.themomentumproject.com

David J. Pollay is the author of “Beware of Garbage Trucks!™ - The Law of the Garbage Truck™. His book, The Law of the Garbage Truck™, is due out this Fall, and you can read his blog each week. Mr. Pollay is a syndicated columnist with the North Star Writers Group, creator and host of The Happiness Answer™ television program and DVD, and an internationally sought after speaker. He is the founder and president of The Momentum Project. If you would like to reprint Mr. Pollay’s columns, or include them in your blog, please email david@themomentumproject.com. David J. Pollay’s bio.

A Daily Dose of Awe and Gratitude ©

noreply@blogger.com (David J. Pollay) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:01:00 +0000

Most of us wake up thinking about how we are going to meet obligations and fulfill promises to other people. We begin our day in response mode and remain that way until it’s time to go to bed. This is a hard way to live.

For twelve years I have chosen another way. I begin each day with the same positive ritual: a daily dose of awe and gratitude.

The First Step: Experiencing Awe

No matter where I am, I start my day with a moment of awe. I wake up and head for the nearest window. I open the curtain and look outside. When I’m at home, I look at the ocean. When I’m at a hotel, I look at tall buildings. When I’m in Maine, I look at trees. Wherever I am there is always something interesting to draw my attention. Each time I look out my window I appreciate the fact that the universe does not revolve around me; it includes me.

Immersed in the wonder and awe of something that I cannot explain, this first step in my morning ritual reminds me that the world is much bigger than my life and my concerns.

My Mom grew up in Maine and often reflects on the beauty of nature. She once said to me, “Think of the beauty of maple trees. The same force that makes sap run up a tree from its roots to its trunk, against gravity, is the same force that resides inside of you.”

Mom made her point by gently poking me in the gut and saying, “It’s right there; connect to it.”

Profound Outcomes

University of Virginia psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of the Happiness Hypothesis, and Dacher Keltner, University of California-Berkeley psychology professor, wrote about awe in Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman’s book, Character Strengths and Virtues: “People consistently report that experiences of awe and elevation have profound outcomes, motivating self-improvement, personal change, altruistic intentions and actions, and the devotion to others and the larger community.”

The Second Step: Verbalizing Gratitude

The second step of my morning ritual focuses on gratitude. I say everything for which I am grateful.
Philosophers, religious leaders, and teachers have taught us for thousands of years to begin our day by expressing and feeling gratitude for everything and everyone we have in our lives.
My list includes being grateful for a new day, the sleep I had the night before, my health, my family (by name), my close friends (by name), my key supporters in business (by name), and important opportunities professionally and personally. I make it a habit of visualizing the people and things as I say them; I want to keep these images fresh in my mind.

“Grateful individuals have a sense of abundance,” according to research by psychology professor Phillip Watkins and his colleagues at Eastern Washington University. “Grateful individuals appreciate the common everyday pleasures of life...grateful individuals appreciate the contribution of others to their well-being.”

Rewards of a Ritual

“A ritual can smooth life’s transition as can perhaps nothing else," wrote Huston Smith, professor of Religion and Philosophy at Syracuse University, in his book The Religions of Man.
Gratitude and awe in my morning ritual helps me transition from a night of sleep to a new day of possibility.
Rituals also serve another function, says Smith, "namely to intensify appreciation and crown man’s joy with celebration.”

Every day is a new opportunity. What would happen if you started each day with a little awe and gratitude? This positive ritual could change your life.

David J. Pollay is the author of “Beware of Garbage Trucks!™ - The Law of the Garbage Truck™ (www.bewareofgarbagetrucks.com).” His book, The Law of the Garbage Truck™, is due out this Fall, and you can read his blog each week. Mr. Pollay is a syndicated columnist with the North Star Writers Group, creator and host of The Happiness Answer™ television program and DVD, and an internationally sought after speaker. He is the founder and president of The Momentum Project.

Baby Crying on a Plane? Turn a Negative to a Positive.©

noreply@blogger.com (David J. Pollay) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:28:00 +0000

The plane was full. My seat was 22C. To my surprise there was no one beside me and no one behind me. I felt like I had won the lottery of airplane seating. You know the feeling. You can spread out. You can recline without bothering anyone. You can even use two tray tables!

I was flying to Chicago to present one of my corporate seminars. I needed to concentrate on reviewing my program. The peace and quiet would be great. I immediately opened my bag and began to work. The flight attendants were readying the plane for takeoff when it happened.

“You’re in 23C,” I heard a flight attendant say. And just as I looked up I heard the increasingly loud cries of a baby. A mother and her upset baby girl were coming my way. Right behind me was the seat 23C.

Five minutes later the baby’s cry turned into a wail and her little legs were kicking my seat. I couldn't work with such distraction.

There were no answers to my questions: “Why does the little girl have to kick my seat? Isn’t there a way to stop the baby from crying? And why of all places on the plane do they have to sit right behind me!?” I started searching for what I could say, or what I should do. There was nowhere for me to go.

When Your Road Turns Negative Create a Fork in Your Path

Then I smiled. I realized I actually had a choice. I could either see the situation as a dead-end negative, or I could see the situation in another way. I could find another road out and take it. And I did. In that moment I found another way to look at the situation.

I now call it “my fork.”

I thought of my own children. I started to laugh when I thought that Eliana, 4, and Ariela, 3, had done their share of crying and seat-kicking in airplanes, as hard as we tried to stop it! So I turned the baby’s crying and seat-kicking into a reminder that I have two wonderful little girls of my own. Each time the little girl cried or kicked my seat, I felt grateful for my daughters.

Sure I would have preferred the flight to be quieter, but guess what? I was able to work because I became quieter inside. I replaced the negative emotion I was feeling with gratitude for my own children. Psychologist Barbara Frederickson at the University of North Carolina observed how inducing positive emotions in people following a negative experience loosens the vice grip that the negative event holds psychologically. She also found that people bounced back faster physiologically — their cardiovascular activity slowed.

When we landed in Chicago I stood up and turned to look at the mother and her child. She smiled a little nervously at me and started to apologize for her daughter’s crying. I stopped her. I pulled out my wallet, opened it, and handed it to her. I pointed to the picture of my two little red-headed daughters. I said, “These are my little girls. They’re wonderful. And they cry too. Your daughter is beautiful. Congratulations.” She smiled and said, “Thank you.” I smiled and left the plane feeling good (something I wouldn't have thought possible when the crying and kicking began).

So the next time a situation seems to be a frustrating dead-end, ask yourself, “What’s my fork?” There’s almost always another road you can take.

David J. Pollay is the author of “Beware of Garbage Trucks!™ - The Law of the Garbage Truck™ (www.bewareofgarbagetrucks.com).” His book, The Law of the Garbage Truck™, is due out this summer, and you can read his blog each week. Mr. Pollay is a syndicated columnist with North Star Writers Group, creator and host of The Happiness Answer™ DVD and television program, an internationally sought after speaker, founder and president of The Momentum Project.

The Keys to a Good Life©

noreply@blogger.com (David J. Pollay) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:03:00 +0000

The Keys to a Good Life©

by David J. Pollay

I used to do it every time I went to an art museum. I would view a painting that I liked, and then I would head for the wall directly to the right of it. Now I was careful not to disturb anyone’s view on my approach, so I would make a big swing to the right and then shimmy up the wall until I reached the little metal plaque next to the painting.

Sure, I was interested in the name of the painting, who painted it, and the year it was completed. But I mostly wanted to know one thing. I wanted to know how long the artist lived. I was always relieved and happy when I saw that the artist had lived a long life, and I was disappointed when I saw it had been a short one. For as long as I can remember I thought a good life was a long life. Positive Psychology helped change my thinking.

Psychologists Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi co-founded Positive Psychology when Seligman was president of the American Psychological Association in 1998. Seligman was celebrated for his research on “learned helplessness” and “learned optimism,” while Csikszentmihalyi was best known for his research on “flow,” and for his best-selling book by the same name. Both men set Psychology on a course to discover what made people happy and thrive in life. They wanted to know what made up the “good life.”

The results of countless research studies that followed the launch of Positive Psychology led Seligman to conclude that there were three approaches to the good life. And they were all important. When you savor the present, are grateful for the past, and are hopeful for the future, you are experiencing positive emotion, the first component of happiness. When you do what you do best, when you use your signature strengths in your life’s work, you are engaged; this is the second contributor to happiness. And when you are involved in activities that go beyond your self-interest, and that you believe matter to the world, you are experiencing the third and final component of the good life: Your life is full of meaning.

While genetics do play a role in affecting your happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky’s research has demonstrated that as much as 50% of your happiness is within your direct control. The headline here is that the good life is possible; it’s within your grasp, and it is not measured only by the number of years you live.

My little girls helped me learn this lesson last year. Dawn and I took Ariela and Eliana, 2 and 3 at the time, to a museum of butterflies in Key West.

When we entered the museum through a special pressurized entrance, we were immediately surrounded by thousands of butterflies, all flapping their multi-colored wings. My girls were thrilled! I turned to our museum guide and asked, “How long do butterflies live?” She said, “About ten days.” I thought to myself, “Ten days - what do you do in ten days?!” So I blurted out, “What can butterflies do in ten days?!” And she stopped, paused, and said, “They make the world a more beautiful place.”

Every day I now ask myself, “How am I making the world a more beautiful place?”

A long life is good; a good life is better.

David J. Pollay is the author of “Beware of Garbage Trucks!™ - The Law of the Garbage Truck™ (www.bewareofgarbagetrucks.com).” His book, The Law of the Garbage Truck™, is due out this summer, and you can read his blog each week. Mr. Pollay is a syndicated columnist with North Star Writers Group, creator and host of The Happiness Answer™ DVD and television program, an internationally sought after speaker and seminar leader, founder and president of The Momentum Project.

Name a Strength and Make a Difference ©

noreply@blogger.com (David J. Pollay) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:10:00 +0000

One of the keys to happiness and success in life is to be able to do what you do best in life every day. And one of the greatest gifts you can give to another person is your observation and acknowledgement of their strengths in action. When you help people see themselves at their best, you help them realize that they are capable of doing great things in their lives.

My article below, “Name a Strength and Make a Difference,” makes this point and includes one of my better known stories (“you’re a good packer!”). Enjoy! And send it to the people in your life that you care about (and name one of their strengths).

Best to you,

David

_________________________________________________________________

Name a Strength and Make a Difference © 2008 David J. Pollay

Show me the trunk of your car. Hand me your luggage. Step back. I’ll find a way to fit it all in. I’m a good packer.

No car, no mini-van, no SUV scares me. I can squeeze anything in no matter the vehicle. You can call my trunk-packing a sort of strength; I can do it consistently well, and I enjoy doing it. Over the years I’ve volunteered to pack the family trunk thousands of times. And I’ve been called in for the most difficult of jobs. I’m the “go-to” guy of trunk-packing.

There’s a beginning to all success stories. Here’s mine. One day my Dad was having trouble finding a place in the trunk for one last bag. As he stepped back to take a better look, I stepped forward, adjusted three bags, and slipped the final bag into place. It was like laying down the final piece of a jigsaw puzzle. My Dad turned to me with a big smile and said, “David, you’re a good packer.” I swelled with pride. I was nine years old.

Martin Seligman, co-founder of Positive Psychology, and Christopher Peterson, an expert on strengths and virtues in people, found in their research that by simply naming a strength in someone you amplify it. My dad named my strength over three decades ago. And he did more than that. Like a good leader, like a good father, my dad turned that experience into a story and told everyone. And he made sure that I could hear him telling it.

Ask your employees. Ask your children. Ask them how many times they remember that you named a strength of theirs. Ask them how often they heard you telling others about their strengths. Ask them those questions.

The best leaders know that their belief in their employees’ strengths has a positive impact on their performance. It also affects the goals their employees set. Stanford Psychology Professor Albert Bandura found in his research that “the goals held for others convey to them a belief in their capability to fulfill them.”

So the next time you notice your employees, your spouse, or your children doing something very well, consider naming the strengths you see. Watch them light up, and watch how much more they use their strengths. They’ll use it often and they’ll use it with pride. You’ll have made a difference.

Recently I stepped out of my car in the Toys R Us parking lot and saw a young boy, his mother, and his grandmother trying to squeeze his new bicycle into the family car. I stopped and offered my help. Why? Because I’m a good packer.

For ten minutes the boy and I struggled to find a way to get the bike in the car. We came close many times. Finally, the mother called the boy’s father and said that they might not be able to bring the bike home. But I wouldn’t give up. Why? Because I’m a good packer.

A few minutes later, I paused and thought we might not actually be able to get the bike in the car. I stepped back and the little boy saw my face and said, “Wait.” He reached in, grabbed the front tire, moved it ever so slightly and said to me, “Push.” And the bike slipped right into place.

I saw him light up with pride. I smiled, walked over to him, put my hand on his shoulder, and said, “You’re a good packer.”

David J. Pollay is the author of “Beware of Garbage Trucks!™ - The Law of the Garbage Truck™ (www.bewareofgarbagetrucks.com).” His book, The Law of the Garbage Truck™, is due out this summer. Mr. Pollay is a syndicated columnist with North Star Writers Group, creator and host of “The Happiness Answer™” television program, an internationally sought after speaker and seminar leader, and the founder and president of TheMomentumProject.com.

I Got Stickered!™ Strategy

noreply@blogger.com (David J. Pollay) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:05:00 +0000

Hi Everyone,

I recently wrote that there are times when a Garbage Truck is so big it is hard for you to get out of the way. And so you might get hit, or at least grazed by a Garbage Truck.

Here is my strategy for a quick recovery. Enjoy it!

And let me know what your “Stickers” are. What are your Positive Triggers™?

My best to you,

David

__________________________________________________________________

Let Positive Triggers™ Turn on Your Best Self ©
copyright 2007 David J. Pollay

One day last year I was sitting in my office, by myself, and I wasn’t feeling good. Yes, it’s true. I research, write and speak about Positive Psychology, but I admit it, I wasn’t having a good day.

Here’s my first question: Where do you look when you’re feeling bad? Most of us look down. And that’s what I was doing in my office; I was looking down at the floor. And then I started laughing! I realized that Ariela and Eliana, my 2 and 3 year old little girls, had put stickers all over my shoes. Somehow they slipped them on when I was kissing my wife Dawn goodbye before I left the house that morning. Just thinking about my little girls slipping stickers on my shoes without my knowing made me laugh. But then I laughed even harder when I thought, “Where had I been all morning with stickers stuck all over my shoes?!” It was at that moment I got it.

The stickers my little girls had put on my shoes were a Positive Trigger™ for me. They instantly made me feel good. So here's my second question: Where do you look when you're feeling good? You look up! And that's what I did in my office; I looked up and my day was reset. I had a second chance to make my day a good one. I was experiencing positive emotion.

Research studies from around the world have confirmed the power of positive emotion. Positive psychology researcher Barbara Fredrickson at the University of North Carolina, best known for her “Broaden and Build Theory of Positive Emotion,” found in her research that positive emotions widen your attention, they increase your intuition, and they increase your resilience to adversity.

Alice Isen, a psychology researcher at Cornell University, demonstrated that when you experience positive emotion, you are more kind, generous, and helpful. Isen also found that you’re more creative and better able to solve problems requiring “ingenuity and innovation.”

Neuropsychology researcher at the University of Wisconsin, Richard Davidson, discovered that positive emotions help boost your immune system. And at least three studies have shown that there is a strong connection between a longer life and experiencing frequent positive emotion.

Here's my takeaway. If you are being chased by a bear in the forest, you should feel plenty of negative emotion! As my grandmother used to say, "Run like the dickens!" Otherwise, positive emotions help you think better and they help you build better relationships with others. People prefer to be around curious and creative people, more than around people who always seem to be running away from bears! And I’ll bet, if you ask the people in your life, they’ll tell you that when you’re experiencing positive emotion, you do better work, you’re a better leader, you’re a better spouse, and you’re a better friend. I know that I’m a better dad to two little girls when I’m experiencing positive emotion.

So, what are your positive triggers? What makes you smile? What makes you laugh? What puts you in a creative mood? What triggers your passion, excitement, and hope? For some of us it's looking at pictures of our loved ones. Some of us listen to a favorite song. Others go for a quick walk, or do a little dance. Some read a short, funny story. Others remind themselves of their goals. Take a moment to think about the things that trigger your positive emotions.

Think of it this way. When you enter a dark room, what do you do? You reach for the light switch. Because you know when you flip it, just like that, you’ll have light. So what's your light switch? What turns on your positive emotions? What positive triggers will help you look up when you're feeling down?

Need some stickers?

David J. Pollay is the author of “Beware of Garbage Trucks!™ - The Law of the Garbage Truck™. Visit www.bewareofgarbagetrucks.com to join the No Garbage Trucks! Revolution. His book, The Law of the Garbage Truck™, is due out this summer. Mr. Pollay is a syndicated columnist with North Star Writers Group, creator and host of “The Happiness Answer™” television program, an internationally sought after speaker and seminar leader, and the founder and president of TheMomentumProject.com.

Take the No Garbage Trucks!™ Pledge©

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:12:00 +0000

Take The No Garbage Trucks!™ Pledge©
copyright 2007 David J. Pollay

There’s a revolution going on and you’re now a part of it. And people from more than 100 countries have already joined you. You have read The Law of the Garbage Truck™. You no longer let Garbage Trucks take over your life.

I discovered The Law of the Garbage Truck™ sixteen years ago in the back of a New York City taxi cab. And I’ve shared it with thousands of people all over the world in my workshops and speeches.

I’ve written about the Law of the Garbage Truck™ in newspaper columns and on news sites worldwide. I’ve talked about it on radio and television. And I’ve shared it in the best-selling DVD, The Happiness Answer™. And someone probably sent it to you in a mass email.

People from around the world have been signing on to the “No Garbage Trucks!™” Revolution. And now, so are you.

If you want to be happy…If you want to be successful…You have to follow The Law of the Garbage Truck™. Here is an excerpt from 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 do what garbage trucks do: 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.”

So join millions of others in the No Garbage Trucks!™ Revolution. Take the No Garbage Trucks! Pledge now.

Just think: What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more Garbage Trucks pass you by? Make a difference in the world. Take The Pledge.

The No Garbage Trucks!™ Pledge©

I am not a Garbage Truck. I do not accept garbage in my life.

When I see Garbage Trucks, I do not take them personally.
I just smile. I wave. I wish them well. And I move on.

And I do not spread garbage to others. I am not a Garbage Truck!

I do not accept garbage in my life.

©2007 David J. Pollay

Welcome and congratulations! You are now a member of the No Garbage Trucks!™ Revolution. When you stop accepting garbage in your life, you become happier and more successful. And when you stop spreading garbage to others, you make the world a more beautiful place.

Always remember your No Garbage Trucks!™ Pledge. You do not accept garbage in your life. And you do not spread garbage to others. You are not a Garbage Truck.

Now, spread the word. Tell the people you care about. Share the No Garbage Trucks!™ Pledge with them. Together we can make the world a better place. We are not Garbage Trucks!

Strategies for Recovering from Garbage Trucks

noreply@blogger.com (David J. Pollay) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:35:00 +0000

Thanks for all of your comments on the Beware of Garbage Trucks!™ blog and for all of your email! I am so glad that you have joined the No Garbage Trucks!™ Revolution!

We become happy when we stop accepting garbage in our lives, and we make the world a more beautiful place when we stop spreading garbage to others. Together we are making a difference.

While the best strategy in life is to steer clear of Garbage Trucks, there are times when a Garbage Truck is so big it is hard for you to get out of the way. And so you might get hit, or at least grazed by a Garbage Truck. Then your mood will change: You will take on the mood of the Garbage Truck. And then you will no longer be focused on what is important and good in your life.

So, I will share with you in my blog a number of strategies that you can use to free yourself of the influence of Garbage Trucks. Stay connected; I will share the first one of these this week.

I’m glad you’re here.

Have a wonderful day!

David

The Law of The Garbage Truck!™

noreply@blogger.com (David J. Pollay) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:22:00 +0000

The Law of the Garbage Truck™ is posted below.
(also known as “Beware of Garbage Trucks!™”)
copyright 2007 David J. Pollay

Hi Everyone!

Thank you so much for connecting with me and The No Garbage Trucks!™ Revolution! The joy of my work is connecting with good people from all around the world. Together, we are committed to enjoying every day, doing what we love, and making a meaningful difference with our lives!

Below, I am posting my column “The Law of the Garbage Truck™,” also known as “Beware of Garbage Trucks!™.” I discovered the Law of the Garbage Truck™ almost two decades ago and I have been writing about it in my newspaper columns and speaking about it in my workshops ever since.

The Law of the Garbage Truck™ has been widely traveling the internet: It has been posted to thousands of blogs and has been sent in mass emails to millions of people. And now, I want you to receive it directly from me.

Please share with me how you are applying The Law of the Garbage Truck™ in your life, and how your life has changed since you took The No Garbage Trucks!™ Pledge. I have heard hundreds of stories, and each one means a lot to me.

And if you are interested in reprinting The Law of the Garbage Truck™ or The No Garbage Trucks!™ Pledge, let me know.

Thank you for continuing to support and acknowledge my work; I am deeply grateful.

My best to you,

David

p.s. The North Star Writers Group syndicates my columns. And here are three other great sites where you can find The Law of the Garbage Truck™ and many of my other columns: Happy News, Positive Psychology Daily News, Boomer Times & Senior Life.
___________________________________________________________________

The Law of the Garbage Truck™ copyright 2007 David J. Pollay

How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you’re the Terminator, you’re probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of your success is how quickly you can refocus on what’s important in your life.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. And 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 brakes, the car skidded, the tires squealed, and at the very last moment our car stopped just one inch from the other car’s back-end.

I couldn’t believe it. But then I couldn’t believe what happened next. 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. How do I know? Ask any New Yorker, some words in New York come with a special face. And he even threw in a one finger salute! I couldn’t believe it!

But then here’s what really blew me away. 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 could have killed us!” And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck™.” He said:

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.

So 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, or on the street? It was then that I said, “I don’t want their garbage and I’m not going to spread it anymore.”

I began to see Garbage Trucks. Like in the movie “The Sixth Sense,” the little boy said, “I see Dead People.” Well now “I see Garbage Trucks.” I see the load they’re carrying. I see them coming to dump it. And like my taxi driver, I don’t take it personally; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favorite football players of all time was Walter Payton. Every day on the football field, after being tackled, he would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best. Over the years the best players from around the world in every sport have played this way: Tiger Woods, Nadia Comaneci, Muhammad Ali, Bjorn Borg, Chris Evert, Michael Jordan, Jackie Robinson, and Pele are just some of those players. And the most inspiring leaders have lived this way: Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King.

See, Roy Baumeister, a psychology researcher from the University of Florida, found in his extensive research that you remember bad things more often than good things in your life. You store the bad memories more easily, and you recall them more frequently.

So the odds are against you when a Garbage Truck comes your way. But when you follow The Law of the Garbage Truck™, you take back control of your life. You make room for the good by letting go of the bad.

The best leaders know that they have to be ready for their next meeting. The best sales people know that they have to be ready for their next client. And the best parents know that they have to be ready to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses, no matter how many garbage trucks they might have faced that day. All of us know that we have to be fully present, and at our best for the people we care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their life.

What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

Here’s my bet: You’ll be happier.

David J. Pollay is the author of “Beware of Garbage Trucks!™ - The Law of the Garbage Truck™. Visit www.bewareofgarbagetrucks.com to join the No Garbage Trucks! Revolution. His book, The Law of the Garbage Truck™, is due out this summer. Mr. Pollay is a syndicated columnist with North Star Writers Group, creator and host of “The Happiness Answer™” television program, an internationally sought after speaker and seminar leader, and the founder and president of TheMomentumProject.com.