Don’t Give Away Your Power ~ By Joel Osteen
Every day we have opportunities to get upset, be frustrated and offended. Maybe someone thwarted our plan, or somebody was rude at the office. Life is full of inconveniences and difficult people. And while we can’t control the people around us, we can control our reactions to them.
I heard somebody say, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond.” If you get stressed, and perhaps lose your composure because somebody offended you, then what you’re doing is giving away your power.
This idea is well illustrated in a new book due out this Tuesday by David J. Pollay entitled The Law of the Garbage Truck. In fact, I was told of The Law of the Garbage Truck a couple of years ago and liked it so much I used it in a sermon. David’s story is so good, I’ll repeat it:
One day, David was in a New York City taxicab on his way to a meeting. Suddenly, another car pulled out right in front of them. The cab driver had to slam on his brakes and swerve into the other lane, missing the car by inches. The driver of the car started honking, screaming and shaking his fist. He was so upset. But astonishingly, the cab driver just smiled and waved at him. David was impressed by the cab driver’s restraint and asked him how he was able to keep his cool.
The taxicab driver explained that many people are just like big garbage trucks. They go around all day full of frustration, disappointment and anger. As their garbage piles up, they need somewhere to dump it; and sometimes, they’ll try to dump it right on you. You can’t take it personally because it doesn’t have anything to do with you. Just smile, wave and wish them well.
David liked the taxi driver’s philosophy so much that he wrote a book about it. I liked it so much I preached about it. That is one wise cabbie!
What that New York City cabbie taught us is that successful people don’t allow other people’s garbage to pollute their day. If somebody dumps a load on you, don’t get upset. Don’t get angry. Don’t get offended. If you make that mistake, you’ll end up giving away your power. And eventually, you’ll grow so tired of carrying their load of garbage around that you’ll dump it on somebody else. While we can’t always stop people from dumping their garbage on us, if we’ll recognize it for what it is – their garbage – we can stop it from affecting us.
Today, choose to hold on to your peace. Hold on to your joy. Hold on to your power. When you continue to stand strong with a smile on your face no matter what is going on around you, that’s when you’re at your very best. That’s when God can come in and fight your battles. He can take you to a higher level. He can pour out His blessing and favor upon you and lead you in victory all the days of your life!
