How to Stay Happy and Content - A story received in an email.

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 drove 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 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. Ignore the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have a marvelous, garbage-free day! The seeds you plant today, determine the harvest you reap tomorrow.

Received in an email and posted by R.P.BenDedek rpbendedek@kingscalendar.com. The sentiments expressed in this article are those of the original author. Personally I find it more satisfying to just yell obscenities.

Actually, after living for so long in China and having to endure so many frustrations in daily life, I have learned to let a lot of things roll of my back that once would have fueled the fires of anger for a week. And it is interesting in China to realise, that society as a whole does not walk around with the amount of 'angst' that westerners carry on a daily basis.

So choose your own poison - or should that be medicine. 1.4 billion Chinese can't be wrong when they say: It doesn't matter! It's not important! Do not worry about it! (Sounds almost Australian!)