Once again, like parking lot philosophers, Dan and I were sitting in my car in the parking lot discussing life in general. We were talking about everything from technology to the ongoing problems in Iraq, and in the true spirit of conversation, we'd just explore where each topic would go. As we were sitting and philosophizing, we happened to be looking across the parking lot at a beat up old SUV. The young woman who was in it had chosen that time and place to do a thorough cleaning inside her vehicle. She just rolled down her window and started throwing things out on the ground. She started with her ashtray, and then the empty paper cups and plastic started to fly out the window as well. We just sat there staring incredulously at the spectacle in front of us, too stunned to say anything.

Finally, I told Dan that I had to do something; I just couldn't sit there and watch this. I took a plastic bag that I had in my car and walked across the parking lot to where the garbage had fallen outside her window. After picking up a few pieces of her garbage and placing it in the plastic bag, I then spoke to the young woman. "Excuse me" I said, "Would you like to have a bag to put your garbage in?"

"Oh, sure, thank you!" was her melodious reply. She took the bag from me as if nothing had happened and continued to clean her vehicle.

Walking back to my car, I happened to see Dan sitting there, just busting his gut laughing hysterically at me. "I can't believe you did that", he said when I had gotten back in the car. "Me either", I said "but I just couldn't just sit here and not do anything. That is one of the problems that I see in our society, people will see wrongs being done, but no-one will do anything."

A few minutes later, the girl left, and her parking spot was still littered with garbage. Dan and I were sitting there discussing taking action, when out of no-where; another car arrived and parked in the vacated spot. The man exited his car and stooped to pick up all of the garbage that was left on the ground. We couldn't believe our eyes. Here we were discussing doing something about the mess on the ground, when someone just showed up out of the blue and did it.

Isn't that a lot like life? There are so many people that we meet every day who just unload their "garbage" on us without so much as a second thought about what it will do or how it will affect us. It seems that they have no concern for the other person at all, they just spit out their venom and spew out their verbal sewage not just to anyone who will listen, but to anyone who is in range. There are certain people who can pick it up and discard it without a second thought, but many internalize it until they too are unhappy. Some people are a veritable garage sale of negative attitudes. It seems like it is their goal in life to make someone else miserable. After all, doesn't misery love company? At this point, we have a number of choices that we could make. First, we could accept it and make it our problem as well and be miserable right along with them. Second, we could pity them for the rotten life that they seem to have and be glad that we are not them. Or third, we could do what Dale Carnegie suggests we should do if we are trying to cultivate a positive mental attitude and try to fill our minds with thoughts of peace, courage health and hope.

This week, let's recognize that not everyone wishes us well. Let's not be "mental trash collectors" where we take on all the problems of others. It would be important to expect ingratitude from others, because we are bound to get it. Let those with mental garbage, take their own trash out. We can be there to offer support or to pass them a trash bag, but let's avoid the impulse to help carry their negative load on our shoulders. Realize that someone is probably going to cut us off in traffic, or someone is going to say something thoughtless or mean to us. If we are prepared, and realize that it's all their junk and not ours, we can live life in a more productive and happy way.

Make this your best week ever!