Empty Bucket
You know the bucket story? I found this online for the reference very similar to the one I heard years ago...
" Are You a Bucket-Filler or a Dipper?
by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown
You have heard of the cup that overflowed. This is a story of a bucket that is like the cup, only larger, it is an invisible bucket. Everyone has one. It determines how we feel about ourselves, about others, and how we get along with people. Have you ever experienced a series of very favorable things which made you want to be good to people for a week? At that time, your bucket was full.
A bucket can be filled by a lot of things that happen. When a person speaks to you, recognizing you as a human being, your bucket is filled a little. Even more if he calls you by name, especially if it is the name you like to be called. If he compliments you on your dress or on a job well done, the level in your bucket goes up still higher. There must be a million ways to raise the level in another's bucket. Writing a friendly letter, remembering something that is special to him, knowing the names of his children, expressing sympathy for his loss, giving him a hand when his work is heavy, taking time for conversation, or, perhaps more important, listing to him.
When one's bucket is full of this emotional support, one can express warmth and friendliness to people. But, remember, this is a theory about a bucket and a dipper. Other people have dippers and they can get their dippers in your bucket. This, too, can be done in a million ways.
Lets say I am at a dinner and inadvertently upset a glass of thick, sticky chocolate milk that spills over the table cloth, on a lady's skirt, down onto the carpet. I am embarrassed. "Bright Eyes" across the table says, "You upset that glass of chocolate milk." I made a mistake, I know I did, and then he told me about it! He got his dipper in my bucket! Think of the times a person makes a mistake, feels terrible about it, only to have someone tell him about the known mistake ("Red pencil" mentality!)
Buckets are filled and buckets are emptied ? emptied many times because people don't really think about what are doing. When a person's bucket is emptied, he is very different than when it is full. You say to a person whose bucket is empty, "That is a pretty tie you have," and he may reply in a very irritated, defensive manner.
Although there is a limit to such an analogy, there are people who seem to have holes in their buckets. When a person has a hole in his bucket, he irritates lots of people by trying to get his dipper in their buckets. This is when he really needs somebody to pour it in his bucket because he keeps losing.
The story of our lives is the interplay of the bucket and the dipper. Everyone has both. The unyielding secret of the bucket and the dipper is that when you fill another's bucket it does not take anything out of your own bucket. The level in our own bucket gets higher when we fill another's, and, on the other hand, when we dip into another's bucket we do not fill our own ... we lose a little.
For a variety of reasons, people hesitate filling the bucket of another and consequently do not experience the fun, joy, happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction connected with making another person happy. Some reasons for this hesitancy are that people think it sounds "fakey," or the other person will be suspicious of the motive, or it is "brown-nosing."
Therefore, let us put aside our dipper and resolve to touch someone's life in order to fill their bucket."
Recently it was brought to my attention that due to one trial after another bucket so to speak is empty, bone dry and it is damaged. For the last 5-7 years I have had one big trial after another as I would start to deal with it and another one would come up. So that previous trial was never really dealt with. Fast forward to today and my body is no longer dealing with stress the way it should and I feel like I have nothing left to give. I feel empty. I admit there are like 2 things that keep me going and they are not full time in my life.
This past week and a half I have been sick with bronchitis. Bronchitis isn't something new to me what is new to me is the racing heart and the chest pains it brought. Also finding out that my blood pressure is going crazy while I am sick. My body isn't able to actually deal with the stress of the cold and the stress of my recent trial/tribulation at the same time. So after two trips to the ER lost week I am now on a beta blocker and all caffeine is gone even in the form of chocolate. Not that is too bad I had already given up most caffeine when I was having insomnia, just found the hard way that my over the counter headache medicine had caffeine in it when I ended up in the ER the second time. At least my heart is still in good shape plus after the bronchitis is gone I will be doing better as well.
My only thing is how do I fix my "bucket" so I can fill it up and not feel so empty anymore? I am tired of feeling the way I feel, but I know I can't rely on anyone else to do it but me to do this. I just don't know if I have enough faith and trust in myself to do anything. I do have desire, but that is it. I don't know. Maybe it's the bronchitis and the late hour.
Oh, but I did chop (well rather Nat did) my hair short and bought me a cute skirt outfit with 4 inch wedges that will go with jeans. :) Who knows maybe I am on the right track. Just gotta find some earrings so I don't look too much like a boy. ;)
" Are You a Bucket-Filler or a Dipper?
by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown
You have heard of the cup that overflowed. This is a story of a bucket that is like the cup, only larger, it is an invisible bucket. Everyone has one. It determines how we feel about ourselves, about others, and how we get along with people. Have you ever experienced a series of very favorable things which made you want to be good to people for a week? At that time, your bucket was full.
A bucket can be filled by a lot of things that happen. When a person speaks to you, recognizing you as a human being, your bucket is filled a little. Even more if he calls you by name, especially if it is the name you like to be called. If he compliments you on your dress or on a job well done, the level in your bucket goes up still higher. There must be a million ways to raise the level in another's bucket. Writing a friendly letter, remembering something that is special to him, knowing the names of his children, expressing sympathy for his loss, giving him a hand when his work is heavy, taking time for conversation, or, perhaps more important, listing to him.
When one's bucket is full of this emotional support, one can express warmth and friendliness to people. But, remember, this is a theory about a bucket and a dipper. Other people have dippers and they can get their dippers in your bucket. This, too, can be done in a million ways.
Lets say I am at a dinner and inadvertently upset a glass of thick, sticky chocolate milk that spills over the table cloth, on a lady's skirt, down onto the carpet. I am embarrassed. "Bright Eyes" across the table says, "You upset that glass of chocolate milk." I made a mistake, I know I did, and then he told me about it! He got his dipper in my bucket! Think of the times a person makes a mistake, feels terrible about it, only to have someone tell him about the known mistake ("Red pencil" mentality!)
Buckets are filled and buckets are emptied ? emptied many times because people don't really think about what are doing. When a person's bucket is emptied, he is very different than when it is full. You say to a person whose bucket is empty, "That is a pretty tie you have," and he may reply in a very irritated, defensive manner.
Although there is a limit to such an analogy, there are people who seem to have holes in their buckets. When a person has a hole in his bucket, he irritates lots of people by trying to get his dipper in their buckets. This is when he really needs somebody to pour it in his bucket because he keeps losing.
The story of our lives is the interplay of the bucket and the dipper. Everyone has both. The unyielding secret of the bucket and the dipper is that when you fill another's bucket it does not take anything out of your own bucket. The level in our own bucket gets higher when we fill another's, and, on the other hand, when we dip into another's bucket we do not fill our own ... we lose a little.
For a variety of reasons, people hesitate filling the bucket of another and consequently do not experience the fun, joy, happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction connected with making another person happy. Some reasons for this hesitancy are that people think it sounds "fakey," or the other person will be suspicious of the motive, or it is "brown-nosing."
Therefore, let us put aside our dipper and resolve to touch someone's life in order to fill their bucket."
Recently it was brought to my attention that due to one trial after another bucket so to speak is empty, bone dry and it is damaged. For the last 5-7 years I have had one big trial after another as I would start to deal with it and another one would come up. So that previous trial was never really dealt with. Fast forward to today and my body is no longer dealing with stress the way it should and I feel like I have nothing left to give. I feel empty. I admit there are like 2 things that keep me going and they are not full time in my life.
This past week and a half I have been sick with bronchitis. Bronchitis isn't something new to me what is new to me is the racing heart and the chest pains it brought. Also finding out that my blood pressure is going crazy while I am sick. My body isn't able to actually deal with the stress of the cold and the stress of my recent trial/tribulation at the same time. So after two trips to the ER lost week I am now on a beta blocker and all caffeine is gone even in the form of chocolate. Not that is too bad I had already given up most caffeine when I was having insomnia, just found the hard way that my over the counter headache medicine had caffeine in it when I ended up in the ER the second time. At least my heart is still in good shape plus after the bronchitis is gone I will be doing better as well.
My only thing is how do I fix my "bucket" so I can fill it up and not feel so empty anymore? I am tired of feeling the way I feel, but I know I can't rely on anyone else to do it but me to do this. I just don't know if I have enough faith and trust in myself to do anything. I do have desire, but that is it. I don't know. Maybe it's the bronchitis and the late hour.
Oh, but I did chop (well rather Nat did) my hair short and bought me a cute skirt outfit with 4 inch wedges that will go with jeans. :) Who knows maybe I am on the right track. Just gotta find some earrings so I don't look too much like a boy. ;)
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