Tom Rath's video "How Full is Your Bucket", truly introduced helping people out in a completely different sense. Instead of the plain idea of giving out compliments or just teaching the golden rule, "Treat others the way you want to be treated" we are given a nice visual. We have a bucket that we carry with us every day, in this bucket we carry all the positivity we receive and give out that day. When we are nice to people and do kind things we are filling the buckets of others and that in turn fills our own bucket! You are able to fill buckets all day long at any given time because high spirits can never be too abundant. We want to focus all our efforts into being bucket fillers! Unfortunately, there is a downside. When you start to be negative or treat others poorly you start to take away from everyone's buckets; You are now bucket dipping. Just like bucket filling, bucket dipping can happen on any day at any time but by dipping you really aren't helping anyone progress in their goals or daily life by dipping. Dipping is unnecessary and you can really hurt others by being aggressive and hurtful! Luckily, Rath provided a few strategies to stay a bucket filler and avoid bucket dippers!
One strategy given by Rath was to give unexpectedly. He wants us to fill buckets randomly because that will help fill your own bucket as well as boosting others confidence. When you give unexpectedly you can give a given, say some nice words, or even go as small as giving a smile and a polite hello! This way people will recognize you as a kind person and they may even give back to you. You are not only filling your bucket and their bucket, you are potentially getting someone else to fill your bucket! That sounds much more selfish than intended. Anyways, People loved to be loved and if you are nice randomly others will most likely be nice to you. Its called Synergy. You work together to get what you give!
The next strategy was to start with yourself. Show how to be positive when you lead by example! High spirits that come with all the positive energy are contagious. If you start the day off positively, others are likely to follow suit because people are more likely to want to be happy than sad! If we are in high spirits than we are more likely to boost others and that will start a chain reaction and get more and more people in a better mood. There are no down sides to being positive all you have to do is get a little smile and your face and that will get the ball rolling.
A third strategy suggested by Rath was to keep a paper with pluses and minuses next to the energy you feel when in a conversation with someone. This sounds weird but it can really help you realize who is dipping into your bucket and who is helping fill up your bucket. All you have to do is keep a little running tally next to names after you have a conversation with them. Everyone has good days and bad days so don't let one little negative sign stop you from socializing with people. Just realize that if someone is continually bringing you down it might be best to avoid them or, even better, use your positive spirits to bring them up out of their slump. Instead of avoiding those downers maybe you can use your positive spirits to raise theirs and they can go from negative Nancys to positive Pollys!
These bucket filling and dipping ideas totally work with everyday life because we struggle to be positive as much as possible! Rath is really trying to get through to people to have them help others to make our lifes, and communities happier places. These strategies will help me out personally because I know every once in a while I can be a bucket dipper. Generally I am a bucket filler, complimenting people whenever I get the chance, helping kids out in school, and doing tasks that are asked of me which usually keeps my spirits high. Unfortunately my spirits drop occasionally and I can become a bucket dipper. Luckily, with the strategies explained below, with a few other tricks Rath explained, I can attempt to avoid harsh attitudes and stay a bucket filler as much as possible!
