I am reading "How Full Is Your Bucket?" (Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton PH.D). It is a great about how interactions with others can be positive or negative. Do people we interact with (co-workers, family, friends, people at the check out stand...) fill out "buckets" with positive things (happiness, joy, laughter, encouragement...) or do they steal from our buckets (make us feel sad, angry, depressed...). How do we fill others buckets (or do we)? Are we the type of people who fill buckets or do we take from them? I know there was a time in my life when I was a bucket thief *gasp*!! I was always taking! And i also went through a stage where I was surrounded by those who would take from my bucket (yes, that could be the reason why I was taking from others buckets...to fill my own). Currently I am trying to focus on filling the buckets of those I interact with (notice I say try...because it is a very hard task to stay focused on!).
There are some wonderful stories and insight in this book. If you are a leader or someone who wants to learn why it is so important to fill buckets instead of take from them please read this book! Here are a few words from it that i enjoyed...
"These recent studies show that negative emotions can be harmful to your health and might even shorten you
r life span. We already know that one negative person can ruin an entire workplace, but negative emotions can also destroy relationships, families and entire careers. In contrast, recent discoveries suggest that positive emotions are an essential requirement for survival. Not only do they improve your physical and mental health, but they also provide a buffer against depression and illness."
I really want to strive to be someone who fills other buckets with positive things. I want to be someone others WANT to be around and feel good when they walk away from out interaction. That is one thing I want to be remembered as...a bucket filler!!!
