Bucket Filler or Bucket Dipper???Well, we'll talk about that in a little bit!
Wednesday: The temperature dropped and there seems to be a gale wind blowing. We had nice spring-like weather a few days ago and it's hard for me to adjust to this drastic change. Also, kids go bonkers when there is extreme changes in weather and they were BONKERS today!!! We found out that we were in a three-way tie for first place for the class with the most attending skate night. We got cupcakes. (Maybe that added to the bonkerness!!! :D )
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| Skate Night trophy which we had to share with two other classes |
I have a question for you. Are you a "Bucket Filler" or a "Bucket Dipper"? You are probably saying............"What?" Well, let me explain. I heard of this concept while doing an internet search and ordered a couple of these books for my class.
The first one I read was Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud.
The story that I read to my class explained that we all have an invisible "bucket" that we carry around. When our bucket is full, we feel great and when our bucket is empty, we feel "down" or sad. The things that happen to us during the day can either add or take away from our bucket. As people, we can do things to either fill someone's bucket or dip from some one's bucket.
The book went on to explain that everything we do to others can cause their buckets to be filled or emptied. Smiles, compliments, helping, and being friendly are a few examples of "bucket filling". Name calling, pushing, and being selfish are some examples of "bucket dipping".
Although, this idea was set up to teach children to be more thoughtful and considerate, I think the idea is a great one for us "grown-ups" too. Everyone we come in contact with in our day to day lives also has an invisible bucket. Think of that the next time you see or interact with:
1. postal worker
2. customer service rep. on the phone
3. waiter
4. bus driver
5. garbage worker
6. person in front of you in line
7. the slow driver on the road
8. the child screaming in the restaurant
9. the mother of the screaming child
10. the little old lady counting out change in the line in front of you
11. the person stopped with their cart in the middle of the aisle
12. the nurse who has just gotten off a long shift
13. the young mother with three young children in tow
14. the minister who just went 10 min. "over"
15. your co-worker
How could you fill their bucket??????
You get the idea. It's often easy for us to disregard the people we come in contact with, or worse, we may get impatient with them because they are an obstacle to what "we" want or need to do at the moment.
Also, have you ever stopped and wondered......What has their day been like today?
Do they have a mother with Alzheimer's?
Is he worrying about making his mortgage payment? Was she up with a sick child all night???
Is she worried about her son, father, brother, sister who is a soldier in Afghanistan?
Has he just lost a loved one to cancer?
Is she waiting to hear news of test results?
Has she just had a fight with her husband?
Did his wife just ask him for a divorce?
Did her two year old just throw a temper tantrum in the grocery store?
COULD THE PROBLEM OF ANOTHER BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY PROBLEM????
This is not a trick question!!!!! What do you think???
This concept is really a new take on an old idea............................The Golden Rule............I think we all know that one!
2:1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, 1 any affection or mercy, 2 2:2 complete my joy and be of the same mind, 3 by having the same love, being united in spirit, 4 and having one purpose. 2:3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition 5 or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. 2:4 Each of you should be concerned 6 not only 7 about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. 8 2:5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, 9
I added this picture because we study main idea in second grade. Here is the main idea, TREAT OTHERS AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOURSELF and Treat others the way you would like to be treated.
You may have heard of "Pay it Forward". The concept comes from a great movie by the same name.
Paying it forward is the same concept as being a "bucket filler". You do something nice for someone not expecting anything in return. This can also be called "random acts of kindness". Often these kind gestures work like a domino effect, inspiring more acts of kindness.
Ways to pay it forward:
http://www.timeisloveblog.com/2009/10/15/50-more-ways-to-pay-it-forward/
The above link lists 50 great ways to pay it forward. Here's a few that I've highlighted:
1. Don't wait until Feb. to celebrate Valentine's Day. Do something special for a loved one "just because".
2. Donate your old professional clothes to a homeless shelter.
3. Tape a $5 bill to a vending machine.
4. Write a note about someone who gave you great service and send it to that business. (Service workers get lots of complaints, but few compliments!)
5. Pay for the next person in line in a drive through. This has happened to me twice in a car line at Starbucks. I turned around and did it for someone else.
6. Send flowers anonymously to a struggling co-worker.
7. Make sandwiches and pass them out to homeless people.
8. Pay a teenager to mow a neighbor's yard. (elderly, new parents, single mother)
9. Say something nice to 5 people today.
10. Take the magazines that you have read to a waiting room.
11. Take snacks, baked goods to an intensive care waiting room.
You probably have ideas of your own and you can find many ideas on-line.
12. Give a lottery ticket to a stranger.
13. Open the phone book, pick a name, and send them something (movie tickets, thank you card, you are appreciated card, book, etc.) anonymously.
Random Acts of Kindness on the job (depending on what your job is)
14. Leave a chocolate kiss on your co-worker's desk.
15. Write an anonymous note to a co-worker telling them how you admire them.
16. If your a teacher, make 1 "positive" phone call to a parent each day.
17. Give an anonymous small birthday present or card. (We have many employees at our school and I don't know them all very well, but I decided this year that I would make each of them a pair of earrings. Doing this has really made me happy!! I haven't figured out what I'm going to do for the guys! I just thought of that!)
18. Have your class make thank you notes for: cafeteria workers, secretary, school nurse, etc.
Wow, I woke up around 3:45 because my dog was making a weird snorting noise. I decided to get up and see if my son (who is traveling home) might be on FB. He was! He saw my comment and called me. I got on up at 4:00, started working on this blog and now it is 6:12 and I need to get ready for work. :0) Well, at least I can say this......................................................................................
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! A little secret: I'm taking a personal day Monday because of my son getting home. Can you say........THREE DAY WEEKEND???????
Next post coming soon: Weekend adventures/photo diary featuring picking up my son!!!! Preview pic below!
Hmmm, very good post. I'm sad to say for every dipper I put in I must take out 5. Not a good ratio. Thank you for reminding me of Phil 2:1-5
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