How full is your bucket?

A few months ago I read a great book called "How Full is Your Bucket?" by Tom Rath and Don Clifton. The theory is that each of us has an invisible bucket. It is constantly emptied or filled, depending on what others say or do to us. When our bucket is full, we feel great. When it's empty, we feel awful.

Each of us also has a "dipper". When we use that dipper to fill other people's buckets - by saying or doing things to increase their positive emotions- we also fill our own bucket. But when we use that dipper to dip from others' buckets - by saying or doing things that decrease their positive emotions - we diminish ourselves.

Like the cup that runneth over, a full bucket gives us a positive outlook and renewed energy. Every drop in that bucket makes us stronger and more optimistic.
But an empty bucket poisons our outlook, saps our energy, and undermines our will. That's why every time someone dips from our bucket, it hurts us.

So it was this idea that inspired our theme for our visiting teaching workshop. We used the theory to evaluate what type of visiting teacher each of us are. Do you leave a drop in your sisters bucket leaving her spiritually uplifted and edified? Or do you overstay your welcome, dumping all of your problems and gossip onto her?

It was a fabulous evening full of food, fun and games. And the decorations turned out quite nicely if I can say so myself. :)

These are the "posters" I displayed around the church the past month.
We then made 45 individual "buckets" (thanks to a mom of triplets who goes through ONE can of formula A DAY!).
The table centerpiece had a grouping of buckets and the poem "I'm just a visiting teacher." Each sister got to choose one of the buckets to take home.
After a get-to-know you game we had the sisters come and "fill their buckets" with lots of goodies (chocolate, cute magnets, "drops" to fill someone's bucket, a laminated, magnetized handout called "the Ten Commandments for Visiting Teachers," and the story of the bucket theory.

It was our first big event as a presidency and it got me really excited to work with them. Now on to Super Saturday.

Oh and by the way.... the book is great for families. It makes you stop and look at the daily interactions you have with your children. I think all too often I am dipping from my kids buckets when I am the one person in their life who should make sure it is overflowing. Just food for thought.