This weekend I flew to Houston. On the airplane on the way down to Houston, I decided to buy and audio book. The name of the book I purchased was "How Full Is Your Bucket", by Tom Rath.

Using a simple metaphor of a bucket and dipper, the theory is, we all have an invisible bucket when we come into this world. We all have constant opportunities to fill each others buckets with positive praise creating happiness or negative thinking which will take away from someones bucket. Every interaction either fills or takes away from the "bucket" of those we love or work with.

Here are some practical strategies for filling buckets of those around you.

1. Prevent bucket dipping - ask yourself whether you are adding to or taking from
another bucket.

2. Shine a light on what is right - don't focus on the negative, spend time, energy
and attention of what is right.

3. Make best friends - great relationships lead to increased satisfaction.

4. Give unexpectedly - the gifts can be material, trust or respect, but given
unexpectedly increases their bucket filling power.

5. Reverse the Golden rule - "Do unto others as they would have you do unto them".

This coming week at school I am going to begin "Filling Buckets" more consciously. I am going to begin putting big drops into children, staff, parents and families.

I encourage you to maybe get this book and begin to change the lives of those you touch on a daily basis. Ask yourself...are you filling peoples buckets by positive interactions and affirmations or are you draining peoples buckets by negative vibes and comments. Think about it!


I highly recommend this book. It is a great read and useful for every day interactions with all the people in our lives.