Lessons from an Oyster
By: Author Unknown
There once was an oyster
Whose story I tell,
Who found that some sand
Had got into his shell.
It was only a grain,
but it gave him great pain.
For oysters have feelings
Although they're so plain.
Now, did he berate
the harsh workings of fate
That had brought him
To such a deplorable state?
Did he curse at the government,
Cry for election,
And claim that the sea should
Have given him protection?
'No,' he said to himself
As he lay on a shell,
Since I cannot remove it,
I shall try to improve it.
Now the years have rolled around,
As the years always do,
And he came to his ultimate
Destiny stew.
And the small grain of sand
That had bothered him so
Was a beautiful pearl
All richly aglow.
Now the tale has a moral,
for isn't it grand
What an oyster can do
With a morsel of sand?
What couldn't we do
If we'd only begin
With some of the things
That get under our skin.
Keep Swimming (By: Author Unknown)
Two frogs fell into a deep, cream bowl
One was an optimistic soul,
But the other took the gloomy view,
“We’ll drown,” he lamented without much ado.
And with a last despairing cry,
He flung up his legs and said, “Goodbye.”
Quote the other frog, with a steadfast grin,
“I can’t get out, but I won’t give in.
I’ll just swim around till my strength is spent
Then I’ll die the more content.”
Bravely he swam to work his scheme,
And his struggles began to churn the cream.
The more he swam, his legs aflutter,
The more the cream turned to butter.
On top of the butter at last he stopped,
And out of the bowl, he gaily hopped.
What is the moral?
It’s easily found. If you can’t hop out,
Keep swimming around.
Lessons from an Oyster
By: Author Unknown
There once was an oyster
Whose story I tell,
Who found that some sand
Had got into his shell.
It was only a grain,
but it gave him great pain.
For oysters have feelings
Although they're so plain.
Now, did he berate
the harsh workings of fate
That had brought him
To such a deplorable state?
Did he curse at the government,
Cry for election,
And claim that the sea should
Have given him protection?
'No,' he said to himself
As he lay on a shell,
Since I cannot remove it,
I shall try to improve it.
Now the years have rolled around,
As the years always do,
And he came to his ultimate
Destiny stew.
And the small grain of sand
That had bothered him so
Was a beautiful pearl
All richly aglow.
Now the tale has a moral,
for isn't it grand
What an oyster can do
With a morsel of sand?
What couldn't we do
If we'd only begin
With some of the things
That get under our skin.
Keep Swimming (By: Author Unknown)
Two frogs fell into a deep, cream bowl
One was an optimistic soul,
But the other took the gloomy view,
“We’ll drown,” he lamented without much ado.
And with a last despairing cry,
He flung up his legs and said, “Goodbye.”
Quote the other frog, with a steadfast grin,
“I can’t get out, but I won’t give in.
I’ll just swim around till my strength is spent
Then I’ll die the more content.”
Bravely he swam to work his scheme,
And his struggles began to churn the cream.
The more he swam, his legs aflutter,
The more the cream turned to butter.
On top of the butter at last he stopped,
And out of the bowl, he gaily hopped.
What is the moral?
It’s easily found. If you can’t hop out,
Keep swimming around.
Are You a Bucket-Filler or a Dipper?
by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

http://www.inspirationalstories.com/4/458.html

You have heard of the cup

that overflowed. This is a
story of a bucket that is
like the cup, only larger, it is an invisible bucket.
Everyone has one. It determines how we feel
about ourselves, about others, and how we
get along with people. Have you ever
experienced a series of very favorable things
which made you want to be good to people for a
week? At that time, your bucket was full.

A bucket can be filled by a lot of things that

happen.

1. When a person speaks to you, recognizing you

as a human being, your bucket is filled a little.

2. Even more if he calls you by name, especially

if it is the name you like to be called.

3. If he compliments you on your dress or on a

job well done, the level in your bucket goes up
still higher. There must be a million ways to raise
the level in another's bucket.

4. Writing a friendly letter

5. Remembering something that is special to him.

6. Knowing the names of his children

7. Expressing sympathy for his loss

8. Giving him a hand when his work is heavy

9. Taking time for conversation, or, perhaps

more important.

10. Listening to him.

When one's bucket is full of this emotional

support, one can express warmth and
friendliness to people. But, remember, this is a
theory about a bucket and a dipper. Other people
have dippers and they can get their dippers in
your bucket. This, too, can be done in a million
ways.

Let’s say I am at a dinner and inadvertently

upset a glass of thick, sticky chocolate milk that
spills over the table cloth, on a lady's skirt, down
onto the carpet. I am embarrassed. "Bright Eyes"
across the table says, "You upset that glass of
chocolate milk." I made a mistake, I know I did,
and then he told me about it! He got his dipper in
my bucket! Think of the times a person makes a
mistake, feels terrible about it, only to have
someone tell him about the known mistake ("Red
pencil" mentality!)

Buckets are filled and buckets are emptied

emptied many times because people don't really
think about what are doing. When a
person's bucket is emptied, he is very
different than when it is full. You say to a
person whose bucket is empty, "That is a pretty
tie you have," and he may reply in a very
irritated, defensive manner.

Although there is a limit to such an analogy,

there are people who seem to have holes in
their buckets. When a person has a hole in
his bucket, he irritates lots of people by trying to
get his dipper in their buckets. This is when he
really needs somebody to pour it in
his bucket because he keeps losing.

The story of our lives is the interplay of

the bucket and the dipper. Everyone has both.

 The unyielding secret of the bucket and

the dipper is that when you fill
another's bucket it does not take
anything out of your own bucket. The
level in our own bucket gets higher
when we fill another's, and, on the
other hand, when we dip into
another's bucket we do not fill our
own ... we lose a little.

For a variety of reasons, people hesitate filling

the bucketof another and consequently do not
experience the fun, joy, happiness, fulfillment,
and satisfaction connected with making another
person happy. Some reasons for this hesitancy
are that people think it sounds "fakey," or the
other person will be suspicious of the motive, or
it is "brown-nosing."

We’re all buckets of water and in every single

interaction we have with other human beings, we
are either filling their buckets or taking water
out of their buckets.

The idea is that our words, actions and attitudes

either add or remove water from the buckets of
others. When our actions are positive, supportive
and appreciative, we are adding water to their
buckets. When we are acting in a negative,
combative and argumentative way, we are taking
water from their buckets.

We should strive to fill other people’s buckets by upgrading our

words and learning to deliver genuine feedback whenever we
get the chance.
http://www.johnnaismith.com/personal-growth/fill-
A study by the US Department of Labor showed that 64% of other-peoples-buckets/
people leave their jobs because of lack of appreciation and
a study revealed that 65% of people say they receive no praise
or recognition in the workplace. How easy could it be to Fill other People’s Buckets
reverse those trends? By admin

So all we need to do is to decide to take action by showing our

appreciation of people on a regular basis… whether they are
family, friends, colleagues or employees. Of equal importance
is taking the time to write a note to someone who has helped in
the past to remind them of how they have impacted your life.

Therefore, let us put aside our dipper and resolve to touch

someone's life in order to fill their bucket.
 - See more at: http://www.johnnaismith.com/personal-

growth/fill-other-peoples-buckets/#sthash.rwikBGmQ.dpuf

Are You A Bucket

We should never underestimate the impact that we
have on others… good or bad. This metaphor from the book by
Dipper or A Bucket
Donald Clifton and Tom Rath, ‘How Full Is Your Bucket’
illustrates the simplicity human interaction: We’re all buckets Filler?
of water and in every single interaction we have with
other human beings, we are either filling their buckets or
taking water out of their buckets.
The idea is that our words, actions and attitudes either For this week’s post, I decided to review a children’s book. As I was
add or remove water from the buckets of others. When our
choosing a book, one of my amazing adoptive moms, Beth, offered
actions are positive, supportive and appreciative, we are
her newest find-- ”Have You Filled a Bucket Today: A Guide to
adding water to their buckets. When we are acting in a
negative, combative and argumentative way, we are taking Daily Happiness for Kids.” Together, Beth and I wrote this
water from the their buckets. review. Thanks Beth!!
Appreciate people on a regular basis
We should strive to fill other people’s buckets by upgrading our Beth writes: The book I read last night to my son was "Have you
words and learning to deliver genuine feedback whenever we
Filled a Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids" by
get the chance. A study by the US Department of
Labor showed that 64% of people leave their jobs because of Carol McCloud. Its a 30-page book with illustrations and I think it’s a
lack of appreciation and a study revealed that 65% of people good book for any age.
say they receive no praise or recognition in the workplace.
How easy could it be to reverse those trends?
So all we need to do is to decide to take action by showing our
appreciation of people on a regular basis… whether they are
family, friends, colleagues or employees. Of equal importance A description of the book: This book does a great job of explaining
is taking the time to write a note to someone who has helped in to kids that we all carry an invisible bucket in which we store feelings
the past to remind them of how they have impacted your life. about ourselves. When our buckets are full, we are happy and when
Acknowledge the good stuff… regularly
they are empty, we are sad. It teaches children that when they fill
People need to be acknowledged regularly for positive things.
another’s bucket, they also fill their own, and it feels good to make
According to the psychology experts, small, positive
others happy! It also introduces the concept of being a bucket dipper.
interactions are very important. Researcher John Gottman
suggests that there is a ‘magic ratio’ that we should follow: 5:1 A bucket dipper is a person who hurts other people's feelings by
or five positive interactions for each negative interaction. dipping into their bucket.
The lesson is very clear… people have a real need for regular
feedback regarding the things they are doing right. If they are
only acknowledged when they make mistakes, they will feel
that they are not being acknowledged at all. More than
likely this explains the workplace statistics shared in the Beth adds, McCloud also wrote "Growing Up with a Bucket Full of
previous insight. Happiness: Three rules for a happier life." It’s 80 pages with more
We can ask people how they want to be acknowledged. All too detail, smaller type and fewer illustrations. It talks about other things
often we assume that we know what people want because we
that fill your bucket besides being kind to others like doing your best
know what we want and we believe they must want the same
and being outdoors, how to not be a bucket dipper and what to do if
things. While it may be awkward the first time you do it, the
suggestion of asking before acknowledging is a powerful action you dip into someone's bucket. McCloud further explains what is
that should be considered. dipping and what isn't, and that you can even dip into your own
Manage your mindset bucket by comparing yourself to others or spending too much time
One of the most important, but often overlooked, dimensions of being jealous or envious of others. She also teaches kids how to use
success for the small business owner or entrepreneur is their lid to protect their bucket’s good thoughts and feelings.
managing your mindset. We all have an inner critic that gets in
our way from time to time. Like the little creatures in the movie
Gremlins, this critic come out and wreaks havoc on our
thinking from time to time. Usually at precisely the time when
we don’t need it.
Bucket Filling Activities
Focus on the good stuff
McCloud’s website, “Bucket Fillers,”
If we focus on the good stuff negativity takes a back seat,
helping us to keep our mind focused on what is possible and (http://www.bucketfillers101.com/publications/resources.html) pr
allowing us to take your businesses to the next level. ovides a list of useful resources parents can download for free. The
list includes a coloring page-- “I am a bucket filler,” an award
 certificate for bucket filling, and two journal pages for children to
complete. Some examples from the journal pages include:
Did I fill someone else’s bucket today by being helpful, thoughtful,
or kind?
Did I dip into my own bucket today with negative thinking?
Did I see anyone else get their bucket dipped today?

I also discovered this

webpage,http://www.teacherweb.com/IN/NorthwesternElementar
ySchool/MrsDill/bucketschool.pdf, which provides ideas for
teachers that can quickly be adapted to the home environment. Some
suggestions I gathered from this page are:

1. Have your child make a bucket and a lid of his/her own and
decorate it.
2. Have your child complete this sentence: “I am a bucket filler
when I ...”
3. As a family, make a book of bucket filling ideas from A to Z.
4. Talk about your own bucket filling experiences as you practice
bucket filling.
5. Use bucket filling language; for example, “You’re filling my
bucket when you listen to my words.”
6. Fill your child’s bucket daily by giving one sincere, positive
comment.
7. Practice family bucket filling. Have each person in the family
fill the bucket of another by writing down five reasons why they
love them or why they are special to them.