The joy of having time to work more on writing these blogs is that many possible subjects and opportunities can be explored.
This is offset by the fact that I'm probably spending way too much time on this and I have at least as many unpublished posts now as I have posted during this time.
One idea I wanted to explore was to write something for my Mum and Dad (especially Dad because I know he reads these most days).
I decided against a full blown, indulgent tribute to my parents here but this one is inspired by my Dad and one of the many things he has taught and given to me.
Moving towards his late fifties my Dad (Neil) was made redundant from the car dealership where he was the service manager and where he had worked for the majority of his, to that point, 40 years of working life.
The redundancy was no where near enough to allow him to stop (it was terrible) and he was forced into an "entrepreneurial seizure", starting his own business pretty close to 60. (Very proud).
He needed an accountant and Roger was the man and Roger taught him this.
"you can fill a bucket with a teaspoon".
In this instance it related to keeping business receipts for tax but, of course, it applies to everything.
The trouble is......we keep looking at everybody else's buckets.
Some people fill their's one at a time, that means that particular bucket is much more full than yours (if you even have one the same) assuming you are filling yours simultaneously.
Some people try to fill all of their's with a fire hose all at once, this inevitably leads to buckets tipping and careering all over the place....mess.
Some try to fill a few buckets very steadily over life.
Some much more.
Some one at a time.
Some at the same time.
Inevitably, if you take a snap shot of someone else's bucket collection they will have one or more that are fuller than yours and you will probably focus on that.
I am fascinated by these subjects (as you will likely know if you read this stuff with any regularity) as I am badly subject to the pull of other people's success and comparing myself to them and feeling that I am underperforming in some way.
In the past we only really had to contend with our neighbours new car or the kid at school, now we have access to "how well" the whole world is doing and the bucket problem gets a million times worse.
Instead of focusing on the buckets that are more full than yours, why not focus on the ones that are less full?
Why not then try to help some people with less full buckets fill them a bit better?
That would likely add real value to them and their lives. That would make you a linchpin in their eyes.
In the end, of course, it's not about the teaspoon or even how full the bucket is.
It's the buckets you choose to fill that count.
Choose carefully.
(Thanks Dad. Tell me what you think when I see you Thursday Cx.)
Blog Post Number: 1179
Leave a comment