S2E47 - Are You a Bucket Filler?

03/13/23 • 29 min

1 Listener

In today’s episode, McKay shines a spotlight on the concept of being a bucket filler and how listeners can live their lives with more intention and kindness. The inspiration for the episode is rooted in a poignant story from paramedic Jamie Erickson's life, and throughout the episode, our host discusses the concept of filling others' buckets with positivity to make them feel valued and appreciated.

The episode also explores different themes that relate to the concept of bucket filling, such as the Platinum Rule, emotional bank accounts, social connection, empathy, perspective, and grief. McKay emphasizes the importance of being authentic and finding ways to fill others' buckets with things that are important to them, rather than what the filler might like. His words here today will inspire listeners to become more intentional about making a positive impact in the lives of those around them, to enhance their relationships with others by building trust and communication, and to listen intently to others in order to serve them and fill their buckets.

Episode Highlights:

Bucket filling
The power of empathy
The role of perspective in navigating difficult situations
The importance of small daily actions
Grief and how it affects individuals differently
The significance of resilience in overcoming adversity
The power of community support during times of grief
Being intentional about filling others' buckets with positivity.
The Platinum Rule
Emotional bank accounts
Social connection
Listening intently to others

Quotes:

"I want to be inspired, I want to learn, I want to improve my thinking."

"My worst nightmare as a paramedic has come true."

"Bucket filling is a way of life."

"Fill their buckets with the things that are important to them, not you."

"Just connecting, just sharing, just listening, can and does make all the difference."

"A bucket filling move may be to spend time helping them, to give of your time, to help them set appointments or practice their work skills."

"To be sincere in your connections or your bucket filling is to simply not have an agenda other than to be interested, to give, and to help."

"One must continually make deposits of honesty, kindness, unconditional love, patience, all of those essential virtues that strengthen any relationship.”

Links:

https://www.mckaychristensen.org/

Episode Highlights:

Bucket filling
The power of empathy
The role of perspective in navigating difficult situations
The importance of small daily actions
Grief and how it affects individuals differently
The significance of resilience in overcoming adversity
The power of community support during times of grief
Being intentional about filling others' buckets with positivity.
The Platinum Rule
Emotional bank accounts
Social connection
Listening intently to others

Quotes:

"I want to be inspired, I want to learn, I want to improve my thinking."

"My worst nightmare as a paramedic has come true."

"Bucket filling is a way of life."

"Fill their buckets with the things that are important to them, not you."

"Just connecting, just sharing, just listening, can and does make all the difference."

"A bucket filling move may be to spend time helping them, to give of your time, to help them set appointments or practice their work skills."

"To be sincere in your connections or your bucket filling is to simply not have an agenda other than to be interested, to give, and to help."

"One must continually make deposits of honesty, kindness, unconditional love, patience, all of those essential virtues that strengthen any relationship.”

Links:

https://www.mckaychristensen.org/

Previous Episode

S2E46 - Are You Expecting?

The term “expecting” refers to the act of anticipating something or someone that is likely to arrive, and in today’s episode, McKay reveals that it also holds the potential to unlock untold possibilities and transform our lives for the better. He begins by recounting some remarkable stories of mothers who were expecting, and goes on to explore such aspects as geographical location and the science behind twin pregnancies to highlight how our expectations can be shaped by external factors.

The episode also touches on the power of setting expectations for oneself, and how, by creating neural pathways in our brains, we can learn to form expectations that enable us to achieve our goals. Practical tips on how to create empowering expectations, starting with visualizing our best possible selves, and writing down our future goals in a positive light, are shared as well. As you will hear in today’s inspiring episode, whether it's in the context of pregnancy or personal growth, expecting is a powerful force that can shape our lives in profound ways, and by learning to set empowering expectations and visualizing our future selves, we can create a life that aligns with our deepest desires and aspirations.

Episode Highlights:

Unique stories of mothers who were expecting
The changes that occur when a woman's is expecting
Setting the right and reasonable expectations
Creating neural pathways in the brain
Imagining your best possible self and writing down everything about your future life
Depicting explicit images of achievement and you vision of the future
The impact of expectations on identity
The effort and thought necessary in forming expectations

Quotes:

"But one mother from Mali who was expecting recently did something remarkable. 25 year old Halima Sissy set a new world record when she gave birth to nine babies at once."

"And based on my experience with a wife and three daughters who have had children, it is obvious that more than their bodies change when they're expecting."

"Expecting is an apt or fitting term because getting pregnant does change your life."

"Time spent to set the right and reasonable expectations may have more power to influence outcome than training or many other factors."

"When you imagine yourself doing something, you create a neural pathway."

"Studies show that depicting explicit images of achievement, which I call priming, helps you more than you realize at reaching your goals."

"Once you do this, like expecting mothers, you begin to put on a different identity, and that identity begins to guide your efforts."

Links:

https://www.mckaychristensen.org/

Next Episode

S2E48 - Finding Your True Worth

Finding Your True Worth

In today’s 100th episode of the Open Your Eyes podcast, McKay focuses on the theme of finding your true worth, beginning with the inspiring story of Bruce Willis. A famous and gifted actor, Willis’ success came after overcoming the challenge of childhood stuttering and finding his voice through humor, which eventually helped him discover his passion for acting. Highlighting the themes of speech development, the power of humor, the importance of self-discovery, and how these all culminated in Willis's breakthrough role in the television series Moonlighting, McKay notes that Bruce’s story offers lessons that we can all learn about overcoming obstacles and finding our true calling.

Our host also goes on to use the lesson of the potter and the clay to explore the molding and shaping of our lives. He draws from Scripture to emphasize that we are all works of God's hand and must learn and grow from our challenges, failures, and difficult life experiences to become who we are meant to be. The story of the Hereford cows further reinforces the theme of finding purpose in the difficult experiences of life by encouraging us to face life's storms with confidence and resilience. Ultimately, today’s very special milestone episode reminds us all to recognize our worth, and to embrace and grow from our challenges in order to fulfill our potential and make a positive contribution in the world.

Episode Highlights:

Bruce Willis’ journey to becoming a famous and successful actor
The molding and shaping of our lives
Growing from our challenges, failures, and difficult life experiences
Becoming who we are meant to be
Our worth and contribution to the world
The story of the Hereford cows
Enhancing the lives of those around us and making the world a better place
Gain knowledge from afflictions and trials
The great peace to be found in understanding that our lives are being shaped for a purpose

Quotes:

"Perhaps there's someone, maybe you, who needs what we'll talk about, and I hope it gives you some hope."

"Somehow, when he acted, he didn't stutter."

"Bruce found his true worth by enrolling in drama school and working with a speech therapist."

"Success doesn't come easy, but when you find your true calling, it's all worth it."

"There is great peace when you believe that there is purpose in the molding and shaping of your life."

"Likewise, you and I sometimes need a bit of regrinding to help us become who we're supposed to become."

"And here's the thing - when we experience challenges, there are opposing forces telling us to quit, to give into discouragement, to feel insignificant."

"Don't give in to discouragement. Keep trying every day. Keep your faith. God will have his way with you."

"Just face life's storms."

Links:

https://www.mckaychristensen.org/