My local library has a huge book sale twice per year in a warehouse. Wandering the aisles is entertaining and you never know what you will find. I bought and just finished reading “How Full is Your Bucket?” by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton. It is a short, easy to read book that uses a metaphor of a dipper and a bucket to help us increase our happiness and improve our relationships.
According to the book; “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 is empty, we feel awful. Each of us also has an invisible dipper. When we use that dipper to fill other people’s bucket – 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.”
The leaves are changing colors. The seasons are changing.
Are you changing?
Am I?
I sure hope so.
Change is necessary for growth but some people resist it like it is the plague. Franklin Roosevelt once said “there are many ways of going forward but only one way of standing still”. I memorized that quote many years ago and it still pops in my head when it dawns on me that I am resisting some change in my life. It is all too easy to simply resort to the same comforting responses when a new challenge presents itself. Some of us really enjoy life on our comfy couches!
As a Lake Girl, I see people fishing all of the time. At 5am, I hear the first fishing boats zip by the cottage. Maybe the early bird really does get the worm. By the time, I am drinking my first cup of tea, with my feet perched on the railing overlooking the water, the first of many boaters are directly in front of our house casting their rods. I don’t know if the locals just have a sense of where the fish hang out or if they chat about their last great catch in front of the gray cottage with the orangish trim. But the water just in front of our cottage is a popular spot!
Enjoying me morning tea!
I was a vegetarian for over 20 years and didn’t eat fish for most of that time. As I didn’t eat fish, it likely comes as no surprise that I didn’t go fishing for sport or leisure. I still don’t go fishing and get a bit squeamish just thinking about putting a worm on the hook or touching the fish that foolishly ate the worm. I don’t really get fishing at all. But I admire fishermen and women who pursue their sport with such enthusiasm and perseverance.
As an Occupational Therapist, I tend to notice when people are fully engaged in an activity. Fishing seems to bring this out in people. From my observations, when people fish for fun (and hopefully dinner too) they have no desire to be anywhere else. They are relaxed, enjoying the day, quietly conversing with their friends. Fishing is a simple pleasure and seems to bring out some good qualities in people.
It doesn’t matter if they are in a big, flashy boat a little row boat, or a kayak. It doesn’t matter if they are sitting on a comfy chair, a wooden deck or standing up to their waist in the water. They cast their rod and let the water and the waves do their thing. At some point, they reel it in and do it all over again. To me, it gives meaning to the idea of being in the flow of an activity.
No worries!
Saturday on my way to work at 7am, I watched a guy walking through the town carrying his fishing pole in the rain. He was likely headed to the river and a little rain was not going to deter him from doing what he loved. Fishermen and women don’t melt! They don’t let a drizzle or cloudy sky ruin their fun.
When I lived in Gloucester, I remember watching a guy riding his bike carrying a big fish in one hand and his fishing pole in the other. To me, this looked tricky and hard but he was simply bringing his daily catch home for dinner. He was smiling from ear to ear. This guy wasn’t letting the fact that something was hard deter him from what he needed to do.
I have seen guys cast their rod and immediately get their line caught in a tree or a branch. They calmly take care of the problem and as soon as possible, cast again and continue to fish. I don’t think I have ever seen a fisherman get angry or upset or even curse at such an event. It is like small annoyances are just taken in stride because they can’t be avoided.
I routinely see people catch a fish, calmly reel it in and immediately toss it back because it is too small. They do this hour after hour, patiently waiting for the big one. Yes, fishermen, women and kids learn patience!
Skill building…
The next time you have something planned and the weather isn’t perfect; grab a raincoat and do it anyway. You won’t melt.
The next time you find yourself in a tough situation – like catching a big ole fish and having to carry it home while riding your bike – just put a smile on your face and do what needs to be done! Think of it as character building.
When dealing with the same small problems over and over again like an annoying co-worker, the Xerox machine getting jammed, or the meeting that just won’t end – you can get frustrated and lose your cool or you can think like a fisherman. Simply take that small fish off the hook and toss it back into the water and get back to your task at hand.
If you are feeling stuck in a rut – try changing your perspective by thinking like a fisherman!
OMG 2018 is more than half way over. It is amazing how quickly time zips bye, and if we don’t pay attention, those goals we set way back in January become forgotten. Goals that are written down in January and never looked at again are simply words on a page. They are like wishes, they sound good but are not going to come true without hard work, perseverance and tracking.
It is time to review my goals for the year to check in on my progress. Here in My Little Blue Kayak, I spend my time paddling toward optimized health, wealth and happiness. Therefore, I tend to write goals in these categories. In January, I posted my 2018 goals and you can check them out here. In that post, I also explained how my goals each year, fit into the bigger picture of how I want to live my life strategically. Go check it out if you have the time!
People spend a lot of time talking about trying to get healthy and the need to take better care of themselves. Is health something that can be obtained and maintained? Are people in general healthy or unhealthy? Is it simply an illusion? I mean most of us spend our lives thinking about and attempting to obtain it, maintain it and don’t want to lose it.
When I talk about health, I don’t mean just the absence of illness or injury. When I talk about health, I mean the whole shebang! I mean eating nutritious food, getting enough sleep, being physically active, having positive relationships and taking care of oneself. Taking care of oneself includes those little daily habits we engage in and decisions we make in the quest to optimize health.
I started working at age 14 and my work ethic is strong. I feel the pull to be productive, to earn money and to pay my own way. By the age of 22, I became a manager at the human service agency that I worked for and by the age of 25, I was running a program. Once I finished graduate school I was a department director overseeing 30 staff and 3 different programs. There is a sense of security when you have a career, climb the ladder and earn a salary versus an hourly wage. You know how much money is coming in each month and can plan ahead relatively easily. You know where you will be Monday-Friday for 8-10 hours per day. Security is nice.
If you are a frequent paddler here at My Little Blue Kayak, you know I am not a fan of being super busy. I prefer a leisurely paddle to the middle of the lake, followed by 15 minutes of basking in the sunshine to an all out race across the lake. With that in mind, I have been super busy the last few weeks and haven’t had a chance to write. Spring is my busy season with yard work gigs, nursing home shifts and opening up the cottage for the summer.
I still don’t have much time, so I thought I would tie up some loose ends from earlier posts.
How many times have I said these 5 little words; “I could never do that?” I have said those 5 little words more times than I care to remember. How about you? All to often, it is easier to put up fences than to risk embarrassment, easier to not even try than to risk failure.
Today is Mother’s Day 2018! Who should you thank for Mothering you?
I am Child # 8 out of 9 of an Irish Catholic family. I grew up with 2 loving parents, with a mom that stayed home to take care of the family and the home. My dad was a NYC police officer who retired when I was about 9, and my parents moved from Long Island to Upstate NY with the 4 youngest kids.
Can you imagine raising 9 kids? Personally, I never felt the pull of motherhood. I think at a young age I recognized that it was hard work. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids and enjoy spending time with them but at then end of the day, I am happy to return to my quiet home to walk my dog.
Remember back in October when I excitedly posted about my new (to me) 2015 Hyundai Veloster? I had saved money to purchase it with cash and nicknamed it Sunburst! Don’t get me wrong, I am loving my car but I am having a bit of a dilemma I thought I would share.
I did a lot of research on buying a used Subaru Impreza but the bright orange Veloster caught my eye and the decision to buy was made quickly without research. I am having 2 problems that are making me question my decision.
