How many of you have TimeHop on your phone? There are so many moments where I LOVE TimeHop, and then just as many that I hate it. And I feel like my experience with TimeHop has totally changed recently, as it's expanded to include what people have written on my wall, which has been really interesting to see and has inspired a lot of reflection on the relationships in my life.
I see comments and posts from people that I don't have relationships with any more. Sometimes because we grew apart. We stopped having friends in common. I moved... a lot. Sometimes there was a falling out. Sometimes it was a conscious choice after reflecting what the person did (or did not) bring into my life. And sometimes life just takes you in different directions.
I see a lot of moments that take me back. There was one the other day that appeared from when one of my best girlfriends decided 5 years ago that I needed to be a contestant on the Bachelor or Bachelorette. She went on a wild campaign of emailing anyone that knew me whose email address she had, and even people who didn't know me, and asked for them to submit nomination forms for me. I'd forgotten about all of this until I got this TimeHop reminder.
There was one the other day that reminded me of the weekend trip I took to Michigan 2 years ago to meet the then-boyfriend's family. While that relationship had a tragic and painful ending, that weekend was so incredible. It was the first time we'd traveled a significant distance together and I met his whole family (I mean WHOLE family). I loved them so much and so while bittersweet, it was nice to remember for a minute.
But it's also made me stop and think about how some of the most significant moments and people in my life won't be reflected in my TimeHop. Because they are moments that aren't on social media. They're the moments of weakness, where I'm crying in public and admitting that I'm struggling. Or people that I talk to all day via text that are scattered all over the country. Or getting post-it notes on my desk reminding me what great friends I have in my life. The nights spent sharing cuddling with my best friends as we travel to weddings and baby showers all over, cherishing the moments we have together.
It's those moments that I need to focus on. I've recently started a new practice of meditating each morning and each night. And I haven't been 100% dedicated lately because of the madness of preparing for orientation. But the days I commit, I notice a difference in how I live my life. In the morning, I focus on what I want in my life. At the end of the day, I focus on what I am grateful for. And in doing this, I have come to appreciate so many of the little moments that fill my bucket. And I've also realized that I want to dedicate more of my energy to filling the buckets of others. Both people I know and don't know.
Sending mail. Bringing treats. Shooting a kind text. Paying for something for a stranger. Leaving money at a vending machine. Helping out someone at an expired meter. Putting kind notes under windshields. Helping out someone who is having a rough time. There are so many ways to make a big impact that don't need to take a lot of resources. We are each responsible for contributing to the fullness of the buckets of the people around us.
This is a philosophy I love-- filling buckets. When you have meaningful, positive interactions or moments, depth is added to your bucket. When you have moments that are negative or hurtful, you lose depth from your bucket. Such a simple but powerful way of looking at how we choose to live our lives. I've used this in working with student staffs before and think it's great. So its time that I reconnect with this and strive to fill the buckets of the people around me, regardless of my relationship with them. I want to make a positive and meaningful impact on those around me.
So I challenge you to think about how full your bucket is, and how can you work to help fill the buckets of those around you? And what can you do to fill your own bucket? I know I need to be better about doing this. I know I'll feel fulfilled when I help others fill their bucket. But it's also on me to take care of myself and manage my bucket to the best of my ability. To fill it how I can- through taking care of myself and doing things I enjoy, but also keeping my interactions with people positive, healthy and productive.
Each drop makes a difference.
I see comments and posts from people that I don't have relationships with any more. Sometimes because we grew apart. We stopped having friends in common. I moved... a lot. Sometimes there was a falling out. Sometimes it was a conscious choice after reflecting what the person did (or did not) bring into my life. And sometimes life just takes you in different directions.
I see a lot of moments that take me back. There was one the other day that appeared from when one of my best girlfriends decided 5 years ago that I needed to be a contestant on the Bachelor or Bachelorette. She went on a wild campaign of emailing anyone that knew me whose email address she had, and even people who didn't know me, and asked for them to submit nomination forms for me. I'd forgotten about all of this until I got this TimeHop reminder.
There was one the other day that reminded me of the weekend trip I took to Michigan 2 years ago to meet the then-boyfriend's family. While that relationship had a tragic and painful ending, that weekend was so incredible. It was the first time we'd traveled a significant distance together and I met his whole family (I mean WHOLE family). I loved them so much and so while bittersweet, it was nice to remember for a minute.
But it's also made me stop and think about how some of the most significant moments and people in my life won't be reflected in my TimeHop. Because they are moments that aren't on social media. They're the moments of weakness, where I'm crying in public and admitting that I'm struggling. Or people that I talk to all day via text that are scattered all over the country. Or getting post-it notes on my desk reminding me what great friends I have in my life. The nights spent sharing cuddling with my best friends as we travel to weddings and baby showers all over, cherishing the moments we have together.
It's those moments that I need to focus on. I've recently started a new practice of meditating each morning and each night. And I haven't been 100% dedicated lately because of the madness of preparing for orientation. But the days I commit, I notice a difference in how I live my life. In the morning, I focus on what I want in my life. At the end of the day, I focus on what I am grateful for. And in doing this, I have come to appreciate so many of the little moments that fill my bucket. And I've also realized that I want to dedicate more of my energy to filling the buckets of others. Both people I know and don't know.
Sending mail. Bringing treats. Shooting a kind text. Paying for something for a stranger. Leaving money at a vending machine. Helping out someone at an expired meter. Putting kind notes under windshields. Helping out someone who is having a rough time. There are so many ways to make a big impact that don't need to take a lot of resources. We are each responsible for contributing to the fullness of the buckets of the people around us.
This is a philosophy I love-- filling buckets. When you have meaningful, positive interactions or moments, depth is added to your bucket. When you have moments that are negative or hurtful, you lose depth from your bucket. Such a simple but powerful way of looking at how we choose to live our lives. I've used this in working with student staffs before and think it's great. So its time that I reconnect with this and strive to fill the buckets of the people around me, regardless of my relationship with them. I want to make a positive and meaningful impact on those around me.
So I challenge you to think about how full your bucket is, and how can you work to help fill the buckets of those around you? And what can you do to fill your own bucket? I know I need to be better about doing this. I know I'll feel fulfilled when I help others fill their bucket. But it's also on me to take care of myself and manage my bucket to the best of my ability. To fill it how I can- through taking care of myself and doing things I enjoy, but also keeping my interactions with people positive, healthy and productive.
Each drop makes a difference.
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