The group leader of my team (at my corporate job) brought in a special treat for everyone… festive decorated donuts! They looked delicious with green frosting, clovers and sprinkles! As other members of the team enjoyed their yummy donuts, she shared a story with us from her previous place of employment. “One day there was a box of donuts in the office, and when I went to get one, I realized all the filling had been siphoned out – leaving just the outer donut in the box – for the next person. Who would do that?” We all were flabbergasted and joked whether the perpetrator had used a straw or their mouth to remove the filling from the donut!
Later that day, I walked up to one of my team members at the end of our lunch hour, and she looked a little down. “Is everything ok?” I asked. She replied with a question, “Have you ever noticed how some people suck the energy right out of you?” Turns out someone else (from another department) on our floor had sat down with her for lunch that day. Everything that person said was negative and judgmental. Though my team member was just listening, her attitude had shifted, her spirit deflated and she was left feeling empty and drained – not unlike the hollow donut we joked about earlier that day.
I am reminded of a great book for kids Have you filled a bucket today? by Carol McCloud. A heartwarming book encouraging positive behavior, and how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation and love. Here at YogaKids, we aim to empower children with confidence, love and compassion for others. We strive to teach them awareness and mindfulness of themselves, others and the world around them!
As parents, teachers and yogis, it is our duty to fill the buckets of those around us, not to siphon the yummy sweet center of the donut, but instead, leave them in their greatness – leave others better than they were before they met you! One of my favorite quotes is from Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”