The Seat of Power: Why Bucket #1 (My Choices) is the Only Bucket You Control
The most terrifying
thing in life isn't losing control—it is realizing you actually have it.
We love to say we are victims of our circumstances. We love to say, "I am angry because they made me angry," or "I am struggling because the economy is rigged." But what if 90% of your suffering is coming from the one person you refuse to look at in the mirror?
In this episode of The Dee Hankins Show, we are diving deep into Bucket #1 of the 3-Bucket Philosophy: My Choices. This is your Seat of Power, and it is the only bucket that actually matters when it comes to building true resilience.
What is Bucket #1? The Bucket of Absolute Control
Bucket #1 consists of
your thoughts, your words, your actions, your reactions, and your character.
Hear me clearly: You have 100% control and 100% authority over this bucket. The economy might take your job (Bucket #3), and people might break your heart (Bucket #2), but absolutely no one can reach inside your head and choose your reaction for you.
Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist who survived the Nazi concentration camps, once said that even in the harshest conditions imaginable, the last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given circumstance. If a man can tap into Bucket #1 while in a concentration camp, you can certainly tap into it when you are sitting in traffic on the 405 freeway or sitting in a frustrating board meeting.
The Jagged Pill: Losing the Right to Blame
Taking absolute control
over your life means swallowing a jagged pill: When you own your power, you lose the right to blame. Let’s look at how this affects your assets:
Financial: If the economy shifts and your business misses its quarterly goals, the economy is a Bucket #3 problem (you cannot control it). But if you walk into a boardroom and blame the economy, you are acting as a victim. If you return to your Seat of Power, you ask Bucket #1 questions: Did I pivot fast enough? Did I get creative with the budget we had? The moment you own your pivot, you become a leader.
Physical/Habits: We all have cravings or genetic predispositions (Bucket #3). However, the physical muscular movement of picking up a bad habit, eating the wrong food, or taking a drink is a Bucket #1 choice.
Owning the "My Choices" bucket isn't about guilt; it is about realized power. It is about recognizing that no matter how deep the hole is, you are the one holding the shovel. And you have the power to put the shovel down.
The Mirror Test: "What is my role in this?"
How do we live in Bucket #1 continuously?
By practicing the Mirror Test.
Every time you get frustrated, anxious, or angry, look in the mirror and ask yourself: "What is my role in this?"
If your boss is a jerk (Bucket #2), you have zero control over that. But the Mirror Test asks: Why do I still work here? Why haven't I updated my resume? Why do I let this person's opinion determine my self-worth? Maybe you stay because the job is close to your kids' school and the schedule works for your family. If so, own that choice! Your desire for convenience outweighs your boss's bad attitude. That is taking full responsibility for your life.
The ultimate benefit of living in Bucket #1 is that you stop waiting for Superman. You stop waiting for the government to fix things, your boss to change, or your family to get it together. You become the hero of your own story.
Bring Radical Responsibility to Your Culture
If you realize you have been abandoning your Seat of Power, it is time to do the heavy lifting. Watch the full breakdown in Episode 23 of The Dee Hankins Show here.
And if you are a leader thinking, "My entire team needs to hear this," let's make it happen. I travel the country installing the Potential Protocol and the 3-Bucket Philosophy for corporate teams and school districts.
We don't just give your team a speech; we give them a shared vocabulary and a self-regulating operating system so they stop blaming the budget and start asking, "What is my role in this?"
Visit www.DeeHankins.com to book Dee Hankins for your next event and let’s build a culture of absolute leaders.
Check your buckets, stay in your Seat of Power, and remember: life throws curveballs, but even curveballs can be hit for home runs.