Rath, Tom and Clifton, Ph.D., Donald O., How Full is Your Bucket? -- Positive Strategies for Work and Life, 2004.

Positive psychology experts like Don Clifton, the “Grandfather of Positive Psychology,” have built a substantial case that positive emotions can have enormous impact, from increasing your workplace productivity to extending your life.

In this, his last work, Clifton and his grandson Tom Rath use a simple metaphor to illustrate how you can generate positive moments and reduce negativity.

It’s like you have a bucket, they say, and you are at your best when your bucket is overflowing, but at your worst when it’s empty. You also have a dipper that you can use to fill or empty others’ buckets. And the great thing is that when you fill somebody else’s, you fill your bucket at the same time.

This very slim book relies on years of research by the Gallup Organization to offer simple strategies for “bucket filling,” – for creating positive moments at work and in life. A key point is that every interaction counts, no matter how brief. Thus the book’s techniques can help with any part of your network, whether you are seeking more clients, a broader circle of friends, or a happier family.