Is there a hole in your bucket? by Brendan Conboy

In three days, I will be exhibiting at the first-ever creative writing festival organised by the University of Gloucestershire. I am nervous to say the least. Even the word ‘exhibiting’ is enough to make me feel petrified, after all, I’m just flogging books (hopefully). There will be various workshops and panels with some of the top authors in the business. This makes me even more nervous, and the little voice of self-doubt increases in decibels daily.

I try to convince myself that this is a classic case of imposter syndrome, to no avail. I reach the stage of searching for an excuse so that I don’t have to go. The fact is, I don’t ‘HAVE’ to go, I WANT to go, despite the pain and anguish. Still, I question in my head, ‘Am I worthy?’ I am sure you can all relate, because what writer has never felt like this? We all have, right?

I heard a story recently that has helped me immensely with these thoughts and feelings. You may have heard it before, but I’ll share it with you now.

A lady had two buckets which she used each day to collect water from the well at the bottom of her garden. One of the buckets was old and battered, with a hole that leaked water. The other was bright and shiny and never leaked.

Every day, the lady made the short trek and returned with one and a half buckets of water. Then, one day, the old, leaky bucket said to the lady. “I am worthless, I waste as much as I carry, you should throw me away.”

The lady replied, “Such nonsense, I will do no such thing. Now, come with me. She walked with the downhearted bucket toward the well and asked the bucket to tell her what it could see.

“I see row upon row of beautiful flowers, with such a sweet-scented bouquet. They are incredible!”

“Yes”, said the lady, “they are incredible, and so are you. If you didn’t leak when I fetch water in you, these flowers wouldn’t be here.”

Now, we all know that buckets can’t talk, see or smell. It is a simple story that will hopefully help you to see the value that you possess within. We can all tell stories like this with great belief and conviction, so why do we struggle with doubt in ourselves?

We all have holes; we all leak, but God can use a cracked pot, or is it a CRACK POT?

 

Brendan Conboy aka Half Man Half Poet is the author of 16 published books including two fascinating autobiographies, The Golden Thread and I'm Still VALUED.  In 1986, Brendan invited Jesus into his life and God blessed him with the gift of rhyming words.  He used that gift as a Christian Rap artist for 25 years and has written 6 poetry books including the entire Book of Psalms in Rhyme.  He has 3 published novels - Issues, Invasion of the Mimics and Legacy of the Mimics.  He is the creator of Book Blest.