what makes the balloon grow and shrink?

Where does the water come from, where does it go?

And is the bucket fixed? I mean: you are a living human being, not a cup, a bucket or so. You are not made of metal or wood.

Muscles grow when they are used. Courage grows when it is used. One can’t run out of love, even when it flows and flows into the world.

Your analogy directly brings me to the analogy that we have to cross barriers and borders into something new. Why limit ourselves and our happiness to a bucket?

There’s this old metaphor of our soul being like a drop – in a big ocean. Put your bucket into the ocean and there will be space enough for your happiness.

Is it possible? I don’t know. But it seems a good answer to your analogy. No?

Take care,
Phil