At the end of last year, I was at a retreat where I was asked to write down a list of what I had accomplished during the year. Needless to say, it took me wayyy to long to come up with the few things I was able to write down before time was up. Not because I hadn’t done anything worthwhile, but because I never stopped long enough to celebrate any of it. So this year I decided to change that.
One of my goals this year is to live more in the present. Like slow down and really BE in each moment that matters. Not on my phone, not on my laptop, not on social media. But really practicing the idea of mindfulness, tuning into my senses and enjoying the experience of doing one thing at time.
So I decided to make a Happiness Jar!
The Happiness Jar concept came from Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. The idea is to take a moment each day to write down something that made you happy, proud, grateful, or anything that just made you feel good.
How to Make a Happiness Jar
- Get a big glass jar (I got mine from Ikea)
- Make a label or decorate the jar however you like. You can download this label and print it on sticker paper like I did.
- Place it in a highly visible location in your house with a pad of sticky notes and a pen next to it. I put mine in the kitchen since that’s where we spend most of our time.
- Write down any good things that happen or moments that make you feel good and add them to the jar.
Here’s our jar so far…
I am hopeful that our Happiness Jar will help my family and me find more joy and gratitude in the little things. And at the end of the year, we can empty out the jar and celebrate all of our wins, big and small!
Be Inspired,
