Gratitude Jar--Start a New Tradition

Want an uncomplicated way to boost your mood and be more grateful for what we do have, instead of focusing on what we don't have? Start a gratitude jar! Appreciations are always welcome – and according to researchers, starting a 'happiness jar' could be a terrific way to improve our own wellbeing and the dynamic of our family interactions.

A gratitude jar, also called a happiness jar, is a glass jar in which you put a daily note of gratitude. On a piece of paper, write down one good thing that has happened or one thing you are grateful for that day, fold it up and pop it into the jar. Continue this throughout the year, and when the new year rolls around, you'll have plenty of wonderful memories to reflect on.

You can do this individually, but it could also make great family project. All you need is the jar, some small squares of paper or post-its and a pen. If you have young children, it may be too long to wait an entire year to read the memories. Do it at the beginning of each month and start over for the new month. Or just reach into the jar and draw one or more to read on a day when nothing is going right. These precious memories would probably be forgotten if you didn't take the time to write them down.

Happiness jars were a project first introduced in 2007 by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love." Since then, many people around the world have used it as a simple reminder of the joys in the everyday — whether it's a nice meal, good weather, your train being on time or a good night's sleep. Watch this short video for inspiration and an explanation about the value of the jar.  www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1486409691378241

This may seem like a simple act, but the process has been promoted by doctors. Dr. Daniel Fryer, psychotherapist, and author, says, “On New Year's Eve, I recommend they get a bell jar and throughout the year every time something nice happens they write it on a post-it note. Then, in the January of the next year, they pull out a post-it note every day and remind themselves of the nice things that happened over the year – and that sails you through what is supposed to be the most depressing month of the year."

"Make it a habit to be grateful for the smallest details in life. These small details are so numerous that you can spend as much time as you want in a state of gratitude. This gratitude opens to even more of abundance." ~ Ralph S. Marston

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