Such a simple thing this, but they say it is the simple things that are the most effective. Much like myself: simple yet effective.
I can’t remember where I first saw the idea of a happiness jar, probably on Pinterest when I tried to start using it again over Christmas (that and Google+). The idea is this, you take a jar, and everyday you put a scrap of paper in it. Any old scrap of paper. Torn from the corner of a newspaper, the back of an envelope, a till receipt, anything at all. But on that piece of paper you write one happy thing that happened on that day, date it, fold it up and put it in your jar.
Then you keep it for a specific length of time before you then open it and read through all your happy thoughts.
I am going to be doing mine for the whole of this year.
It will sit beside my bed and every night I will write one happy thought from the day so that the last thing I think about everyday is something happy. And as the year progresses I will have a growing jar of happiness that I can hold.
I like the idea that even on days that have been dreadful there must be something that I can find from that day that is happy. Even if it is just that the dog DIDN’T do his nightly poo under that holly bush up the road that attacks me every time I bend down near it. That would make me very happy.
On bad days I might even sneak into it and do a lucky dip to find one thing to read that might cheer me up as I remember the reason I wrote it.
Who knows I might even do a jar every year, a bit like an alternative to the diary I kept as a teen. At least this won’t be full of “Why won’t Matthew Denny ask me to the school disco” / “OH MY GOD MATTHEW DENNY SNOGGED SALLY. SO ANGRY” type stuff.
How about you? What would you happy thought for yesterday have said?
That is a lovely idea, really like it
we’re doing that this year too…I cannot wait to fill the jar after our Team Honk relay leg!
I do a memory jar, 2nd year of doing it, great to look back over the year with fun things you have done, the nice things the kids have said the funny things etc 🙂 when you look back it will make you smile x
what a lovely idea!
What a brilliant idea. I’ve just dumped the last of my Christmas biscuits, so I will use the biscuit tin, the one with the pictures of the retro Cadburys chocolate bar wrappers on it.
That will remind me to leave the fattening goodies alone.
Thank You for a brilliantly simple but effective idea.
If it is not too late, a very Happy New Year to the Barrow family.
And a happy new year to you too! I love the idea of it being in a biscuit tin!
This is a great idea. I was told that if you think about a positive thing every night before you go to bed then your brain will rewire and see more positives about life.
oooh really? I like that idea
I love this idea, might have to do this myself 🙂
OMG I LOVE this idea! Read about it on Katy Hill’s blog and we are so going to be doing this in our family x
Love this idea, had thought about making a list of good things, but this is a much better idea.
I keep meaning to do this but I know I won’t keep it up, so my happy thought would probably be that I remembered to put one in 😉 xx
Fab idea! *looks around for jars and paper*