One of the latest things floating around Facebook land and all things Pinterest is a take on the Blessing Jar. I decided to give it a go this year and see what I could do with it. 
The concept is very simple—take a jar and over the year place in it notes of things that you are grateful for, memories that you don’t want to forget, experiences that are over the top and in general –just every thing that makes you smile. At the end of the year you can take the papers out and relive those special moments. What a simple thing to do to help focus on the positives in life rather than the negatives.
I used to have a journal where I tried to write down 3 blessings a day. As I have alluded to before Discipline is not my strong suit and that went by the wayside. I think I even gave those to my Stephen Ministers that I was training one year as an exercise to do during the year. Good thing I am not being held accountable for practicing what I teach!
But this year I am going to try it. I have to find a great location for the jar. Right now it is not in a great spot and it needs to be where I am reminded to use it. Right now there is only one note in it but it is early.
How do you acknowledge the good things in your life?
25 Comments
Leave a commentI’ve seen this floating around and love the idea. But like you, I’m not sure if I would have the discipline to remember to do it. I would keep the jar somewhere in the kitchen or by my computer… maybe then I would remember. For me the blog is reminder of the positive things in my life!
You are exactly right—your blog does document all of your blessings every single day !!!! I have it in the kitchen and I have a few more slips of paper in it since I wrote the post but I still need to add to it!!!!
I saw a different take on this that interested me called The Happiness Project One Sentence Journal and also the One Line A Day: The Five Year Memory Book. I think that’s another idea that would be great to try to write down your blessings or something memorable each day.
Those are GREAT ideas!!!! I love the one line a day idea!! I might even be able to do that!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
I journal. This is a wonderful thing for busy times, or those who don’t journal. Counting blessings is hard, but important. It gets you through the tough times when you have tangible proof of the good. Sometimes hearing it only makes it harder, but seeing it, holding it makes it real.
I love those words—thanks for sharing!!!
This is a really good idea. I try to acknowledge, by my words (written and spoken), the blessings in my life.
I think that is a great way to acknowledge blessings, too, but with my memory or lack of it at times I need the see it written down!!! 🙂
fantastic idea! love this.
This was suggested at our Women of Wonder meeting but I didn’t choose to do it. However, I do give thanks to God for blessings and things that happen that make me smile. Hope God blesses you in many ways this year and your jar will be full!
Better put it next to a note pad and pen. 🙂 I’d see the jar, go for a piece of paper and get lost doing something else. Squirrel!
I have a lot in my head that need to get transferred to paper!!!!
Our family started this this year. With all the stress Tony’s been having, it helps him to think of positive things to put in that jar. Who knows? Maybe it will help all of us. We’re opening ours and reading them on New Year’s Eve.
That is a great idea, Miranda!!! And you have to focus on the positive, don’t you? Been thinking about you guys and how rough things have been for Tony—hope things are a bit better.
It sounds like a good idea. I keep my journel so I will not try another thing as I have a hard time getting everything done each day. I put good and bad things that happen during each day.
And that is a great way to remember what went on on certain days!!! i need to be a bit better at recording stuff!
I think this is an excellent idea! Too often we forget the little good things & blessings in our life & only remember the big bad things. I will have to try this! Thanks for telling me about it!
It’s a simple idea but a really easy way to record the blessings that sometimes get forgotten as time goes by!!!
I will treasure the year 2012, because of each and every picture I took throughout the year. I like the idea of a jar – even daily entries in the blog. Grabbing hold of the good stuff and making a note of it leads to smiles throughout the year.
Your 2012 was a fabulous way to document the year with pictures. I don’t have that discipline and I admire you for that!!!! Hope 2013 is awesome for you guys( although I do know of the sadness that is there at times).
Exactly! And my blog kind of serves that purpose for me, too. The jar is just the stuff that I want to really remember !
I love the idea of a blessing jar. I’ve actually thought about doing a worry jar, too. I am a worrier and I thought it would be fun to see how few of my worries actually transpired. Maybe I’ll do both.
The worry jar is quite a great idea because more times than not the worries end up being nothing !!! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!!!
Sometimes I just sit there and name my blessings in my head especially when times are hard or I feel overwhelmed. My blessings can bring me back to reality and I am both surprised and overwhelmed at all that I have. Especially in America we have so much.
I so agree with you! We have so much more than anyone realizes at times and while I “think”I am appreciative I am sure there are days when I take it all for granted . Acknowledging our blessings in any way is a good thing.