The Gratitude Jar: Living An Abundant Life
Gratitude is a concept that many religions and philosophical traditions have propagated throughout history. Each school of thought practices it according to its own principles, but most have something in common. Appreciating those things that promote well-being in our lives. One way to practice this habit is to create a gratitude jar.
Gratitude is an act that allows us to focus primarily on all the good things that happen to us. It puts a positive focus on those things and minimizes the attention we give to the less pleasant aspects of our lives.
In addition, it also reduces the frustration that comes from thinking about the things we don’t have or have lost. For example, missed job opportunities, a romantic relationship, material goods, our own health, and much more.
According to American author Melody Beattie, gratitude is an exercise that changes our reality:
The Benefits of Being Grateful
Being grateful as a habit improves our health and gives us greater well-being. In the same way, it helps us to better manage our fears, anger and sadness. That’s because it lets us see the little details we often take for granted and helps reduce suffering.
For example, we can think of people who suffer from depression. It is very likely that they are focusing their attention on all their pain and sorrow. What gratitude can do for these people is teach them to appreciate the areas of their lives that are good.
Perhaps these people have the support of their family or they enjoy good physical health. If you have a roof over your head and the ability to eat at least one meal a day, you have something to be thankful for. These are all things we often take for granted. However, not all people have these privileges.
It is true that reflection on how happy we are in certain areas of our lives will not make our problems go away. Especially for those who really suffer, it’s hard to see beyond their pain.
However, we can incorporate gratitude into our daily lives as a habit through practices such as creating a gratitude jar. These kinds of practices help us get more of the benefits of a grateful life. So we’ll tell you everything you need to know to make your own gratitude jar.
What exactly is a gratitude jar?
Creating a gratitude jar is an exercise that allows us to exercise gratitude in a very simple way. To make one you just need the following:
- a pot or container
- small blank pieces of paper (white or colored)
- something to write with
Once you have your pot, it is important for each of you to find a time when you are as calm and quiet as possible. Take a few minutes to summarize the situations or factors of your day that make you grateful. Finally, write them all on a piece of paper, add the date, fold it, and put it in your jar.
Often, experts recommend doing this right before going to bed. If for some reason that doesn’t work for you, you can also find a time in the morning before starting your day’s activities.
What is important is that you set aside a specific moment in your day and stick to it, then it will be easier to implement this new habit.
What other methods can you use to practice gratitude?
The gratitude jar is just one option when it comes to being aware of the practice of gratitude. Of course, there are plenty of other options you can choose from. With small children, you can imagine that they draw a picture of something they feel grateful for today. Then you can hang the drawing in their room or on the fridge as a reminder.
You can also make a jar where your whole family will leave messages of gratitude for each other. You can also use sticky notes where you write down the things you are grateful for and stick them in a visible area of your home.
In fact, you don’t even have to put them on paper to reap the rewards of gratitude. You can simply create a habit of setting aside a few minutes of your day to think about the aspects of your life that you are grateful for.
No matter which techniques you decide to use, it will make you happier to realize what you are grateful for every day. It gives you the opportunity to grow emotionally. Are you ready to start transforming your reality?