A Jar Full of Gratitude

My mother and I ran a salon together in Troutdale before my time here at Ruby, and one day she thought it would be fun to start a team gratitude project.  She bought all of us these mason jars with fancy stands, and told us they were known as Red Neck Wine Glasses, and they were to be our Gratitude Jars. We each put our own little flare on our jars, and each day we were challenged to write one thing we were grateful for for one year.  The first year we attempted this project I admittedly had I hard time remembering to add my pieces of gratitude to my jar each day; and honestly there were days when I struggled to find things to be grateful for.  I am happy to report that although I am in an entirely different place in my career and life, the Gratitude Jar is something that has followed me since the inception of my mom's project.

I have been filling my Gratitude Jar every year since, and each year it collects more and more pieces of gratitude.  The project has taught me to be more mindful over the years, and to pay attention all the things that happen during the day to inspire feelings of gratitude.  It has even strengthened my relationships with people who end up in the jar; and has given me the motivation I have needed on the days when I don't feel like lacing up my sneakers to go running.  While there are still days I forget, or days when I struggle to find gratitude, each year my jar collects more and more pieces of scrap paper.  I keep mine at my desk, and I keep a stack of scrap paper handy so I am always prepared to practice my gratitude on the daily.  

At the end of each year I empty the jar on my bedroom floor, and I dive into my pieces of gratitude. I like to read them all, and separate them into categories.  I usually end up with three main categories: Family & Friends, Work, and Health & Fitness.  This year so far I think my jar is already fuller than it ever has been before, and I have a feeling those same three themes are still trending strong.  Additionally I feel that doing this daily practice at work has helped me feel more empathetic and improved my listening; both skills that help me immensely in my role at Ruby.

Practicing gratitude has gotten easier every day with this practice.  Not only do I feel more grateful, but I feel more positive, more optimistic, and more mindful all the time.  My friends love the idea too, and many of them have started creating their own Gratitude Jars.  It's a small investment, which has brought HUGE payoff into my life.