soul art

Create A Gratitude Jar – Then Watch It Change Your Life

You’re about to be introduced to one of my favourite practices of all time: a gratitude jar! Very simple. A jar full of all the things you’re so incredibly grateful for. A beautiful tradition to inaugurate at the beginning of a new year.

I actually call it a “Good Things” Jar because I know for certain that everything in this jar is nothing but pure goodness. And sometimes you need simple reminders of all the good that exists in your life. If you’re looking for another way to anchor into gratitude, get yourself a big jar and join me in setting up a gratitude jar.

The Annual Tradition: How it works

The practice doesn’t require much work, and yet the rewards are bigger than words can describe.

1. Note Your Gratitude

Simply recall and note down each day (or as frequently as you like) some events or little things that have brought you joy as of late.

2. Feel The Gratitude

Really allow yourself to soak in the gratitude for each note you write before releasing it into your jar. Put your hands to your heart, feel the feeling of joy, peace, beauty of life that these words represent for you.

3. Keep The Gratitude In Your Jar

Make sure you keep your jar or container in a place you see daily, this will reinforce the habit of adding to it consistently. If you have a sacred altar you sit at daily, around this space may be a great place to keep your jar. Or in your kitchen or office if you spend lots of time in these areas. Try to think of a space where you return to and spend time at on a daily basis. Structuring this ritual around a specific time of day will make it easier to keep consistent. Such as, every morning when you rise after meditating. Or perhaps each day after you’ve had lunch and come back to your desk, take a moment to notice gratitude.

4. Fill Your Jar

Throughout the year, this jar will continue to be filled with all the amazing moments that brought you joy. Watch as it fills up bursting with your gratitude.

5. End Of Year Tradition

In the final days of the year, comes the best part. While filling this jar daily with gratitude is a beautiful practice in itself, getting to read, relive and remember all the great times the year has gifted you with is incredibly special. Opening up each note, not knowing which memory it’s going to transport you to, sometimes even to a specific time you may have temporarily forgotten.

Pro Tip: Share with one or more friends or loved ones, exchanging and reminiscing over moments together. Sharing is Caring.

Once you’ve read all the messages written by your past self, you’ll be filled with all the joy that came your way this year. Especially if you’ve gone through particularly difficult life events in the last 12 months, the good things never lie.

6. Clear The Jar For The New Year

Dispose of the notes in which ever way you see fit. Have a small (and safe) burning ritual, watching the good times go up into flames and turning to ash. Making space for new good to enter your life in the new year.

How to set up your own gratitude jar?

The only required piece of equipment you’ll need is a big jar (and paper). I recommend to dedicate a notebook to your gratitude practice, pre-cutting the sheets into strips ready to rip out as you write out gratitude moments. This way you always have strips of paper near your jar ready to go, and you won’t have to spend time getting strips of paper ready each time you want to add a new note.

Some benefits of incorporating daily gratitude in your life:

  • improves overall satisfaction with life – you’ll notice how much joy the little things bring you
  • boosts overall emotional/mental/spiritual well-being
  • shifts your focus away from what you don’t have towards all the amazing things you do have
  • reminds you of all that makes you happy! Keeping you in a joyous, positive state
  • increases abundance, creates more space for joy in your life
  • increases self-awareness and clarity about what you want in life

Feel like getting crafty?

If you want to dedicate the contents of this jar specifically to this year, decorate some paper with the colours, textures, words you want to enrobe your jar with. Allow yourself to get creative with this!

In 2021, I used scrap pieces of wrapping paper, packaging paper from chocolate or other foods I had around the house. Use a glue stick or tape or secure everything to your jar and you’re all set!

Get ready for the good things coming your way!

Once you’ve got your jar ready to go, trust that as you fill it regularly with so many wonderful words and emotions, so much good is on its way to you. It’s only a matter of time, and good faith.

Pro tip: On a day where you may be feeling a little low, read a note or two from your jar to lift your spirits!

May gratitude for all the good in your life continue to fuel you with abundance.