The Blessing Bag

My sister shared with me a great idea that Elizabeth Gilbert shared on her Facebook page, about having a Happiness Jar.  Here is what she says to do:

Dear Ones -

Here it is the end of the year, and I thought it might be a good time to re-introduce to you all the concept of a Happiness Jar.

Here's me with mine!

What is a Happiness Jar? The simplest thing in the world. You get yourself a jar (or a box, or a vessel of any kind) and every day, at the end of the day, you grab a slip of paper and write down on it the happiest moment of the day.

Even on lousy days, you do this. Because even on lousy days, there is one best moment (or at least, one least-worst moment.)

You stick that little piece of paper in the jar.

Over the years, you have a record of your happiness.

On bad days, I will thrust my fist in that jar and go fishing — pulling up a handful of great moments that I would have utterly forgotten, had I not documented them.

I've been doing this practice for years, and I love it.

If my house ever caught on fire, this would be the one material object I would grab before I ran out the door...because what's inside this jar? THAT'S WHERE IT'S AT — the whole point of this life.

Over the years, my Happiness Jar has taught me much. What continually amazes me is what ends up on the slip of paper every day. Not awesome events, not huge achievements — usually just a small and tiny thing, a moment of awareness...that moment when you step outside and between the house and the car you get hit on the top of the head with a beam of sunlight, and suddenly feel awash with gratitude simply for being alive, and you think, "Yes. This is it."

It's usually something that small — and something that grand.

 

So I though I would do this.  Only I am more of a "Bag Lady" as opposed to using jars, so I am going to have my Blessing Bag.  I thought this fitting, since my sister gave me the bag for Christmas, and now it has a wonderful purpose.

Plus I have been wanting to get back into more consistent writing on my blog, so this is a good way to be more consistent on my blog, and share my blessings each day, too.

My brother posts Three Beautiful Things on his blog each day, and it is so encouraging to see what beauty he sees each and every day.  So I am going to focus on blessings.

I will not only write it down on a piece of paper, and put it in the bag.  But I will also write it each day on my blog, and share it with whoever want to read it!!

1/1/15 Blessing

Today I spent time with my friend Tina Curry.  We went and saw the movie "Unbroken" which was fabulous.  It was so nice to see a movie do the story from a book justice.  Then Tina and I went to Bardenay's and had lunch, and it was delicious.  We had a really good talk, and it was so much fun spending time with one of my oldest and dearest friends.