Why Not Put Your Happiness in a Jar this Year?

The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.  
-Benjamin Franklin

What if happiness came in a jar? Well, it can. If you put it there.

A friend of mine posted this idea on her Facebook page, and I immediately fell in love with the concept of a happiness jar.

It made me, well, happy.

The idea is credited to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, who posted her own Happiness Jar on Facebook a few months ago.

The concept is simple. Get a jar, keep small pieces of paper and a pen nearby, and write down the things that make you happy each day. Little things, like the smile on your toddler's face when he figured out how to put his sandwich in the DVD player (it's funny in retrospect), or the way you felt after taking a moment to show kindness to a stranger.

The whole family can contribute to one jar, or each person can have their own.

At the end of the year, you have a jar full of happiness, and a collection of memories that may otherwise have slipped your mind.

Gathering together to read through the notes is a great holiday treat, as well. I'm looking forward to making that a new tradition in our house.

Check out these Happiness Jars on Pinterest.