Joyfulness Jar Challenge

It has been a little bit since we have talked about gratitude, but it is one of my favorite things to think about. In my previous post https://strengthinmystory.com/gratitude-despite-trauma/ I discussed how to find gratitude even in the midst of dealing with trauma. I have found that having gratitude and finding joyfulness are key in my journey. In 2023, I started a joyfulness jar and as we moved into 2024, I have become more committed to this process.

What is a Joyfulness Jar?

You may be sitting there thinking, what on Earth is a joyfulness jar and why do you do it. For me, I found that I had many days where everything was difficult. These overwhelming days could make you lose sight on how much wonder and joy is still happening around you. So I started this jar project to help me see and encapsulate moments of joy.

To start it was quite simple. I got a jar (which I got from the dollar store) and some post it notes (but pieces of paper would work as well). Each day I would take half of a post it note and write down something that brought me joy. This got challenging for numerous reasons. Some days there were many things that I could have written down and I had to narrow it to what was the highlight moment. Some days on the other hand I was grasping at straws to find that moment of joy because it had been so hard. Remember that these moments that bring joy do not have to be large or expensive. They just have to bring you a bit of joy. Then at the end of the year you get to recap them.

End of Year Recap

The absolute best part of this project for me was opening my jar on New Year’s Eve. I started this mid-year, so I didn’t have 365 notes, but I had quite a few to look back on. Reading through these notes made me realize that even though the year had been so hard, that there were so many good things that happened. In the midst of chaos, trauma, and grief there is still joy. These serve as a great reminder of that notion.

Here are a few favorites from my 2023 jar:

• Getting thank you flowers from my neighbor
• Having a doctor who was willing to fight for me
• Got the best hug from my friend as she kicked me out of work
• A beautiful sunset on the way home
• Having my physical therapist tell me to “not ever let someone dampen my sparkle”.

Joyfulness Challenge for You

So here is my challenge for you, no matter what is going on in your life; make a joyfulness jar or a joyfulness journal if that is easier for you to keep track of. Choose to write down either one thing per day or one thing per week that brought you joy. Something that made you smile, breathe a little easier, or just made you think that maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem. But don’t forget to review them- this could be at the end of each month as little check points and then at the end of 2024. No matter what happens, this will be a culmination of positive moments to look back on. I hope that that can bring you a little hope and joy and that you will share that on with others because we never know what someone else is going through.