Good Things In a Jar

I'm always looking for . . . 

. . . and this month, I found it on the treadmill!

So. lets go back to the very first week in January for a minute. I was doing a treadmill workout on my Peloton Tread with one of my favorite instructors, Matty Maggiacomo. Matty was going on (as he does) in his most upbeat and charming way about how happy he was to be "finished" with 2021 . . . explaining that all the hope he'd felt at the beginning of the year had been kicked to the curb by the end of the year. He knew that, despite all the crappy, ugly things that happened in 2021, good things had happened, too. He just . . . couldn't remember them. So he decided to do something about that for the new year.

He started a Jar of Good Things for himself. Each week, he set out to write down one good thing that happened to him (an event, an idea, a person he met, any Good Thing at all) and place it in his jar. He figured that even if the year ended up not meeting his expectations (again), at least he'd have 52 Good Things to help give him some perspective there at the end. (You can click here to read an Instagram post he put together describing his Jar of Good Things concept.)

When I told Tom about it, we decided to start a Jar of Good Things for ourselves.

Each Friday at dinner, we each take a piece of paper and write down a Good Thing that happened during the week. We include the date, and we drop it into our . . . glass container. (I'm looking for a better jar.) At the end of the year, we'll have . . . 104 Good Things . . . to look back on.

I can actually already feel this exercise having an effect on us. As the week unfolds, we think about which Good Thing we'll write down on our slip of paper come Friday. It makes us think about what's happening around us in a whole new light. Is THIS the Good Thing this week? Or will there be something even better???

You know what I call that?

HOPE.

And I found it right there on the treadmill.

(Maybe you'll want to try this yourself. It's easy and fun and hopeful! All you need is a jar, some slips of paper, and some hope.) (And who cares if you didn't start on the first week of January. So you end up with 48 Good Things instead of 52? I'd say . . . that's just as good!)

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“Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
            —Stephen King.

 

Comments

[Carole]

That's a great idea! And it feels more tangible than my daily gratitude practice. Hmmm.

[kat]

This is a GREAT idea! And you are so right... 48 good things are perfect! I absolutely will join you on this Hope-Full endeavor!

Thank you so much for sharing!

[Vera]

A wonderful idea! Love it Kym.

[Vicki]

Lovely. Thanks for sharing that idea!!

[Bonny]

I tried this one year but didn't manage to stick with it beyond February. It may be time to give it another try because I could use some hope (and I even have a jar)! Thanks!

[Chloe]

I love the jar concept! No fuss, no muss. And you can see it grow. Sort of a piggy bank for the soul. Thanks, Kym! Oh, and maybe it would help us all if we’d look at life today as a jar half-full: most Americans - compared to most of the world through most of history - have so much more, even after Covid has taken so much away. I always feel grateful for that (but then I am relatively old (with my best years ostensibly behind me) and a History major so I think like that:).)

[Chloe]

P.S. Just occurred to me that this is a Good Thing that even Martha Stewart can’t top!

[kim in oregon]

That's a good idea! I think my thread journal is kind of like that--it's a little memento of nice things that happened each day (I'm a week behind though).

[Dee]

I am totally doing this!!!

Like Bonny . . . I even have a jar.

[Susanne Scheurwater]

Great idea!!! At least it brings focus to the good things, that are always there but we tend to let the negative crap overtake the good stuff. Thanks for a wonderful thought....

[Debbie]

What a wonderful idea! It seems that all I hear about is all that is wrong with the world and the good things remain hidden or forgotten. Thanks for sharing this good idea! Have a good weekend, Kym!

[Patty]

I am so in! And Doug will be so uncomfortable- I can’t wait to make him play along!! ;-)

[Jane]

I like this idea. One year we did this with gratitude. It was fun to look back. Sometimes something tangible makes a difference in keeping a practice going. At least for me.

[Juliann]

This is a good time for a good things jar. A few years ago, when we were in a big transition at work, I asked all of my teachers to write three things they loved about their work. We put these in a jar and at every meeting, we would pull out a few to remind ourselves. Thanks for bringing that memory back for me.

[Sarah]

This is such a smart idea -- and one that's low-tech for a change! I try to find five things every day that have brought me some joy as part of my journaling, though often they're very tiny things (which is okay, too). I think the practice of doing it once a week makes you really reflect on all the good moments, and I'd hope everyone would have several to choose from.

[sustainablemum]

How wonderful! I love this idea, I look forward to hearing yours at the end of the year. What a lovely reminder of all those things you have done that you might not necessarily remember in the busyness of life.

[Kathleen]

I think this is a fantastic post and idea I may copy!
So far , my good things are:
1st week Jan: My pa1 in !os ange1es 1oved her birthday gifts. I sent her shower bombs, (she has no tub) and they now make them for shower. I a1so sent a new eye mask for s1eeping.
2nd WEeK: Other friend 1oved her birthday gift. Soup Mixes because she 1oves soup .
3rd week: Bob, new friend in our town, asked Fireman to Hike with him. He is the nicest man. He makes sure he isnt near anyone with covid suspicions and he cance1s if he is.
4th week: Spent an hour with 1aura, my therapist. She is so upbeat and so understanding.
5th week: Fireman drove me safe1y to yarn shop 50 minutes away. Way away out in the farm fie1ds. Bought sock yarns! Cast on immediatey

[Margene]

Great idea! For Smith it would be the garden...every, EVERY week. :)

[kmkat]

Wow, you guys have definitely found a Good Thing to help you through 2022! Even if covid kicks us all in the butt again, you both will find GTs to help you through the dark times.

[Debshepknits]

What a great inspiration! I've convinced my stepdaughter to do it with me so we can urge each other onward and upward!

[Mary]

YAY!! you share the best ideas, Kym - thank you!!