Gratitude Jar

Why can it be so difficult to be grateful for what we already have? We all know we should practice gratitude every day, but for many of us this can be difficult when we are not fully present. Admittedly, I am someone who is often future-oriented. I'm always looking at what else I can learn or do, and I'm often thinking, "Ok, what's next?" Advancement and being focused on your goals is key, but so is living in the present moment. 

There are times when being present is much easier. When I'm meditating, practicing yoga, or spending time in a sensory deprivation tank (you have no choice but to be present when you are essentially weightless, in the absence of light and sound!) -- it's easier to tune into the "now". It seems the challenge comes when we are in the midst of "daily life".

Many of us spend the majority of our time at work, running errands, and doing day-to-day things that may not seem all that glamorous. How often do we pause to reflect on the beauty of the present moment and recognize how grateful we are for what is?

There are those of us who spend our time in the past, while others are off somewhere in the future. What if we spent more time tuning into what is going on right now? 

Being grateful for what we have and being grateful for what is, opens us up to receive more wonderful things in our lives. We attract what we think about most. It's the same with gratitude. Gratitude creates abundance, while complaining or wallowing is restricting and cuts off the flow of receiving. I recgonize that for me, this can be challenging when it comes to goals. At times there are many goals I want to acheive and sometimes I focus so much on these goals and wanting them to manifest now, that I let the present moments slip by.

Perhaps you've come across the quote by Eckart Tolle, "Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make now the primary focus of your life." Recalling this quote and thinking about the challenges I have faced with finding the balance of staying present, while also focusing whole-heartedly on my goals, led me to create a gratitude jar.

My gratitude jar isn't fancy, although you could spend time crafting and creating a work of art in which to place your gratitude notes. I found a Ball jar and began writing on small slips of paper, things I am grateful for. I found it best to do in the morning before work to sort of "set the tone" for the day, but I think this would work well in the evening -- or really any time of day! Perhaps I'll start doing this right after a yoga class or meditation... I'm curious to see if I have a shift in my perspective after a month of intentionally focusing on what I am grateful for. 

Try starting your own gratitude jar "practice" and see if it helps shift those thoughts of lacking and not having, doing, or being enough, to those of gratitude, joy and appreciation for what you already have in your life.